The priority of justice: a framework approach to ethics in program evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Evaluation Theory
• Applied Ethics
• Social Justice

Background:

• Evaluation contexts are complex, often presenting ethical conflicts among principles, aims, and stakeholders.
• Practitioners require an interpretive framework to navigate these complexities and find effective solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a three-part justice framework for guiding evaluators and stakeholders.
• To provide a structured approach for clarifying complex evaluation issues and facilitating workable solutions.

Main Methods:

• The framework is conceptual, drawing on principles of justice.
• It outlines three interconnected components: public justice, procedural justice, and distributive justice.
• The framework is grounded in John Rawls's philosophy on the priority of justice.

Main Results:

• Public justice: Evaluation must serve the public with professional fidelity and integrity.
• Procedural justice: Evaluation requires fair process, mutual respect, and right action.
• Distributive justice: Evaluation operations must serve the public good through equitable allocation of goods and benefits.

Conclusions:

• The three-part justice framework offers a robust model for ethical and effective evaluation practice.
• Applying this framework can help resolve conflicts and ensure that evaluations serve the broader public interest.
• Justice is presented as the foundational virtue for social institutions, including evaluation.