What's "value judgment" got to do with ET? (Evaluative thinking, that is)

Abstract Information: Evaluative thinking is a much-discussed topic in the field of evaluation, and has been deemed “essential” for successful evaluation practice, organizational learning and improvement, and even healthy democracies. Yet it is a challenging concept to understand and differentiate from other ways of thinking, knowing and feeling. As part of a recent study, an Evaluation and Applied Research PhD student investigated what distinguishes evaluative thinking from critical and other ways of thinking, and found that leading thinkers on the topic believe it is the”valuing” or “value-judgment step” that sets it apart. But there is also a long-standing debate in the field about what evaluation is. Is it a systematic assessment of programs designed to improve social conditions and our individual and collective well-being, as proposed by Rossi, Lipsey and Henry? Or to be Evaluation, is a value-judgment a required part of the process, as Scriven suggested? What is the role of valuing and value judgements in evaluation and evaluative thinking? If a value judgment is not present, is evaluative thinking or evaluation taking place? Many practitioners today, especially participatory or empowerment evaluators, do not practice this step of arriving at a value judgment, while others make this an essential step in their practice and thinking. This roundtable intends to resurface this debate about the role of a value judgment in evaluation in today’s world, and will bring to the table new voices as well as seasoned perspectives from recent PhD graduates and current students in Evaluation and Applied Research who study Evaluative Thinking, Sociology and Applied Research professors, and practicing evaluators who use both traditional and participatory approaches. The presenters will share new research on evaluative thinking - the conditions under which the valuing part of evaluative thinking is explicit and dialogical, and the conditions under which it is implicit and unvocalized; real life examples of teaching today’s privileged and disadvantaged youth how to navigate power imbalances, and claim their voices and value judgements in research and evaluation settings, and emerging ideas of what it means to make a value judgment in today’s polarized world and who is best equipped to make them, if they should be made at all. The presenters will share their research, perspectives and ideas and ask questions of each other for the first half of the session and then invite wider participation into the discussion by asking audience members to both reflect on what was presented, answer pointed questions the presenters are grappling with, as well as share examples from their own practices. Together, we hope to have a vibrant discussion which probes more deeply into the role of value judgements, in evaluation and evaluative thinking, as the differentiating factor that makes these processes unique from other ways of thinking and practice and relevant to the evolving field of evaluation. This session will situate participants at the intersection of theory, research and practice of evaluation.