Developmental Evaluation Exemplars Principles in Practice

Responding to evaluator and instructor demand, this book presents a diverse set of high-quality developmental evaluation (DE) case studies. Twelve insightful exemplars illustrate how DE is used to evaluate innovative initiatives in complex, dynamic environments, including a range of fields and international settings. Written by leading practitioners, chapters offer a rare window into what it takes to do DE, what roles must be fulfilled, and what results can be expected. Each case opens with an incisive introduction by the editors. The book also addresses frequently asked questions about DE, synthesizes key themes and lessons learned from the exemplars, and identifies eight essential principles of DE.

See also Michael Quinn Patton's Developmental Evaluation, the authoritative presentation of DE.

Michael Quinn Patton, PhD, is an independent evaluation consultant with more than 40 years of experience. Based in Minnesota, he is a former president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). His six evaluation books include Developmental Evaluation, Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (now in its fourth edition ), and Essentials of Utilization-Focused Evaluation. He is a recipient of the Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Award for outstanding contributions to evaluation use and practice and the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Evaluation Theory Award, both from AEA.

Kate McKegg, MA, is an independent evaluation consultant with more than 20 years of experience. She is Director of The Knowledge Institute Ltd and a member of the Kinnect Group in Hamilton, New Zealand. She is also the current President of the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association and a former board member of the Australasian Evaluation Society (AES). Ms. McKegg is coeditor of Evaluating Policy and Practice: A New Zealand Reader. With Nan Wehipeihana, Kataraina Pipi, and Veronica Thompson, she received the Best Evaluation Policy and Systems Award from AES, for the He Oranga Poutama Developmental Evaluation.

Nan Wehipeihana, PostGradDip, is an independent evaluation consultant with more than 20 years of experience, based in Wellington, New Zealand. She specializes in evaluation and research with a focus on Maori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand. She established Research Evaluation Consultancy in 1997 and is a member of the Kinnect Group. Ms. Wehipeihana is a board member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association and a former appointed executive member of AES. Her tribal affiliations are to Ngati Porou and Te Whanau-a-Apanui on the East Coast of New Zealand and Ngati Tukorehe and Ngati Raukawa, north of Wellington, New Zealand.

1. State of the Art and Practice of Developmental Evaluation: Answers to Common and Recurring Questions, Michael Quinn Patton
2. Cultural Responsiveness through Developmental Evaluation: Indigenous Innovations in Sport and Traditional Maori Recreation, Nan Wehipeihana, Kate McKegg, Veronica Thompson, & Kataraina Pipi
3. Using Developmental Evaluation to Support College Access and Success: Challenge Scholars, Srik Gopal, Katelyn Mack, & Cris Kutzli
4. Nine Guiding Principles to Help Youth Overcome Homelessness: A Principles-Focused Developmental Evaluation, Nora F. Murphy
5. Fostering Learning through Developmental Evaluation with a Nontraditional Arts Organization and a Traditional Community Funder, Jamie Gamble, Shawn Van Sluys, & Lisa Watson
6. Science and How We Care for Needy Young Children: The Frontiers of Innovation Initiative, Julie Asher, Nathaniel Foote, James Radner, & Tassy Warren
7. Developmental Evaluation’s Role in Supporting Community-Led Solutions for Maori and Pacific Young People’s Educational Success: The ASB Community Trust Maori and Pacific Education Initiative, Kate McKegg, Nan Wehipeihana, Moi Becroft, & Jennifer Gill
8. Developmental Evaluation in the McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program: A Journey of Discovery, Marah Moore & Jane Maland Cady
9. An Example of Patch Evaluation: Vibrant Communities Canada, Mark Cabaj, Eric Leviten-Reid, Dana Vocisano, & Mabel Jean Rawlins
10. Outcome Harvesting: A Developmental Evaluation Inquiry Framework Supporting the Development of an International Social Change Network, Ricardo Wilson-Grau, Paul Kosterink, & Goele Scheers
11. Adapted Developmental Evaluation with USAID’s People-to-People Reconciliation Fund Program, Susan M. Allen, David Hunsicker, Mathias Kjaer, Rebekah Krimmel, Gabrielle Plotkin, & Kelly Skeith
12. Strengthening Innovation in an Australian Indigenous Primary Health Care Setting through Developmental Evaluation, Samantha Togni, Deborah Askew, Alex Brown, Lynne Rogers, Nichola Potter, Sonya Egert, Noel Hayman, & Alan Cass 
13. Leadership’s Role in Building the Education Sector’s Capacity to Use Evaluative Thinking: The Example of the Ontario Ministry of Education, Keiko Kuji-Shikatani, Mary Jean Gallagher, Richard Franz, & Megan Börner
14. Developmental Evaluation in Synthesis: Practitioners’ Perspectives, Kate McKegg & Nan Wehipeihana
15. The Developmental Evaluation Mindset: Eight Guiding Principles, Michael Quinn Patton