ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by unpacking 'evaluation' in order to consider some of the associated terms such as merit and worth, quality, value and significance. 'Worth' is defined as the context-determined value of the subject being evaluated, in other words, the value of a particular intervention in a particular setting. Positivism is associated with quasi-experimental evaluation approaches which aim to generate information about changes that are measurable, reliable and secure. E. Guba and Y. Lincoln use the concept of four generations of evaluation thinking to illustrate the evolving nature of evaluation. Dialogical and reflective evaluation approaches which support learning and development are more likely to be experienced as an important aspect of professional practice. The concept of 'theory of change' began to emerge from 'realistic' evaluation techniques in North America during the 1970s and 1980s. There is no problem with evaluation per se, the problems arise from the way in which evaluation is conceived and enacted.
