Fetterman, Scriven, and Patton Debate:  Empowerment Evaluation.

The 2009 Claremont Evaluation Debates

August 23 & 24, 2009

Claremont Graduate University

Major voices in the living history of Evaluation will go head-to-head on key issues to how the field is practiced today.  Watch them online for free, or join us ringside in beautiful Claremont, California, this August during our Professional Development Workshop Series:

< http://www.cgu.edu/workshops >

Sunday, August 23, 12:00-1:30 pm (Pacific)
Michael Quinn Patton vs. Michael Scriven
Utilization-Focused Evaluation: Its Promise (Patton) and Pitfalls
(Scriven)

Monday, August 24, 12:00-1:30 pm (Pacific)

David Fetterman vs. Michael Scriven and Michael Quinn Patton

Empowerment Evaluation: Its Promise (Fetterman) and Pitfalls (Scriven &

Patton)

These debates are co-sponsored by The Southern California Evaluation Association (an AEA local affiliate) and Claremont Graduate University.

Space for the online event is limited, please visit <http://www.cgu.edu/pages/465.asp > or email Paul.Thomas@cgu.edu to reserve access to a free connection to the debate.

Space for the in-person event is limited, so register today for the debates.  Registration includes a buffet luncheon for only $10 per person. Follow this link to save your place today:
< http://www.cgu.edu/pages/4729.asp >

Paul Thomas
Director of External Affairs
School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences
Claremont Graduate University
(909) 607-9016

2009 AEA Outstanding Publication Award: Getting to Outcomes

AEA announced that GTO has been downloaded 59,000 times from the Rand Corporation web site. According to David Fetterman, "The success of GTO is in part due to its simplicity.  The impact of this publication has been well documented.  And the influence is global in scope."

American Evaluation Association Newsletter, March 2009, Vol. 9, Issue 3

Congratulations - most accessed article online!

Congratulations David and Abe!

The American Journal of Evaluation (AJE) remains a publication of choice for top authors to submit their writing...The top 10 most accessed AJE articles online:

Empowerment Evaluation: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,
by D. Fetterman, A Wandersman, June 2007.

American Evaluation Association Newsletter, V 9, Issue 2

This is measure of empowerment evaluation's salience in the field.

AEA Award - Getting to Outcomes

Getting to Outcomes received the AEA Publication Award in 2008.  Congratulations to the team.  Matt Chinman, accepted the award as the lead author and on behalf of the team. He was gracious, humble, and funny as he spoke to the membership - thanking them for the honor.

In the picture you see the authors:  Pam Imm (left), Matthew Chinman, and Abe Wandersman (right).  

We have a picture of the entire team below.

Congratulations on a job well done and recognized by the association.  Getting to Outcome is an extraordinarily successful example of empowerment evaluation at its best.  The satisfaction you can see in Abe's eyes provides an insight into the pride he feels concerning his former students' achievements.  

A brief video of the award ceremony and the celebratory dinner is presented below:

Moein's Empowerment Evaluation Article

Mohammad Hasan Mohaqua Moein, an evaluator from from Iran,

has posted a tribute piece about empowerment evaluation, in honor of the 1st Arkansas Evaluation Center workshop (July 10-11th, 2008). The piece criticizes narrow definitions of evaluation, in favor of a more multi-cultural and pluralistic view of evaluation. The brief discussion is presented on his web site which can be accessed by double clicking on the image below.
Please feel free to contact him if you have any questions or comments.

Japan 2008

Empowerment Evaluation in Japan. Dr. Abraham Wandersman was invited to speak about empowerment evaluation in Japan by Dr. Kusago Takayoshi. His talk was titled: "Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice."

He focused on his Getting to Outcomes work in this area, including iGTO (web-based version of this method).

A picture of Abe is presented below at the Global Collaborative Center at Osaka University. He is front and center (with the tie). His hosts are at the far left (Momo Waguri- former student of Dr. Fetterman at Stanford University) and far right (Dr. Kusago Takayoshi) of the picture.

Empowerment Evaluation in Puerto Rico 2008

Empowerment Evaluation in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Drs. Maria Medina, Professor, Graduate Studies Deparment, School of Education, and Annette Lopez de Mendez, Director of the Educational Research Center, invited Dr. Fetterman to speak and facilitate an empowerment evaluation professional development workshop at the University of Puerto Rico (May 2008).

They took Dr. Fetterman and his family out for dinner the night before displaying friendship and hospitality. It was a warm welcome and introduction to many issues currently facing Puerto Rico. (Double click on the picture at the top left of the screen for a brief video of the workshop.)

David Fetterman and
Maria Medina

Annette Lopez de Mendez and her husband
(photographer) Hector Mendez Caratini

The day began with an overview about the steps of empowerment evaluation.


Dr. Fetterman presented the plenary talk and facilitated the workshop during the afternoon.


The workshop focused on views concerning the health care system in Puerto Rico. Participants quickly modeled "process use" by jumping in, ranging from activities such as drafting a mission statement to actually collecting the data and entering it into a spreadsheet; (and then displaying it using an LCD projector).



The taking stock step, using dots and 1 (low) to 10 (high) ratings, helped launch the dialogue and discussion.


Critical points were made during the day that unearthed concerns about the current health care system and a pride in the former health care system. This helped the group develop plans for the future.

It was an engrossing session and frank exchange about health care issues. It also highlighted both the mechanics and philosophy associated with the pursuit of empowerment evaluations.

Education Review Office - Christchurch, New Zealand

Education Review Office (ERO). ERO in Christchurch, New Zealand applied empowerment evaluation to their own activities in a workshop held July 12, 2007.

ERO provides independent external evaluation of how well each school or early childhood service is contributing to the learning and achievement of children and young people.

Their reviews and reports focus on the quality of education provided in school and early childhood services.

In the spirit of refining and improving their own work, ERO invited Dr. Fetterman to facilitate an empowerment evaluation workshop.



ERO staff applied the approach and produced productive insights into their own operations and the workshop stimulated ideas for future applications, ranging from professional development to work with the schools. Contact ERO for additional information at www.ero.govt.nz