Evaluation

Evaluation is a process not an end goal.

The process should bring different elements together to support decision makers in making better choices for better outcomes for their program or organization. Too often evaluation recommendations lack utility and are used only to satisfy funding requirements. This approach is both expensive and not helpful, in short a waste of resources.

Valentine Consulting believes the evaluation outcome is like feedback backed by unbiased data to ensure the organization or program is on their desired track. Through experience we have pivoted the role of evaluation into a process where our clients are able to build organizational capacity and empower stakeholders. We build capacity by using a developmental process to plan, manage and create supports around the use of evaluation inside of the workflow. We empower stakeholders through self-assessment or team based assessment; reflective practice; mentoring and training. We only provide consulting to organizations who are committed to ending suffering of a people, culture or this planet, our way of supporting these efforts is to ensure our clients can continue to use these tools after our work is done. The goal is to support transformation for a better world.

Approach:

Evaluation has grown and expanded to multiple approaches. Valentine Consulting uses four approaches:

Utilization Focused Evaluation

Utilization Focused Evaluation is planned and designed with specific goals in mind. This approach is focused on specific users and used for formative, process, summative and impact evaluation.

Empowerment Evaluation

Empowerment Evaluation is a stakeholder approach designed to provide groups with the tools and knowledge they need to monitor or evaluate their own performance and accomplish their goals.

Developmental Evaluation

Developmental Evaluation is designed for social innovators as they develop social change initiatives in complex or uncertain environments to drive decision making.

Participatory Evaluation

Participatory evaluation engages the stakeholders of a program or policy during the evaluation process. We involve stakeholders to create better understanding of the data, create better recommendations and validate key findings. This is an impact evaluation design approach.