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Powell, R. B., Stern, M. J., & Ardoin, N. 2006). A Sustainable Evaluation Framework and Its Application. Applied Environmental Education and Communication, 5, 231–241.
Abstract:
This article presents a framework for developing internally sustainable evaluation
systems for environmental education organizations, although the framework
can be applied to other types of organizations. The authors developed a sustainable
evaluation framework (SEF) with the intent of creating an evaluation system that
could be self-administered by the staff of an environmental education organization
in perpetuity. Key components of the framework include that it is utilization-focused
(designed specifically for the needs of its users), participatory (empowering
the users at each step of the design and implementation process), theory-driven
(employing logic modeling and consulting relevant literature for concept
clarification), and consumer-based (directly addressing the needs of probable
audiences of evaluation results). The article illustrates the evaluation framework
and its key outcomes using a case study from the Great Smoky Mountains
Institute at Tremont (GSMIT), where the authors facilitated the development
of an evaluation system. In addition to the creation of a credible, adaptable,
and sustainable system, outcomes of the framework’s implementation included
clarification of organizational goals, enhanced organizational commitment
from staff, professional development, and new prospects for adaptive management.
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