Internal Evaluation: A Synthesis of Traditional Methods and Industrial Engineering

Abstract

In evaluation as it has been practiced, requirements for specialized training have caused a trade-off between rigor of method and the extent of program staff’s involvement in the evaluation process. There is a way to remove the trade-off between “rigor” and “use,” by applying industrial engineering (IE) tools that, though sophisticated and powerful, are packaged to facilitate use by people with relatively little specialized training. One level of IE use in evaluation simply adds tools to the evaluators’ toolbox. The second level employs the methodological abilities of evaluators to adapt and improve IE tools. Several problems must be solved in order to achieve the necessary integration. These include inserting the new evaluation technology into program settings, training and education, and developing a different kind of relationship between professional evaluators and those who work in settings where evaluation takes place.

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