John Mayne maintained that an evaluative culture is essential for results-based management to be integrated and be of significance. He described conditions and actions necessary for such a culture. This article presents Mayne’s ideas and the experience of evaluators employing Mayne’s suggestions in their attempt to build an evaluative culture. The conclusion drawn is that more of our evaluation approaches and practices should connect to, or contribute to, an evaluative culture within organizations.
{"title":"Building Evaluation Culture—The Missing Link","authors":"K. Chaytor","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75431","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75431","url":null,"abstract":"John Mayne maintained that an evaluative culture is essential for results-based management to be integrated and be of significance. He described conditions and actions necessary for such a culture. This article presents Mayne’s ideas and the experience of evaluators employing Mayne’s suggestions in their attempt to build an evaluative culture. The conclusion drawn is that more of our evaluation approaches and practices should connect to, or contribute to, an evaluative culture within organizations.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48228095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this concluding article, we take stock of the diverse and stimulating contributions comprising this special issue. Using concept mapping, we identify eight evaluation themes and concepts central to John Mayne’s collective work: evaluation utilization, results-based management, organizational learning, accountability, evaluation culture, contribution analysis, theory-based evaluation, and causation. The overarching contribution story is that John’s work served to bridge the gaps between evaluation practice and theory; to promote cross-disciplinary synergies across program evaluation, performance auditing, and monitoring; and to translate central themes in evaluation into a cogent system for using evaluative information more sensibly. In so doing, John left a significant institutional and academic legacy in evaluation and in results-based management.
{"title":"Using Evaluative Information Sensibly: The Enduring Contributions of John Mayne","authors":"S. B. Nielsen, S. Lemire, S. Montague","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75444","url":null,"abstract":"In this concluding article, we take stock of the diverse and stimulating contributions comprising this special issue. Using concept mapping, we identify eight evaluation themes and concepts central to John Mayne’s collective work: evaluation utilization, results-based management, organizational learning, accountability, evaluation culture, contribution analysis, theory-based evaluation, and causation. The overarching contribution story is that John’s work served to bridge the gaps between evaluation practice and theory; to promote cross-disciplinary synergies across program evaluation, performance auditing, and monitoring; and to translate central themes in evaluation into a cogent system for using evaluative information more sensibly. In so doing, John left a significant institutional and academic legacy in evaluation and in results-based management.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44237449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Remembering John Mayne—A Practical Thinker and a Thinking Practitioner","authors":"S. B. Nielsen, S. Lemire, S. Montague","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75515","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75515","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44951181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The late John Mayne’s contribution to evaluation was significant. This article maps his written contributions to evaluation. The authors analyze the number and types of publications produced by John Mayne from 1981 to 2020. They also identify the main themes in his authorship, and how they evolved over time. They further identify his most notable publications and use standard citation metrics to assess his academic impact. Finally, they take stock of his publications record and academic impact and conclude that his contribution to the evaluation community was significant and comparable to other thought leaders in the field of evaluation.
{"title":"Mapping the Contributions of John Mayne: Bridging the Gaps Between Evaluation, Auditing, and Performance Monitoring","authors":"S. B. Nielsen, Stinne Tangsig, S. Lemire","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75441","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75441","url":null,"abstract":"The late John Mayne’s contribution to evaluation was significant. This article maps his written contributions to evaluation. The authors analyze the number and types of publications produced by John Mayne from 1981 to 2020. They also identify the main themes in his authorship, and how they evolved over time. They further identify his most notable publications and use standard citation metrics to assess his academic impact. Finally, they take stock of his publications record and academic impact and conclude that his contribution to the evaluation community was significant and comparable to other thought leaders in the field of evaluation.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43910938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper focuses on three enduring themes in John Mayne’s work. They are causality; balancing learning and accountability as meta-objectives for evaluations; and program complexity. These themes are all central in his development and elaboration of contribution analysis. Although his work was aimed at practitioners, over time, the sophistication of his approach to evaluation raises challenges for practitioners, particularly given the structure of the evaluation field. The paper concludes with a suggestion to make contribution analysis more accessible, taking advantage of the work done by contributors to the Checklist Project at the University of Western Michigan.
{"title":"Enduring Themes in John Mayne’s Work: Implications for Evaluation Practice","authors":"J. Mcdavid","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75429","url":null,"abstract":"This paper focuses on three enduring themes in John Mayne’s work. They are causality; balancing learning and accountability as meta-objectives for evaluations; and program complexity. These themes are all central in his development and elaboration of contribution analysis. Although his work was aimed at practitioners, over time, the sophistication of his approach to evaluation raises challenges for practitioners, particularly given the structure of the evaluation field. The paper concludes with a suggestion to make contribution analysis more accessible, taking advantage of the work done by contributors to the Checklist Project at the University of Western Michigan.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47470331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper provides a thematic review of Mayne’s contributions to Canadian federal evaluation in order to describe his influence on how the function has evolved over the past 40 years. Key themes explored in the paper include Mayne’s influence on the development of a results-based culture in federal departments and agencies, as well as his conceptual grounding of evaluation activities through theory-based evaluation approaches and, most notably, Contribution Analysis. We draw on government publications to link policy directions to Mayne’s work and we provide a prospective view on his continued influence on the function for years to come.
