Internal Evaluation:
Building Organizations from Within

Instructor: Dr. Arnold Love

Description: Internal evaluations are conducted by an organization's own staff members rather than by outside evaluators. Internal evaluators have the enormous advantage of an insider's knowledge so they can rapidly focus evaluations on areas managers and staff know are important, develop systems that spot problems before they occur, constantly evaluate ways to improve service delivery processes, strengthen accountability for results, and build organizational learning that empowers staff and program participants alike.

This course begins with the fundamentals of designing and managing effective internal evaluation, including an examination of internal evaluation with its advantages and disadvantages, understanding internal evaluation within the organizational context, recognizing both positive and potentially negative roles for internal evaluators, defining the tasks of managers and evaluators, identifying the major steps in the internal evaluation process, strategies for selecting the right internal evaluation tools, and key methods for making information essential for decision making available to management, staff, board members, and program participants.

The second day will focus on practical ways of designing and managing internal evaluations that make a difference, including: methods for reducing the potential for bias and threats to validity, practical steps for organizing the internal evaluation function, outlining the specific skills the internal evaluator needs, strategies to build internal evaluation capacity in your organization, and ways for building links between internal evaluation and organizational development. Teaching will be interactive, combining presentations with opportunities for participation and discussion. Time will be set aside on the second day for an in-depth discussion of key issues and concerns raised by participants. The instructor's book on Internal Evaluation: Building Organizations from Within (Sage) is provided with other resource materials.

Certificate: CAEP IIC.h