ABSTRACT
In April 2010, following five years of research, consultations and development, the Canadian Evaluation Society launched a Professional Designation Program for evaluators in Canada. This chapter provides both a historical and critical perspective of the evolution of credentialing as it relates to the evaluation enterprise in Canada. It feeds into the book’s thinking on the management of evaluation as a social praxis, by presenting a case study on the institutionalization of evaluation and how the process unfolded in Canada. The chapter describes the context in which the evaluation field has evolved in Canada over the past six decades, the short and mid-term outcomes since the launch of the Credentialed Evaluator (CE) program, and provides conclusions for other evaluation societies considering professionalization.
