An initial study to develop instruments and validate the Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators (ECPE)

Abstract

Contemporary program evaluation emerged in the 1960s with the unprecedented Great Society programs. Over the past half of a century, program evaluation has clearly developed, yet it has not developed into a full-fledged profession. Unlike many established professions, program evaluation does not have certification or licensure for evaluators and cannot exclude unqualified persons from the profession. Evaluator competencies are one of the underpinning foundations of professional designation. Evaluator competencies demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required in program evaluators. The Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators, developed by King et al. (2001) and revised by Stevahn et al. (2005), were one of the first efforts at specifying evaluator competencies. The purpose of this study was to develop instruments (a web-based survey and interview protocol) to initially validate the Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators using Messick's (1989, 1995a, 1995b) concept of unitary validity as a framework. The validated evaluator competencies can be used to enhance the professionalization of the field of evaluation.