Session Description: The Guiding Principles for Evaluators focus on five areas of evaluation practice: systematic inquiry, competence, integrity and honesty, respect for people, and responsibilities for general and public welfare. The Principles guide the professional practice of evaluators, and inform evaluation clients and the general public about the principles they can expect to be upheld by professional practitioners. This session will share ways to use the Principles to improve the ways in which you plan for and conduct evaluations and work with stakeholders and clients. After a brief presentation that introduces the Principles, participants will work together in small groups to discuss the Principles as they relate to a topical case study. Through case explorations, lecture and small and large group discussions, you will gain a deeper understanding of the practical applications of the Principles. The workshop will also introduce resources—print, web-based and collegial networks—that evaluators can consult to handle professional dilemmas that arise in their practice. You will receive copies of the workshop presentation, the case study, the Principles in full and abbreviated brochure format, and a list of resources for more information and consultation.
Leslie Goodyear is Program Officer in the Division of Research on Learning at the National Science Foundation. In addition to grant making, she coordinates evaluation for the division’s programs. As a program evaluator and researcher, Dr. Goodyear has worked with programs focused on HIV/AIDS Prevention; Out-of-School Time; Youth Engagement and Youth Media; Educational Research; and STEM Education. Leslie is a past Chair of the AEA Ethics Committee, past AEA Board member and current section editor for the Ethics Section of the American Journal of Evaluation. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Service Studies, with focus on Program Evaluation, from Cornell University.