The Development and Initial Validation of Competencies and Descriptors for Canadian Evaluation Practice

Abstract

This article presents the Canadian experience of establishing competencies as part of a professional designation project. First we discuss the foundations of the competencies, including the preliminary work of compiling a cross-walk of evaluator competencies, a document that then served as the basis for consultations across Canada. The next steps were to extract five broad themes or competency domains, each containing specific competencies, and to develop descriptors for each competency. A group of Canadian evaluation experts was then asked to rate the competencies and their descriptors. The results of this preliminary validation exercise are highlighted. To conclude, we note how the competencies and their descriptors are currently being used and look ahead to next steps.