Promoting evaluation capacity building in a complex adaptive system

Frances Lawrenz; Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann; Jean A King; Marjorie Bequette; Scott Pattison; Amy Grack Nelson; Sarah Cohn; Christopher L B Cardiel; Stephanie Iacovelli; Gayra Ostgaard Eliou; Juli Goss; Lauren Causey; Anne Sinkey; Marta Beyer; Melanie Francisco

doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2018.04.005

Promoting evaluation capacity building in a complex adaptive system

Eval Program Plann. 2018 Aug:69:53-60. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2018.04.005. Epub 2018 Apr 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ University of Minnesota, Educational Psychology, 174 EdSciB, 56 East River Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. Electronic address: lawrenz@umn.edu.
² Museum of Science, Boston, Research and Evaluation Department, 1 Science Park, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. Electronic address: ekollmann@mos.org.
³ University of Minnesota, 178 Pillsbury Dr SE, 242 Burton Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. Electronic address: kingx004@umn.edu.
⁴ Science Museum of Minnesota, Department of Evaluation and Research, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN, 55102, USA. Electronic address: mbequette@smm.org.
⁵ Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Research and Evaluation Department, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR, 97214, USA. Electronic address: scott.pattison@freechoicelearning.org.
⁶ Science Museum of Minnesota, Department of Evaluation and Research, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN, 55102, USA. Electronic address: agnelson@smm.org.
⁷ Science Museum of Minnesota, Department of Evaluation and Research, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN, 55102, USA. Electronic address: scohn@auroraconsult.com.
⁸ Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Research and Evaluation Department, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR, 97214, USA. Electronic address: ccardiel@omsi.edu.
⁹ Museum of Science, Boston, Research and Evaluation Department, 1 Science Park, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
¹⁰ Science Museum of Minnesota, Department of Evaluation and Research, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN, 55102, USA.
¹¹ Museum of Science, Boston, Research and Evaluation Department, 1 Science Park, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. Electronic address: juli.goss@crystalbridges.org.
¹² Science Museum of Minnesota, Department of Evaluation and Research, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN, 55102, USA. Electronic address: lcausey@smm.org.
¹³ Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Research and Evaluation Department, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR, 97214, USA.
¹⁴ Museum of Science, Boston, Research and Evaluation Department, 1 Science Park, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. Electronic address: mbeyer@mos.org.

PMID: 29704777
DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2018.04.005

Abstract

This study provides results from an NSF funded, four year, case study about evaluation capacity building in a complex adaptive system, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). The results of the Complex Adaptive Systems as a Model for Network Evaluations (CASNET) project indicate that complex adaptive system concepts help to explain evaluation capacity building in a network. The NISE Network was found to be a complex learning system that was supportive of evaluation capacity building through feedback loops that provided for information sharing and interaction. Participants in the system had different levels of and sources of evaluation knowledge. To be successful at building capacity, the system needed to have a balance between both centralized and decentralized control, coherence, redundancy, and diversity. Embeddedness of individuals within the system also provided support and moved the capacity of the system forward. Finally, success depended on attention being paid to the control of resources. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords: Case studies; Complex adaptive systems; Evaluation capacity building; Networks.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Capacity Building / methods*
Humans
Interprofessional Relations*
Interviews as Topic
Organizational Case Studies
Program Evaluation / methods*