Using developmental evaluation as a system of organizational learning: An example from San Francisco

Area of Science:

• Social Program Evaluation
• Organizational Learning
• Framework Development

Background:

• Developmental evaluation (DE) has gained prominence over the last two decades as a method to foster organizational learning within emergent social programs.
• DE utilizes a continuous cycle of inquiry, reflection, and knowledge application, offering tools, methods, and principles for constructive organizational development.
• A gap exists in the DE literature regarding a detailed framework to guide evaluators in identifying and elevating key organizational practices for emergent programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the need for a nuanced framework in developmental evaluation literature.
• To describe the development, piloting, and refinement of an integrated pilot framework for DE.
• To introduce the Evaluation-led Learning (ELL) framework as a means to enhance organizational learning in emergent programs.

Main Methods:

• Development and iterative refinement of a pilot framework based on established DE inquiry principles.
• Incorporation of practical lessons learned from applying the pilot framework in real-world settings.
• Drawing upon existing DE inquiry frameworks to inform the structure and components of the proposed ELL framework.

Main Results:

• Successful development and piloting of an integrated framework designed to guide developmental evaluation practices.
• Identification of key organizational practices and concepts crucial for emergent programs through the framework's application.
• The proposed Evaluation-led Learning framework is presented as a structured approach to enhance DE's impact.

Conclusions:

• The Evaluation-led Learning framework is posited to fill a critical gap in developmental evaluation literature.
• Explicitly integrating the assessments foundational to the ELL framework is crucial for maximizing DE's effectiveness in driving organizational learning.
• Without this structured approach, the impact of developmental evaluation on organizational learning may be inconsistent and limited.