Thanks to having my artificial hip overhauled, I became motivated to apply my interest in coordination to hospital settings.
Systems as Program Theory and as Methodology: A Hands on Approach over the Evaluation Life Cycle: Workshop at the American Evaluation Association Summer Institute
1) What do systems “look like” in terms of form and structure? 2) How do systems behave? 3) How can systems be used to develop program theory, as a methodology, and as a framework for data interpretation? 4) How should a systems approach be used along different parts of an evaluation life cycle – from initial design to reporting?
System design: Requirements, complexity, and cost
Systems that meet relatively small numbers of requirements will usually give people most of what they need. (If not most of what they want.) But people, many of whom should know better, insist on having it all, and thus doom themselves to building systems that fail.
How to Evaluate a Conference
This document provides a map of how I approach the task of evaluating conferences. It is organized around the three main stakeholders to a conference.
What complexity theory do evaluators need to know?
My last blog post dealt with why evaluators should focus on complex behavior as opposed to complex systems. Bob Williams made a comment about how the post made a lot of sense, but that it conveyed the impression that evaluators do not have to worry about complexity theory. Evaluators do need to be concerned with … Continue reading What complexity theory do evaluators need to know?
Things to think about when observing programs from a systems perspective
A friend of mine (Donna Podems) is heading up a project that involves providing a structure for a group of on-the-ground observers so they can apply a systems perspective to understanding what programs are doing and what they are accomplishing. She asked me for a brain dump, which I happily provided. What follows is by … Continue reading Things to think about when observing programs from a systems perspective
Case Study Example for Workshop 18: Systems as Program Theory and as Methodology
Case Study Example for Workshop 18: Systems as Program Theory and as Methodology: A Hands on Approach over the Evaluation Life Cycle This case was developed for a workshop at the American Evaluation Association's 2015 Summer Evaluation Institute. Construction of the Case This is the example we will use throughout this workshop to illustrate how … Continue reading Case Study Example for Workshop 18: Systems as Program Theory and as Methodology
Matching management systems to system behavior
Matt Keene and I have been having a back and forth on the topic of how management systems are built with respect to the way in which systems actually behave. Below is a record of our conversation to date. Jonny’s thoughts Desirability of Narrow Rigid Planning First, I don’t place any negative value judgments on … Continue reading Matching management systems to system behavior
Miscellaneous thoughts on complexity in Evaluation
How do concepts of "complexity" play in Evaluation?
Evaluation Uncertainty 