Evaluation Cultures

Evaluation Cultures draws upon a sample of reflections drawn from organizational practices nationally centered political cultures and ethnic cultures as a framework for understanding how culture influences the work of evaluation. Two main conclusions seem to emerge: first that there exists no single uniform and homogenous national evaluation culture; second that the idea of a unified transnational culture of evaluation is an illusion.The evaluation community includes a diverse group of professionals; a diversity that is not just represented in national or ethnic culture but also in academic backgrounds public and private sector allegiances and personal character. The contributors to this book represent in part this diversity by reflecting a range of views.Evaluation Cultures draws upon the experience of senior evaluation practitioners who share their reflections on their practice and experience in order to put forth challenges to purely academic analysis. Evaluation Cultures presents a consistent if not exhaustive attempt to give analytical and empirical sense to all of the cultures of the evaluation community.