Evaluation Capacity-Building in Extension – A Navigational Glitch

Abstract Information: Evaluation capacity-building (ECB) is not a new concept, and it has been practiced in the Cooperative Extension Service for many years for the professional development of Extension educators. Yet, it often remains an ‘expert-oriented approach’ – that minimizes (1) the intrinsic connection between evaluation and the program planning process (Narine & Ali, 2020) and (2) undervalues that the steps in the program development process are symmetrical to the steps of the evaluation process (Rockwell & Bennett, 2004).

In addition, current literature discusses the challenges of the ECB in terms of Extension educators, their lack of knowledge and training in evaluation, and their time constraints due to programming engagements (Diaz, Jayaratne, & Warner, 2019). Time constraints and lack of knowledge are further complicated by their perception that program evaluation means the educator’s own evaluation, which could lead to a reprimand if the result shows that the implemented program was not successful.

On the other hand, there is very little or no review in the literature about how evaluation specialists’ background and their approaches affect the ECB process. The evaluation specialists in Cooperative Extension are often hired as just-out-of-college graduates. They have a largely theoretical knowledge of evaluation but lack practical experience with direct involvement in programming at the county level. Such a discrepancy makes it difficult for them to train educators on how to tailor evaluation with program design and implementation. Eventually, this leads to a perception among educators that specialists’ lack of programming knowledge and grassroots experience impedes their ability to teach evaluation that is useful in practice.

Evaluation specialists often assume that it is educators’ responsibility to approach them for evaluation assistance. Their lack of programming knowledge and inability to jointly work with educators on tailoring evaluation from program design to implementation lead educators to believe that evaluation specialists are campus-based faculty with little or no use to county Extension educators. This causes educators to seek help from senior and experienced peers rather than approaching evaluation specialists.

The author has proven records of success in helping educators assess program outcomes in all program areas in two different land-grant systems. In this presentation, the author will analyze the challenges of the ECB in detail and provide practical tools that participants can apply in their Extension systems to design and implement successful ECB programs.