AES 2015 International Evaluation Conference

Jennifer Davis, Australian Human Rights Commission, John Stoney, Charles Darwin University

For over a decade Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) theory and practice has explored its conceptualisation, its theoretical underpinnings, how it can be modelled, has been experienced and how it may be (better) evaluated. Systematic reviews remain consistent in suggesting that ECB practice and evaluation has focused overly on capacity-to-do aspects and anecdotal reflections—consequently limiting understanding of capacity-to-use, sustainability and generalizability factors (Cousins, Goh, Clark and Lee, 2004; Labin, Duffy, Meyers, Wandersman, and Lesesne, 2012).

This paper however, is not just another call for more empirical research—it is a study that strives to reach across the science vs. practice gap. At its heart is a small but high profile Commonwealth agency whose work and environment can be contentious, and which previously was implementing ECB and delivering the standard 'capacity-to-do' outcomes. In this context the introduction of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and its associated Enhanced Commonwealth Performance Framework became a driver for the agency to stocktake and strengthen ECB through the application of Cousins, Goh, Elliott and Bourgeois' (2014) Framework for organisational evaluation capacity to do and use evaluation. 

The session will present the findings from the resulting case study in which the instruments, data collection, analysis and interpretation were guided by the framework, and explore the challenges, benefits and learning from applying a framework that promised to reach across the ECB science-practice boundaries by providing an accessible structure for the systematic and robust analysis of a real life ECB story.