“Using Evaluation to Inform Policy” - Dr. David M. Fetterman

Dr. Fetterman, Fetterman & Associates, was our MISRGO University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff guest speaker on October 14, 2010.  The presentation was made at the American Cancer Society, 901 N. University Avenue, Little, Rock, Arkansas.

Dr. Fetterman presented 5 case examples to illustrate how ethnographic and empowerment evaluations have been used to influence policy and policy decision-making.  The case examples included:

1. Arkansas Department of Education:  Schools in Academic Distress
2. Hewlett-Packard $15 Million Digital Village Project
3. MISRGO:  Tobacco Prevention
4. Stanford University School of Medicine
5. U.S. Department of Education:  Dropout and Gifted Programs

The examples demonstrated how to use evaluation to inform policy on the local, state, and national levels.  

Small groups were organized to: 

1) discuss what they had heard during the presentation

 

2) share their own experiences linking evaluation to policy; and

3) apply what they had learned to their own experience and generate new ideas for future work.  

The presentation concluded with a demonstration of useful technological tools to facilitate evaluations, specifically designed to inform policy decision-making.

 

Dr. Fetterman’s slide presentation is available here.