{"title":"Bridging Evaluation Theory and Practice: The Contributions of John Mayne to Canadian Federal Evaluation","authors":"I. Bourgeois, Jane Whynot","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75457","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75457","url":null,"abstract":"This paper provides a thematic review of Mayne’s contributions to Canadian federal evaluation in order to describe his influence on how the function has evolved over the past 40 years. Key themes explored in the paper include Mayne’s influence on the development of a results-based culture in federal departments and agencies, as well as his conceptual grounding of evaluation activities through theory-based evaluation approaches and, most notably, Contribution Analysis. We draw on government publications to link policy directions to Mayne’s work and we provide a prospective view on his continued influence on the function for years to come.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43471046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article discusses differences and similarities between (methodological) rules of thumb of contribution analysis, realist evaluation, and the policy-scientific approach to (program) evaluations. John Mayne’s work and his operating procedures are presented and structured. One of the conclusions is that the three approaches form a ‘family.’ This ‘family’ can substantially contribute to at least six of the 10 “declarations of the Program Theory Manifesto” presented in 2019.
{"title":"John Mayne and Rules of Thumb for Contribution Analysis: A Comparison With Two Related Approaches","authors":"F. Leeuw","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75448","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75448","url":null,"abstract":"This article discusses differences and similarities between (methodological) rules of thumb of contribution analysis, realist evaluation, and the policy-scientific approach to (program) evaluations. John Mayne’s work and his operating procedures are presented and structured. One of the conclusions is that the three approaches form a ‘family.’ This ‘family’ can substantially contribute to at least six of the 10 “declarations of the Program Theory Manifesto” presented in 2019.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48453306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John Mayne was one of the early pioneers of evaluation capacity building in Canada. Based in the newly formed Office of the Comptroller General of Canada (OCG) in the late 70s, John had an opportunity to help shape the practice of evaluation in Canada, instituting many ideas that have withstood the test of time. Equally though, the nature and expectations of the practice of evaluation with the introduction of the new government policy on the evaluation of Programs would resonate in John’s writings throughout his life—a practical bent striving to improve the practice and use of evaluation in organizations.
{"title":"John Mayne and the Origins of Evaluation in the Public Sector in Canada: A Shaping of Both Evaluation and the Evaluator","authors":"R. Lahey","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75451","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75451","url":null,"abstract":"John Mayne was one of the early pioneers of evaluation capacity building in Canada. Based in the newly formed Office of the Comptroller General of Canada (OCG) in the late 70s, John had an opportunity to help shape the practice of evaluation in Canada, instituting many ideas that have withstood the test of time. Equally though, the nature and expectations of the practice of evaluation with the introduction of the new government policy on the evaluation of Programs would resonate in John’s writings throughout his life—a practical bent striving to improve the practice and use of evaluation in organizations.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49283733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Front Matter","authors":"","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.37.3.fm","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.37.3.fm","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":"98 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135185658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article is a tribute to John Mayne’s work on Contribution Analysis. It focuses on the causal claims Contribution Analysis aims to address, and on how these have evolved since the approach was first published by John in 1999. It first sets out four types of causality with relevance for Contribution Analysis: counterfactual, generative, INUS, and probabilistic causation. It then describes how John integrated the INUS condition and probabilistic elements into the Contribution Analysis approach, followed by how John’s thinking evolved regarding the question of whether the approach could—and should—also address counterfactual questions. The article concludes with observations on how Contribution Analysis can flexibly integrate elements from different causality types.
{"title":"Causal Claims in Contribution Analysis","authors":"M. Palenberg","doi":"10.3138/cjpe.75428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75428","url":null,"abstract":"This article is a tribute to John Mayne’s work on Contribution Analysis. It focuses on the causal claims Contribution Analysis aims to address, and on how these have evolved since the approach was first published by John in 1999. It first sets out four types of causality with relevance for Contribution Analysis: counterfactual, generative, INUS, and probabilistic causation. It then describes how John integrated the INUS condition and probabilistic elements into the Contribution Analysis approach, followed by how John’s thinking evolved regarding the question of whether the approach could—and should—also address counterfactual questions. The article concludes with observations on how Contribution Analysis can flexibly integrate elements from different causality types.","PeriodicalId":43924,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45017509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}