EvaluLand

I chat with Jannik Kaiser about regenerative evaluation, an approach that asks how evaluation itself can contribute to flourishing. We discussed Jannik's background in evaluation and what led him to regenerative evaluation, how and why the approach was developed, what regenerative evaluation is and an example of regenerative evaluation in practice, and more.

"Too often, evaluation is experienced as a "tax" on doing good: an extractive exercise where we mine data from communities to feed upward reporting structures. It reinforces a power dynamic where the funder holds the yardstick and the community bears the burden of proof. We count the fruits while depleting the soil. But I believe - and have witnessed first hand - that evaluation can be a source of vitality and justice, not just accountability." - Regenerative Evaluation Living Paper: Influences, Pathways, & Practices

Resources

Introduction to the Regenerative Evaluation Living Paper

Regenerative Evaluation Living Paper: Influences, Pathways, & Practices

Impact Garden

M&E in Complexity: Presenting a methodology for making credible claims

Capacity Compass

Regenerative Evaluation Community of Practice

About Jannik Kaiser

Jannik Kaiser is the Co-founder and CEO of Unity Effect, where he leads the area of Regenerative Measurement and Evaluation. As the main editor of the Regenerative Evaluation Living Paper, Jannik has dedicated his career to bridging complexity science with participatory practice.

He advocates for transforming evaluation from a compliance-driven reporting requirement into a regenerative intervention in itself: one that gives more energy than it takes and actively shifts institutional power. His work encompasses a broad spectrum of contributions, ranging from advising global organizations such as the ILO and UN agencies, to developing open-source frameworks such as the Impact Garden, Capacity Compass, and Methodology for Credible Claims in Complexity, to empower purpose-driven organizations worldwide.

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannik-kaiser/

I chat with Robin Lin Miller about the book she wrote with George Ayala, "Breaking Barriers: Sexual and Gender Minority-Led Advocacy to End AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean." We discuss MPact, Project ACT, and the evaluation of the initiatives.

About Robin Lin Miller

Robin Lin Miller, PhD is Professor of Psychology, director of doctoral training in ecological-community psychology, and associate director of training in program evaluation at Michigan State University. She served as lead evaluation specialist for Gay Men’s Health Crisis in the early years of the HIV epidemic and established its first Department of Evaluation. She specializes in evaluating community-led programs, including human rights and advocacy initiatives. Her evaluations – principally conducted in the United States, Africa, and Caribbean – focus on adolescent and Black gay and bisexual men, bisexual girls, transgender women, and male sex workers. She served as lead scientist on the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Therapeutic Approaches to Sexual Orientation Distress, which is routinely cited in legislation banning conversion therapy practices. Awards include the 2023 Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Evaluation Practice Award from the American Evaluation Association for substantive cumulative contributions to the development of LGBTQ evaluation practice, and the 2022 Exemplary Project W. K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award for evaluating human rights advocacy for LGBTQ people in Africa and the Caribbean. She a member of the Academy for Community Engagement Scholarship, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Society for Community Research and Action. She is author of more than 100 scholarly publications, including Breaking Barriers: Sexual and Gender Minority-led Advocacy to End AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean, published by Oxford University Press, co-authored by activist-scholar George Ayala. Past funders include AmFAR, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, and the U.S. Department of State.

Contact information: [email protected]

In this episode, I chat with the authors of The Garden of Evaluation Approaches about their innovative and helpful framework for thinking about evaluation theory and approaches. They each share their personal journeys into evaluation as well as into this work they have been collaborating on for years. We also discuss evaluation theory more broadly, including how to make it more accessible to new and emerging evaluators.

About guests:

Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead is a Professor of Research Methods, Measurement, and Evaluation at the University of Connecticut, where she also directs the Partnership for Evaluation and Educational Research (PEER). As Co-Editor-in-Chief of New Directions for Evaluation and a fervent advocate for evaluation, Bianca has dedicated her career to bridging the space between evaluation theory and practice. Her work encompasses a broad spectrum of contributions, from evaluating various educational and social programs using diverse methodologies to enhancing the professional training of evaluators worldwide.

Daniela Schroeter serves as a Presidential Innovation Professor and Associate Professor at Western Michigan University. With a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Evaluation and over twenty years of research, Daniela has contributed substantially to developing evaluation theories and methodologies. Her global work has involved diverse sectors, focusing on enhancing the capacity and effectiveness of evaluations. Daniela also co-edits the Teaching & Learning of Evaluation section of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Lyssa Wilson Becho serves as a Principal Research Associate at The Evaluation Center of Western Michigan University. Garnering the 2024 Marcia Guttentag Promising New Evaluator Award, Lyssa has made a significant impact in advancing evaluation methodologies, focusing on culturally responsive practices and promoting equity within evaluation processes. Lyssa is a co-Executive Editor for the Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation.

Collectively, their innovative work in evaluation spans continents, cementing their reputation as leaders in advancing the practical, theoretical, and methodological facets of the discipline.

Contact information:

Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/BMMoorhead/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bianca-Montrosse-Moorhead

Daniela Schröter

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielaschroeter/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniela-Schroeter

Lyssa Wilson Becho

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyssa-wilson-becho/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lyssa-Becho

Resources mentioned:

Project vita (biography or résumé) with links to all free and publicly available resources: https://tinyurl.com/EvalGardenVita

Montrosse-Moorhead, B., Schröter, D., & Becho, L. W. (2024). The garden of evaluation approaches visualization. Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation, 20(48), 49–58. https://journals.sfu.ca/jmde/index.php/jmde_1/article/view/1029

Montrosse-Moorhead, B., Schröter, D., & Becho, L. W. (2024). The garden of evaluation approaches. American Journal of Evaluation, 45(2), 166–185. https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140231216667

Bledsoe, K. L., & Graham, J. A. (2005). The use of multiple evaluation approaches in program evaluation. American Journal of Evaluation, 26(3), 302-319. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214005278749

King, J. (2024) Garden of evaluation approaches with SROI and CBA https://linkedin.com/posts/julian-king-87a015a_cba-sroi-vfi-activity-7201338499776618497-J3-z/

Miller, R. L. (2010). Developing standards for empirical examinations of evaluation theory. American Journal of Evaluation, 31(3), 390–399. https://doi.org/10/fmzjxp

In this week’s episode, I talk with Dr. Jennifer Villalobos about evaluator education, the scholar-practitioner model, evaluation careers, and how the current administration is affecting evaluation.

Contact information: Jennifer P. Villalobos - [email protected]

About Dr. Jennifer Villalobos: Jennifer P. Villalobos, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of the Doctor of Evaluation Practice (D.Eval) program at Claremont Graduate University. As an evaluator, scholar-practitioner, and organizational psychologist, her work focuses on advancing socially responsive evaluation, helping organizations increase their DEI profile, positive psychological interventions, and the intersection of evaluation education and practice. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids, cheering them on in their many sports and theatrical events. She’s also a firm believer in the power of community—whether that means mentoring students, collaborating with peers, or just gathering people around good food and conversation.

Music by Matt Ingelson, http://www.mattingelsonmusic.com/

I share my reflections on teaching Foundations of Evaluation after a major course revision, including how it's been going for the first four weeks.

Music by Matt Ingelson, http://www.mattingelsonmusic.com/