Successful or Not

It Depends on Your Frame of Reference

Abstract

This article describes an evaluation that was judged to be unsuccessful from the point of view of key program stakeholders. This was due to the fact that the evaluation did not support program advocates who had much to gain from positive evaluation findings. We argue that, although the knowledge needs of stakeholders must be taken into account, the integrity of evaluation practice, consistent with codes of professional behaviour, should guide the conduct of all aspects of what evaluators do.