Meta-Evaluation, Research on Evaluation, & Evaluation Theory with Zach Tilton

This week I am joined by Zach Tilton, a Doctoral Research Associate at the Interdisciplinary PhD in Evaluation Program at Western Michigan University. We discussed research on evaluation and meta-evaluation.

Topics Covered:

• How Zach got into evaluation and at Western Michigan University (01:12)
• What peacebuilding evaluation is (03:52)
• Evaluation specialists vs generalists (05:45)
• Research on evaluation and meta-evaluation (09:50)
• Prescriptive vs descriptive theories (22:35)
• Evaluation theory (25:00)
• Zach’s dissertation: RoE on peacebuilding evaluation (35:50)
• Adjusting to life amidst Covid-19 (40:10)
• What’s next for Zach (46:00)
• What’s giving life for Zach (50:55)

Resources mentioned:

• Western Michigan University Interdisciplinary PhD in Evaluation, including Michael Harnar and Chris Coryn
• EPP article on knowledge syntheses
• AEA Research on Evaluation TIG
• Blog describing working group’s updated RoE definition
• Weaver & Cousins article on participatory evaluation
• AEA Integrating Technology into Evaluation TIG
• MERL Tech conference
• Everyday Peace Indicators
• Digital Impact Alliance
• Evaluation Practice Reconsidered by Thomas Schwandt
• EvalCentral Unwebinars, Blogs, and Discussion Forum
• Equitable Evaluation Initiative
• Eval4Action Campaign
• Black youth-led movements: Black Visions Collective Reclaim the Block, The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar, and Minnesota Freedom Fund

Contact:

• Zach Tilton: @ZachTilton on Twitter and [email protected]
• EvaluLand: Website & Twitter (@EvaluLand)

About Zach:

Zach Tilton is a Doctoral Research Associate at the Interdisciplinary PhD in Evaluation Program at Western Michigan University where he is setting and pursuing an agenda for research on peacebuilding evaluation. He holds a BS in Peacebuilding and Business Management from Brigham Young University-Hawaii and an MA in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford. Along with peacebuilding evaluation, he researches technology-enabled evaluation, meta-evaluation, and participatory and collaborative evaluation. He is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, a Rotary Peace Fellow, an Institute for Economics and Peace Ambassador, and has worked as an evaluation practitioner for various international peacebuilding organizations. He is also currently an Evaluation Consultant for the Digital Impact Alliance at the United Nations Foundation, an Associate at Everyday Peace Indicators, and the Co-chair for the Topical Interest Group for Integrating Technology into Evaluation and the EvalYouth representative to the American Evaluation Association.

Music by Matt Ingelson, http://www.mattingelsonmusic.com/