ABSTRACT
Evaluative inquiry in social work and the human services1 goes back at least as far as the parallel debates about whether social work is a profession, and if so, how should social workers be educated and trained for their task (Kirk and Reid, 2002). Evaluative inquiry in social work and the human services should contribute to the development and evaluation of practice and services; enhance professional moral purpose; strengthen social work’s disciplinary character and location; and promote human services evaluation marked by rigour, range, variety, depth and progression.
