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The Resource Evaluation : seeking truth or power?, Pearl Eliadis, Jan-Eric Furubo, Steve Jacob, editors

Evaluation : seeking truth or power?, Pearl Eliadis, Jan-Eric Furubo, Steve Jacob, editors

Contributor
Summary
  • Evaluation has come of age. Today most social and political observers would have difficulty imagining a society where evaluation is not a fixture of daily life, from individual programs to local authorities to parliamentary committees. While university researchers, grant makers, and public servants may think there are too many types of evaluation, rankings and reviews, evaluation is nonetheless viewed positively by the public. It is perceived as a tool for improvement and evaluators are seen as dedicated to using their knowledge for the benefit of society
  • The book examines the degree to which evaluators seek power for their own interests. This perspective is based on a simple assumption: If you are in possession of an asset that can give you power, why not use it for your own interests? Can we really trust evaluation to be a force for good? To what degree can we talk about self-interest in evaluation, and is this self-interest something that contradicts other interests such as "the benefit of society?" Such questions and others are addressed in this brilliant, innovative, international collection of pioneering contributions
  • Pearl Eliadis is a lawyer specializing in democratic governance and development, and has undertaken evaluations internationally and in Canada with a focus on human rights
  • Jan-Eric Furubo is the author of many publications about the role of evaluation in the democratic architecture and its relation to budgeting and auditing. He is co-editor of the International Atlas of Evaluation published in 2002
  • Steve Jacob is professor of policy analysis at Laval University in Quebec. He has published widely on policy evaluation and public administration. His research deals with modernization of the public sector and institutionalization of policy evaluation. --Book Jacket
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
240 pages
Contents
  • Evaluation : for public good or professional power? / Jan-Eric Furubo and Ove Karlsson Vestman
  • Section I: "Do unto Ourselves ..."
  • Policy and evaluation : many powers, many truths / Andrew Gray and Bill Jenkins
  • Sharing power among evaluation players : mission possible? / Steve Jacob
  • Taking one's own medicine? : the self-evaluation of the Danish Evaluation Institute / Peter Dahler-Larsen
  • Section II: Game Frontiers : political and administrative players
  • PAR : program assessment or power grab? / Jonathan D. Breul
  • Co-ordination of social policies at the EU Level : an ambiguous relationship between evaluation and politics / Jean-Claude Barbier
  • The power of illusion : evaluative information and political steering in Valais / Katia Horber-Papazian
  • Peer evaluation- the powerful peer? / Sandra Speer
  • Section III: To have and to hold ... power
  • Using their discretion : how state audit institutions determine which performance audits to undertake / Jeremy Lonsdale
  • Power asymmetries and performance audits : the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Auditor General of Canada / Pearl Eliadis
  • Postscript : Evaluators in the land of Oz-Dealing with hard and soft power /Ray C. Rist
Isbn
9781412811415
Instance
Label
Evaluation : seeking truth or power?
Title
Evaluation
Title remainder
seeking truth or power?
Statement of responsibility
Pearl Eliadis, Jan-Eric Furubo, Steve Jacob, editors
Contributor
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
  • Evaluation has come of age. Today most social and political observers would have difficulty imagining a society where evaluation is not a fixture of daily life, from individual programs to local authorities to parliamentary committees. While university researchers, grant makers, and public servants may think there are too many types of evaluation, rankings and reviews, evaluation is nonetheless viewed positively by the public. It is perceived as a tool for improvement and evaluators are seen as dedicated to using their knowledge for the benefit of society
  • The book examines the degree to which evaluators seek power for their own interests. This perspective is based on a simple assumption: If you are in possession of an asset that can give you power, why not use it for your own interests? Can we really trust evaluation to be a force for good? To what degree can we talk about self-interest in evaluation, and is this self-interest something that contradicts other interests such as "the benefit of society?" Such questions and others are addressed in this brilliant, innovative, international collection of pioneering contributions
  • Pearl Eliadis is a lawyer specializing in democratic governance and development, and has undertaken evaluations internationally and in Canada with a focus on human rights
  • Jan-Eric Furubo is the author of many publications about the role of evaluation in the democratic architecture and its relation to budgeting and auditing. He is co-editor of the International Atlas of Evaluation published in 2002
  • Steve Jacob is professor of policy analysis at Laval University in Quebec. He has published widely on policy evaluation and public administration. His research deals with modernization of the public sector and institutionalization of policy evaluation. --Book Jacket
Member of
Cataloging source
DLC
Dewey number
352.4/39
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
JC330
LC item number
.E93 2011
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorDate
1959-
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
  • Eliadis, F. Pearl
  • Furubo, Jan-Eric
  • Jacob, Steve
Series statement
Comparative policy evaluation
Series volume
v. 17
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Power (Social sciences)
  • Evaluation research (Social action programs)
  • Public administration
  • Administrative agencies
Label
Evaluation : seeking truth or power?, Pearl Eliadis, Jan-Eric Furubo, Steve Jacob, editors
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Evaluation : for public good or professional power? / Jan-Eric Furubo and Ove Karlsson Vestman -- Section I: "Do unto Ourselves ..." -- Policy and evaluation : many powers, many truths / Andrew Gray and Bill Jenkins -- Sharing power among evaluation players : mission possible? / Steve Jacob -- Taking one's own medicine? : the self-evaluation of the Danish Evaluation Institute / Peter Dahler-Larsen -- Section II: Game Frontiers : political and administrative players -- PAR : program assessment or power grab? / Jonathan D. Breul -- Co-ordination of social policies at the EU Level : an ambiguous relationship between evaluation and politics / Jean-Claude Barbier -- The power of illusion : evaluative information and political steering in Valais / Katia Horber-Papazian -- Peer evaluation- the powerful peer? / Sandra Speer -- Section III: To have and to hold ... power -- Using their discretion : how state audit institutions determine which performance audits to undertake / Jeremy Lonsdale -- Power asymmetries and performance audits : the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Auditor General of Canada / Pearl Eliadis -- Postscript : Evaluators in the land of Oz-Dealing with hard and soft power /Ray C. Rist
Control code
640918039
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
240 pages
Isbn
9781412811415
Isbn Type
(alk. paper)
Lccn
2010024013
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)640918039
Label
Evaluation : seeking truth or power?, Pearl Eliadis, Jan-Eric Furubo, Steve Jacob, editors
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Evaluation : for public good or professional power? / Jan-Eric Furubo and Ove Karlsson Vestman -- Section I: "Do unto Ourselves ..." -- Policy and evaluation : many powers, many truths / Andrew Gray and Bill Jenkins -- Sharing power among evaluation players : mission possible? / Steve Jacob -- Taking one's own medicine? : the self-evaluation of the Danish Evaluation Institute / Peter Dahler-Larsen -- Section II: Game Frontiers : political and administrative players -- PAR : program assessment or power grab? / Jonathan D. Breul -- Co-ordination of social policies at the EU Level : an ambiguous relationship between evaluation and politics / Jean-Claude Barbier -- The power of illusion : evaluative information and political steering in Valais / Katia Horber-Papazian -- Peer evaluation- the powerful peer? / Sandra Speer -- Section III: To have and to hold ... power -- Using their discretion : how state audit institutions determine which performance audits to undertake / Jeremy Lonsdale -- Power asymmetries and performance audits : the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Auditor General of Canada / Pearl Eliadis -- Postscript : Evaluators in the land of Oz-Dealing with hard and soft power /Ray C. Rist
Control code
640918039
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
240 pages
Isbn
9781412811415
Isbn Type
(alk. paper)
Lccn
2010024013
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)640918039

Subject

Member of

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