Progress and Future Directions in Evaluation: Perspectives on Theory, Practice, and Methods New Directions for Evaluation, Number 76 - J-B PE Single Issue (Program) Evaluation

Last year, the American Evaluation Association celebrated its tenthanniversary. The annual conference, held in November 1996 andentitled AEA: A Decade of Progress, Looking Back and LookingForward, provided an opportunity to review the history andstatus of the field of evaluation and chart future directions. Forthis volume, we have selected a broad sampling of papers from thisconference to offer the reader an array of perspectives on wherethe field has been and where it should be going. The seven authors,all seasoned evaluators, collectively provide a review of thedevelopment of evaluation and offer perspective on its currentstatus and its future directions. Among the several themes noted,one cross-cutting theme emerges as a guiding beacon for the future.Evaluators, whether conducting a single study or a set of studies,are contributing to a broader enterprise. In doing so, we must bemore cognizant of our responsibility to design and implement ourstudies with this broader contribution in mind. This is the 76thissue of the quarterly journal New Directions forEvaluation.