President Bush has issued an executive order that formalizes the administration's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) methodology in an effort to strengthen the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. GPRA established a requirement for reporting Federal agencies' performance, and OMB's Performance Assessment Rating Tool (GPRA) requires agencies to report performance at the program level. The executive order issued Nov. 13 requires agencies to use these data to improve their performance.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will hold agency leaders and managers accountable for program results. Agency chiefs must approve program performance goals, plans for accomplishing them, and approaches to measure them. Agency Internet websites that are available to the public must be regularly updated with searchable information on the "successes, shortfalls, and challenges" of each program and descriptions of the agency's efforts to improve the performance of the program.

The order also establishes the positions of "agency performance improvement officers" to oversee performance goals. These officers would work together in a newly established government-wide Performance Improvement Council to exchange information and monitor agencies' progress. This Council will be chaired by the OMB's Deputy Director for Management, and will include agency performance officers selected by the chair as well as other full- or part-time agency employees that are selected by the chair with the concurrence of agency heads.

A professor of social work at Syracuse University has been awarded two prestigious awards from the American Evaluation Association - a first for the organization and a surprise for the academic researcher lauded for her passionate and groundbreaking work in the arenas of social justice and cultural diversity.

Karen E. Kirkhart, 1994 president of the AEA, has long spotlighted the need to address multicultural issues and factor them into evaluation theory and practice. She selected social justice as the conference theme during her presidential year and it was during her tenure as AEA president that the Diversity Committee was institutionalized.

"Concerns (for social justice) did not originate with Karen but she clarified the issues, made the connection to evaluate more direct, gave the issue visibility, and added to the dialogue perspectives that had not previously had a forum for debate and discussion," says Michael Quinn Patton, who nominated Kirkhart for the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Award, which recognizes an individual whose written work on evaluation theory has led to fruitful debates on the assumptions, goals, and practices of evaluation.

Kirkhart also received the Robert Ingle Award recognizing leadership and service to AEA. In numerous supporting letters, colleagues described Kirkhart as selfless, insightful, steadfast, committed to capacity building and one skilled at building bridges and promoting dialogue.

"She has worked tirelessly in support of the vision behind the organization without seeking credit for what has been accomplished. In addition, her sense of professionalism has dictated a level of excellence in her performance that has really benefited AEA and inspired those with whom she has worked," says Melvin E. Hall, Professor, Northern Arizona University.

In a new book edited by Michael Morris, seasoned evaluators offer their unique perspectives on a variety of ethical challenges. Evaluation Ethics for Best Practice helps readers reflect on how to respond to and possibly prevent such dilemmas. The text features six case-study scenarios. For each, two distinguished evaluators offer their insights on the best course of action and why -- showing that even experts can differ in their interpretation of "doing the right thing." What If? Boxes modify the details to test whether these changes impact the ethical implications of the case. Six additional case-study scenarios help readers gain experience in developing ethical analyses on their own.

"I have found that case scenarios are a powerful way of engaging students and colleagues in discussions of ethical issues in program evaluation," shares Morris, "and I kept each commentator 'ignorant' of what the other was writing in order the maximize the diversity and I think this strategy worked. The commentaries, taken as a group, are very "rich" in terms of the variety of perspectives taken."

Morris, Professor of Psychology at the University of New Haven and director of its Master's Program in Community Psychology, has also served as Chair of the AEA's Ethics Committee and Public Affairs Committee and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Boards of New Directions for Evaluation and the American Journal of Evaluation. A trainer in evaluation ethics throughout the United States and abroad, Morris received his PhD in community-social psychology from Boston College.

Evaluation Ethics for Best Practice is published by Guilford Press.

From the publisher's website: "Morris has enlisted a seasoned cadre of evaluators to reflect on his evocatively crafted ethical dilemmas. Leaving ponderous prose behind, the contributors write in an engaging, personal style as they weigh alternative courses of action in each scenario. The result is a lively journey through evaluation's ethical landscape that is also a genuinely instructive read." --Jennifer Greene, University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign

The Research, Technology and Development (RTD) Evaluation Topical Interest Group (TIG) represents one of the most international showings within AEA's 41 TIGs. RTD claims some 350 members as well as a growing roster of top-tier RTD evaluation managers and practitioners from the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe.

RTD was first conceived in 1994, when its founders counted just one session at that year's meeting dedicated to evaluating either the "hard" sciences or technology development. Formally founded a year later, RTD has worked diligently since to raise the visibility of such issues at AEA's annual meeting. RTD sponsored 19 sessions at Evaluation 2007 and a special issue of the professional journal Research Evaluation will highlight RTD's AEA presentations annually - another sign of this TIG's global reach and impact.

"TIG sessions are a recognized gathering place and ensuring good sessions every year," says RTD chair Gretchen Jordan, "is the primary focus of the TIG leadership."

Next year, RTD hopes to have more sessions with other TIGS to further share applications of RTD evaluation methods and grow the network of RTD evaluators. Also in the year ahead, RTD plans to ramp up its communications efforts and online presence and will assist efforts to reinvigorate the Washington and World Research Evaluation Network(s).

AEA welcomes its 24th local affiliate, the Southern Georgia Evaluation Association (SGEA). Organized to promote the practice and use of high quality evaluation throughout southern Georgia, SGEA has had a busy first year with two professional development workshops offered since June.

As part of an overall capacity building effort, the Emory Prevention Research Center in partnership with the Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition helped to identify local evaluation resources including professional evaluators and others in the region interested in evaluation. In January 2007, EPRC recommended the formation of an evaluation "interest group" to share ideas and resources. The group subsequently decided to apply for AEA Affiliate status.

The group already had identified both a need for - and a ready reception to -- introductory evaluation training workshops and advanced training for healthcare, public health, education, and community service professionals.

Mark your calendars now for Evaluation 2008: Evaluation Policy and Evaluation Practice, scheduled November 3-8 in Denver, Colorado!

Incoming AEA President Bill Trochim selected the 2008 conference theme and stresses the critical timing and importance of evaluation policy both in the field, around the world and among key decision makers. He also challenges colleagues to become more engaged and involved and will use the annual meeting to bring greater visibility to the opportunities that lie before us.

"Evaluation policies profoundly affect the day-to-day work of all evaluators," Trochim notes. "However, in the absence of formally stated evaluation policies, organizations seem to make policies up as they go along - too often without thoroughly consulting what others have done or informing themselves about evaluation best practices."

"The AEA conference opens one day after national elections in the U.S., a time when key policymakers at all levels of the government consider new policy directions. My hope is that our discussions will enhance our understanding of the relationships between evaluation policy and evaluation practice and help improve the policy landscape for more effective evaluation."

You will notice a few logistical changes in Denver stemming from feedback on recent conference evaluations. We'll have a less hectic schedule with longer morning and afternoon breaks, and LCDs in every presentation room - no more special requests or rental fees!

Key dates for Evaluation 2008

• Call for Proposals: Jan. 10
• Proposal Submission Deadline: March 14
• Proposal Status Notices: July 2
• Registration Begins: July 2