Influence and originality in Michael Quinn Patton's Utilization-Focused Evaluation

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concern of this study is primarily with insights, either acquired or original, whichmay be gleaned from the works of Michael Quinn Patton, especially his seminal book,'Utilization-Focused Evaluation with regards to utilisation of evaluation. Theimportance of utilisation of evaluation processes and findings cannot beoveremphasised. Use is critical to the success of multiple development programmes inSouth Africa which collectively will ultimately determine the country'saccomplishment of its developmental goals. The study is an analysis of the relevantliterature on utilisation of evaluation; comparing and contrasting Patton's writings withthose of other scholars on this topic of utilisation. The process of understanding theseinsights involves a brief biography of Patton to get a glimpse into the factors whichinfluenced the development of his ideas and to learn from them as well as from hisinnovative ideas. The major theme of utilization-focused approach to evaluation isutility and actual use of evaluations. The study therefore devotes special attention tothese concepts in order to find out how he defines them, his motivation to focus onthem and his perceptions of the purposes of evaluation. These determine his conceptionof the evaluation field; and his success in promoting evaluation utilisation is measuredagainst them. The study also contains a detailed discussion of the so-called 'paradigmsdebate between the quantitative and qualitative paradigms in the educational andsocial sciences in the 1960s and 1970s. This debate was necessary to quell the divisiontriggered by the domination of the quantitative paradigm over qualitative one in thesefields and to promote understanding of the need to prioritise research questions bydesigning studies to answer to them instead of research problems being fitted into 'onesize-fits-all readymade designs, the study argues. The role played by Patton in turningevaluation into a profession is also discussed at length. His works on this subjectinclude a contribution towards enhancing quality and credibility of evaluation, majorinput on the Standards of Excellence for Evaluation as well as assisting in thedevelopment of methods for evaluation. The inevitability of politics in evaluation ishighlighted together with the importance of their ethical conduct. The debates in theAmerican Evaluation Association are very illuminating and Patton's involvement inthem is detailed in the study. They cover a range of issues which are useful todeepening of understanding of evaluation conduct and particular factors which affectuse. The study ends with a critical analysis of Patton's contribution to utilisation ofevaluations by programme decision makers and its significance to South Africa.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University