ANNOUNCE Systems based approaches to evaluation

[John Sterman jsterman MIT.EDU]

Posted by John Sterman <jsterman@MIT.EDU>
Folks,

I received this call for contributors, which may be of interest to
those of you doing assessment and evaluation research from a systems
perspective. The Am. Evaluation Associaton is a large and
interesting group of folks, many of whom are interested in systems
thinking.

John Sterman


>>Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 17:20:46 +1300
>>To: Recipient List Suppressed:;@MIT.EDU
>>From: Bob Williams <bobwill@actrix.co.nz>
>>Subject: Evaluation and systems thinking
>>
>>Kia ora and Happy New Year everyone,
>>
>>We've been asked to edit a publication on the use of systems based
>>approaches to evaluation. By ""systems based approaches"" we mean
>>methodologies, methods and techniques that draw from General Systems
>>Theory or reflect similar ideas. By ""evaluation"" we mean research
>>based inquiries that inform judgements of the value or worth of
>>social projects and programmes.
>>
>>We are seeking potential contributors and also potential reviewers.
>>
>>The ""client"" for this publication is the American Evaluation
>>Association, although this publication has an international focus
>>and we are keen to draw examples from outside the USA. The primary
>>audience is evaluators who are good at asking the ""interesting but
>>so what ?"" question. Thus it is important that contributions cast a
>>critical eye on both the theory and the practice, based ideally on
>>specific case studies. This is also a relatively new area for
>>evaluation, so we are keen for the publication to cover a wide range
>>of systems based approaches (eg system dynamics, soft systems
>>methodology, critical systems thinking, cybernetics ....) so that
>>interested evaluators can see the wide range of opportunities open
>>to them.
>>
>>I'm also keen to have evaluators and evaluation clients as
>>reviewers. No knowledge of systems theory would be required. Indeed
>>it could be a distinct advantage.
>>
>>Thanks to the generosity of the W K Kellogg Foundation, authors and
>>reviewers will have the opportunity to meet and critique the
>>contents of the publication - probably in Oakland California,
>>probably late this year. Indeed it is planned to edit this
>>discussion and have it as the closing chapter.
>>
>>The publication will be available in both hard copy and on the net
>>in a web based version.
>>
>>Please let us know as soon as possible if you may be able to
>>contribute to this publication, and if so in what way. Feel free to
>>pass the notice on to anyone you think might be interested.
>>
>>Our apologies for all the duplications and multiple postings of this
>>notice, but we are keen to get the message out to as many people as
>>quickly as possible. Also apologies to those who are wondering why
>>on earth they have been sent this message. Again to get maximum
>>coverage we have trawled through our email contacts over the years
>>and sent to anyone we think might be interested. Inevitably some of
>>you who are not will have slipped through our net. But feel free to
>>pass the note on to anyone who might be.
>>
>>We will keep this email list, so please let us know if you would
>>like to be removed from it.
>>--
>>Cheers
>>
>>BOB WILLIAMS
>>bobwill@actrix.co.nz
>>Check out the free resources on my WEB site
>>http://users.actrix.co.nz/bobwill
>>
>>Mobile (64) 21 254 8983
>>
>>IRAJ IMAM
>>iimam@cal-research.org
>>http://www.cal-research.org
>>
>>
Posted by John Sterman <jsterman@MIT.EDU>
posting date Tue, 11 Jan 2005 08:44:15 -0500