Evaluation Principles
Six Core Principles
An effective evaluation culture uses common principles to increase the likelihood that evaluations are valuable and inform key program decisions. Tennessee's evaluations are guided by six core research principles.
How Principles Align with the Tennessee Evidence Framework
These six principles guide programs as they move through the Evidence Framework. Rigorous methodology and transparent reporting enable programs to reach "Evidence" and "Strong Evidence" tiers. Relevance ensures evaluations answer questions that matter for budget and policy decisions. Independence and ethics protect evaluation credibility. Together, these principles create an evaluation culture that drives continuous improvement and better outcomes for Tennesseans.
Evaluations use methods that generate the highest quality and most credible evidence corresponding to the questions asked, within limits of time, budget, and practical considerations.
Tennessee's evaluations ensure:
- Inferences about cause and effect are well-founded (internal validity)
- Conclusions about how results can be generalized are appropriate (external validity)
- Measures accurately (measurement validity) and consistently (measurement reliability) capture intended information
Rigorous evaluation means that robust, unbiased design and sound methodology result in quality analysis, interpretation, and reporting.
Evaluations address questions that are important and provide findings that are actionable.
Evaluation designs consider:
- Governor and department leadership priorities
- Legislative requirements
- Stakeholder needs, including public and private sector customers and program administrators
Information resulting from evaluations should:
- Be presented in understandable ways that promote use of findings
- Inform how a program fits within the Tennessee Evidence Framework
To the extent allowable by law, Tennessee shares evaluation designs, methodologies, analyses, interpretations, and results.
Transparency means:
- Evaluation reports present comprehensive results including favorable, unfavorable, and null findings
- Findings are publicly shared unless related to internal management, legal, risk, or enforcement procedures, or otherwise privileged or prohibited from disclosure
Department leadership and program staff participate in setting evaluation priorities, identifying questions, and assessing implications of findings. Evaluators operate with appropriate independence, insulated from undue influences and bias that may affect objectivity, impartiality, and professional judgment.
Tennessee conducts evaluation activities ethically, adhering to all applicable human subject protection laws and policies and respecting the rights, safety, dignity, and privacy of all participants.
Continuous Improvement is an approach that uses ongoing learning from data and evaluation findings to make programs work better over time. Rather than waiting until a program ends, regular feedback is used to identify what is working, what is not, and what can be improved while the program is still operating. The focus is on collaborative and transparent learning and improvement, not judgment or compliance.
Evaluations are a key part of Tennessee’s commitment to learning and improving programs over time. By examining the assumptions in a program’s logic model and ensuring access to meaningful short- and long-term outcomes, Tennessee uses evaluation not as a one-time exercise, but as an ongoing tool for strengthening program operations and results.
Questions to address:
- How do evaluation findings feed into program improvement cycles?
- What processes ensure evaluation findings lead to actionable changes?
- How does OEI support agencies in using evaluation results for continuous improvement?
Training & Resources
As the community of practice develops, training sessions or other resources may be posted here. Topics may include evaluation principles, evaluability assessment, using data, or considering AI in evaluation.