Date of Award

6-2013

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Evaluation

First Advisor

Dr. Chris L. S. Coryn

Second Advisor

Dr. Daniela Schroeter

Third Advisor

Dr. Lori Wingate

Keywords

program evaluation, evaluation standards, evaluation

Abstract

The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation’s Program Evaluation Standards is probably the most recognized and applied set of evaluation standards globally. The most recent edition of The Program Evaluation Standards includes five categories and 30 standards. The five categories are Utility, Feasibility, Propriety, Accuracy, and Evaluation Accountability. In recent years, evaluation has grown into a global practice with more than sixty national evaluation associations around the world. Examples include Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Russia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Niger, and New Zealand. Because countries differ from one another in context and culture, they may need different sets of standards for better execution and results of evaluation practices. However, this is not the case in every country.

The cultural adaptation of The Program Evaluation Standards, the growing economy in Saudi Arabia, and evaluation quality are the key issues framing this study. The following research questions are addressed: (1) To what extent do The Program Evaluation Standards fit the Saudi context? (1.1) Which standards are acceptable in their current form without modification? (1.2) Which standards need modification to be acceptable? and (1.3) Which standards are unacceptable, with or without modification? (2)What, if any, aspects of the standards are perceived to be especially problematic for application in the Saudi context? (3)What modifications are necessary to yield a complete set of standards for the Saudi context? The findings suggest that The Program Evaluation Standards needs to be modified for the Saudi context. As a result, a modified set of standards titled “The Saudi Program Evaluation Standards” will be disseminated, including four categories and 28 standards.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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