Program Development & Evaluation

Program development cannot be separated from program evaluation. What makes evaluation successful are projects designed with SMARTI objectives, clear problem definitions, logical and explicit assumptions based on best available research, effective indicators, and a structure that allows data to be collected throughout the whole project lifecycle. Without these, evaluation can almost never be more effective than recall data, anecdotes, and bean counting that result from projects designed without evaluation in mind.

Evaluation these days comprises a much larger body of skills than simply studying a program and writing up the results. Skills include conceptualization, development of evaluation systems, knowledge of implementation barriers, creativity, training skills, analysis, participatory process facilitation, oral and written communications, strategic planning, and diplomacy.

I worked with the Foundations of Success External Evaluation Team for The Nature Conservancy’s Parks in Peril Program. Started in 1990, the program attempts to increase the management capacity of 45 biologically important and threatened protected areas in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries. It is the largest conservation program in the world.

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Rare, 1997-2003

I developed the project conceptualization tools at RARE Center including program assessment descriptions and concept models. I worked with each program officer to identify program assumptions, objectives, problems, indicators, and general strategy (actually was a clarification process since all projects were already operating).
I designed the evaluation component of the Nature Guide Training Program and Public Use Planning Programs at RARE Center. I created a number of tools to assess guiding competence, financial success, visitor contributions registry, visitor satisfaction surveys, and others. See training.
My evaluation of the first Public Use Planning Program training course in Antigua, Guatemala was hailed by the President and Vice President of RARE Center as a model evaluation due to its completeness and frankness (it was in effect an evaluation of my own work as I designed the course). It systematically reviewed all aspects of the project. See training.
The learning component of the Public Use Planning component was noted for the variety of media that it used to convey the lessons learned. It used causal loop diagramming to define the learning cycles, evaluation reports, a short story, a taxonomy, and others.

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Wildlife Conservation Society, 1997

As a result of my studies at Yale, I did a consultancy for the Wildlife Conservation Society. I evaluated their Strengthening Manpower Program — consisting of conservation grant and conservation science components. Because it was not designed to be evaluated, I reviewed the program and offered possible avenues of evaluation including evaluability, implementation, and outcome. The results were eventually incorporated into the final evaluation. Sponsored by then director of Latin American programs, Alejandro Grajal.

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Participatory Rural Appraisal, 1996

I facilitated a participatory rural appraisal team to evaluate a farming community in Ecuador for its potential to develop ecotourism. See facilitation for more details.

I developed the field data collection part of the World Heritage Partnership site assessment process. I then led the five-person team in a weeklong rapid rural appraisal in the area around Tikal National Park, Guatemala. See research.

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My Training

Studied program evaluation at the Yale University School of Management and survey design and statistics in the sociology department. Ecosystem Management at the Forestry School focused on uses of biosocial data to track changes in systems. I was trained using the Foundations of Success methodology of project management.

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