ERIC Number: EJ1469311
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
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EISSN: EISSN-2325-5226
Available Date: 0000-00-00
How Evaluation Capacity Building Grows Credible and Actionable Evidence for Cooperative Extension Programs
Chelsea Hetherington; Cheryl Eschbach; Courtney Cuthbertson
Journal of Human Sciences & Extension, v7 n2 p175-188 2019
Evaluation capacity building (ECB) is an essential element for generating credible and actionable evidence on Extension programs. This paper offers a discussion of ECB efforts in Cooperative Extension and how such efforts enable Extension professionals to collect and use credible and actionable evidence on the quality and impacts of programs. Sufficient investments in ECB, both at the individual and organizational levels, can better equip Extension to advocate for and make changes to programs, advance as a learning organization, and have a more powerful impact on communities. Furthermore, as Extension program stakeholders often have varying perspectives on the credibility of evidence, these perspectives must also be accounted for in efforts to build Extension's evaluation capacity. Intentional investments in ECB efforts provide an opportunity for Extension to further deepen and expand impact, positioning programs to most effectively and positively benefit individuals and communities.
Descriptors: Cooperative Education, Extension Education, Capacity Building, Program Evaluation, Data Collection, Data Use, Credibility, Evidence, Educational Quality, Evaluation Utilization, Program Development, Community Needs, Needs Assessment, Barriers
School of Human Sciences, Mississippi State University. PO Box 9745, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Tel: 662-325-6861; Fax: 662-325-8188; e-mail: jhse@ext.msstate.edu; Web site: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/jhse/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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