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What are the Evaluation Principles and how were they created?

This step uncovers the process through which the Evaluation Principles were created, and introduces the full set of 12 Principles.

This step uncovers the process through which the Evaluation Principles were created, and introduces the full set of 12 Principles sitting under the main headings explored in the previous step. It will also give you the opportunity to discuss and share your initial thoughts about them with other learners.

Developing the Evaluation Principles: a team effort

“The main part of developing the Principles was our many conversations with the working group of experts who shared their encounters with evaluation: commissioning it, using it, or being themselves evaluated. They brought a range of perspectives and experience from years of reflection, as well as the challenges and ideas they had been tussling with in their own work.” ~ Oliver Mantell, “Many voices, open minds, commitment to change” Arts Professional, 15 June 2022

In the video above, you heard from Vishalakshi Roy (Director, Earthen Lamp) and Centre for Cultural Value co-director Anne Torreggiani about how the Evaluation Principles were developed and co-created by the working group through a series of interactive discussions and workshops. In this sense, the Principles build on existing knowledge and evaluation practices within the arts, cultural and heritage sector.

The 12 Evaluation Principles

The graphic below groups the 12 Evaluation Principles introduced in the previous videos under four main headings: Beneficial, Robust, People-centred and Connected.

Four evaluation principles Connected, Beneficial, People-centred and Robust. Full description linked below

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View accessible description

You can read in more detail about each Principle by downloading our Evaluation Principles guide.

The Principles were developed to provide a new way of thinking about evaluation that places audiences and participants at its heart. In this sense, they cover a wide range of activities and are therefore necessarily comprehensive. However in many ways, each Principle is connected to, and enables, the others and it is in this way that they are always evolving.

As Anne and Vishalakshi described in the video, the potential impact of the Principles for evaluation and learning depend on their adoption and application by those working in the sector. You will explore further how they may be applied in different contexts of practice in the next step.

Find out more

You can also read Oliver Mantell’s article in Arts Professional ‘Many voices, open minds, commitment to change’ where he reflects on the process of developing these principles.
Read ‘The E Word’ blog post to find out more about what the creators of the Evaluation Principles were trying to achieve by developing these principles.

Have your say

What do you think about the Principles?

Anything you weren’t expecting, would change or would add in?

Share and discuss your thoughts with other learners in the Comments section. Try to respond to at least two other posts made by your peers.