Summary
Contents
“This is the evaluation book we’ve been waiting for! A must-read for all learning and working in the field.” –Amanda M. Olejarski, West Chester University Evaluation Failures: 22 Tales of Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned is a candid collection of stories from seasoned evaluators from a variety of sectors sharing professional mistakes they have made in the past, and what they learned moving forward. As the only book of its kind, editor Kylie Hutchinson has collected a series of engaging, real-life examples that are both entertaining and informative. Each story offers universal lessons as takeaways, and discussion questions for reflective practice. The book is the perfect companion to anyone working in the evaluation field, and to instructors of program evaluation courses who want to bring the real world into their classroom. Available with Perusall—an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class Perusall is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective. Learn more.
You Got to Know When to Hold ’Em : An Evaluation That Went From Bad to Worse
You Got to Know When to Hold ’Em : An Evaluation That Went From Bad to Worse
Robert P. Shepherd, PhD, CE, is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy & Administration at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Whenever I think of one particular evaluation, that old Kenny Rogers tune, “The Gambler,” plays in my head: “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.” Negotiating the terms of the evaluation seemed to start off so well, but four months into the project, I could not fathom how things had turned so badly. I am sure I sustained some reputational damage, not to mention the feeling that I had failed at something I always believed to be true: ...