The work under this analysis is titled “Ethics in program evaluation” and has been authored by Stake R and Mabry L. Stake and Mabry present the ethical dilemmas faced in the evaluation process of social programs and proposes the solutions to the problems through a study of three experienced case studies. The authors arrive at a conclusion that while the evaluation of social work is built on ethical standards, it should not strictly adhere to the codes but be overridden by assessing, considering and regulating competing principles. They argue that the identification and resolution of the ethical challenges originate from within the evaluators and the social workers themselves.
The effectiveness of the evaluation process is endowed with broad pervasive problems such as conflicting political and ideological issues, challenges of identifying and addressing conflict of interests of stakeholders and opposition from clients who feel that the reports are unfavorable. The universality of these problems is mainly due to the uniqueness of programs that pose very unpredictable ethical problems whereas the ethical codes and standards that address them remain general. It is for this reason that the article advocates for the use of multiple codes so that in areas of need, one principle can tradeoff the other in the appropriate deliberation of the implications and finding the resolution.
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Summary
The quality of the practice of program evaluation is dependent on the application of ethical behavior by the evaluators. Diverse ethical problems emerge in different case scenarios that rely on the personal competence, experience and situational judgment of the evaluator to identify and resolve them. The article highlights three ethical dilemmas that arise in different settings. In the first case, there is a conflict between observing strict codes against balancing competing principles. The resolution offered is the balancing the principles based on the costs and benefits. Another issue presented is on following some laid criterion in the evaluation and the author’s support that evaluation should be fair and considerate and based on the evaluator’s personal situational judgment and not follow explicit criteria. Multiple codes should be considered in order to address actual problems relative to the prevalent conditions. Finally, resolution of the dilemmas should come from within the evaluator and the thoughtful clients.
Evaluation
In my judgment, the information as provided by the authors is accurately presented that the principles of evaluation should be related to the clients and stakeholders’ rights through informed consent whereas anonymity and confidentiality are withheld. The article articulately gives explanations of key terms with a lot of language clarity and logically organized arguments. The use of case studies is one of the article’s strengths that profoundly support and reinforces the main point of the author. However, the article fails to conclusively address issues on the cultural competency and the respect for diversity in both the second and third examples. There needs to be more emphasis on how racism claims are handled to avoid feelings of western-centrism.
Response
I find the article well established in the manner in which the ethical dilemmas are explained and the subsequent resolutions. I equally, agree with the authors that identification and resolution of the problems originate from within the evaluators and that while the evaluation is governed by principles, it must be based on personal judgment in ensuring fairness to all, integrity and advocacy for social justice. I would recommend this work as a research source that is very informative in addressing criticisms of ethical guidelines and challenges in evaluation. It basically provides direction for evaluators in overcoming challenges in their approaches in program evaluation. It does also uphold the evaluator’s control over the process.
Conclusion
The importance of this article is to provide help in the evaluation process in overcoming the ethical dilemmas associated with methodological approaches to evaluation. It informs that the evaluator’s behavior should be guided by professional integrity, cultural competency and respect for diversity and social justice. It is important that balancing the competing principles is not overtaken by application of ethics and that situational analysis is considered necessary for finding the solution to ethical dilemmas. A combination of ethical standards must be considered to ensure fairness, delivery of social justice and professional integrity are upheld. The success of this article is in its use of situational study cases that offer analysis of actual problems and how easily they could be resolved.
References
Stake R and Mabry L. ( ). Ethics in program evaluation. Scand J Soc Welfare. 7, 99-109
