Talk:Certified Grants Evaluator

From EvaluationWiki

I strongly object to this type of "certification". Evaluation is a complex field in which many universities offer advanced degrees that require extensive courses of study taking several years to complete. The type of course offered here imples that a three day course "certifies" someone in evaluation.

Organizations or individuals looking for qualified evaluators should not accept this type of certification and should not hire anyone on the basis of completion of a three-day course. This course could be useful as an introduction to evaluation and I am not disparaging the quality of this particular organization in offering an introductory course. However, I believe that they should reconsider calling individuals completing this course "certified evaluators" -- this is a disservice to the field and academically dishonest.

Agreed

I agree. It is not the content of such programs that is the problem, but rather the implications of terms such as "Certified Evaluator". For a discussion of the issue of Evaluator Certification and a survey of AEA members' attitudes on the issue, see Jones and Worthen (1999).