Leslie Cooksy - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Leslie Cooksy

Outlook on Agriculture

Agricultural research oriented towards developmental goals, such as poverty alleviation, better n... more Agricultural research oriented towards developmental goals, such as poverty alleviation, better nutrition and environmental sustainability, is challenging for monitoring and evaluation. The causal chains are long, indirect and not well understood. CGIAR, a system of independent agricultural research centres with a mission to agricultural development, has a long history of evaluation and other mechanisms of accountability. The purpose of this article is to analyse the role and utility of independent evaluation in CGIAR over two decades during which the system established a programmatic approach to research and underwent governance changes. The key findings are (i) during the historic period when evaluation of research centres was the primary mechanism of accountability to donors and of improvement of research and management at centres, evaluations were used for their intended purposes and were important for the credibility of CGIAR; (ii) evaluation of programmes in networked systems ...

The Foundation Review

Community-First Funder Collaboratives Reflective Practice dearth of philanthropic and public inve... more Community-First Funder Collaboratives Reflective Practice dearth of philanthropic and public investment. Funders working in other regions with similar histories could use this approach, which joins the concepts of funder collaboration, funder-grantee collaboration, and community empowerment. After a brief overview of the model, this article describes the San Joaquin Valley funders

Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, Dec 17, 2008

This paper examines the practice of metaevaluation as indicated by the Metaevaluation standard of... more This paper examines the practice of metaevaluation as indicated by the Metaevaluation standard of the Program Evaluation Standards, as the evaluation of a specific evaluation to inform stakeholders about the evaluation's strengths and weaknesses. The findings from an analysis of eighteen metaevaluations, including a description of the data sources and methods used to come to conclusions about the evaluation and the criteria of quality employed, are reported. A diverse set of practices were identified, ranging from the use of emergent criteria in a narrative review of information about an evaluation to the structured application of the Program Evaluation Standards using a checklist. The paper concludes that the evaluation field does not have a common understanding of metaevaluation practice.

Two hundred seventy surveys were distributed; 186 were returned for a response rate of 69%. Of th... more Two hundred seventy surveys were distributed; 186 were returned for a response rate of 69%. Of the 186, 133 (72%) provided open-ended comments.

Impact Studies, 2006

CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org) is an international, not-for-profit organization that conducts research ... more CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org) is an international, not-for-profit organization that conducts research and training related to maize and wheat throughout the developing world. Drawing on strong science and effective partnerships, CIMMYT works to create, share, and use knowledge ...

Am J Eval, 2012

Attention to evaluation quality is commonplace, even if sometimes implicit. Drawing on her 2010 P... more Attention to evaluation quality is commonplace, even if sometimes implicit. Drawing on her 2010 Presidential Address to the American Evaluation Association, Leslie Cooksy suggests that evaluation quality depends, at least in part, on the intersection of three factors: (a) evaluator competency, (b) aspects of the evaluation environment or context, and (c) the level and nature of supportive resources that are

Am J Eval, 2005

Metaevaluations are systematic reviews of evaluations to determine the quality of their processes... more Metaevaluations are systematic reviews of evaluations to determine the quality of their processes and findings. The knowledge about evaluation quality that results from metaevaluation of multiple evaluations can be used to inform researchers’ decisions about which studies to include in evaluation syntheses. Metaevaluations of multiple studies are also used to identify strengths and weaknesses in evaluation practice in order to develop evaluation capacity. This article discusses the multiple ways in which quality can be defined, the political and cultural contexts of metaevaluation, and issues surrounding use and misuse. A metaevaluation of evaluations of international agricultural research centers illustrates these topics.

INTRODUCTION After school programs have become part of the daily experience for a great number of... more INTRODUCTION After school programs have become part of the daily experience for a great number of children in most communities. After-school recreation programs are believed to help prevent some of the problems arising from the risks faced by youth (e.g., lack of home supervision during after-school hours, low family income, lack of positive adult role models and mentors, and lack of community opportunities) (NRPA, 1994; Posner & Vandell, 1994; Witt & Crompton, 1996). With the increasing number of working caregivers comes an increasing risk to children; the more potential they have for unsupervised time, the more vulnerable they tend to be to the possibility of engaging in high-risk behaviors. With this in mind, parents and policy makers are increasingly realizing the importance of providing a safe and engaging place in which children can spend time between the time when the school day ends and their time at home begins. At the same time, as the political pressure for academic accountability and school improvements grows, after school programs are seen as an important strategy for improving students' academic skills. The purpose of this evaluation is to explore the performance and quality of the New Communities After School/Summer Programs, with a focus on their impact on both academic achievement and personal and social skills enhancement. The After School Program Evaluation Team has provided support to New Communities sites during this fiscal year assessing the effectiveness of the program by examining each component, documenting barriers to implementation, and developing recommendations to address them. The New Communities After School Programs are funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, which allows the community to utilize the after school program's services at no charge. PROGRAM SETTINGS Delaware's New Communities programs take place in two communities: Clark's Corner and Knollwood. The After School/Summer site located in the Clark's Corner community center, operates out of the Delaware Public Housing Project office. The site is in an isolated rural area in Harrington, Kent County. There are 72 low-income families living in the housing project, which is surrounded by empty space and an elementary school. All of the children enrolled in the program are residents of the complex, which makes it convenient for them to walk to the program.

who were very helpful in providing the data needed for the quantitative analyses. Four graduate s... more who were very helpful in providing the data needed for the quantitative analyses. Four graduate students enrolled in the University of Delaware College of Education and Public Policy, three of whom had research assistantship appointments at the R&D Center, contributed to the successful conduct of this study through their hard work conducting interviews, transcription, literature review, and data analysis. Without the time and dedication of Mary Culnane, Dariel Janerette, Sara McCraw, and Qinghua Nian, we could not have accomplished so much. We would also like to thank Debby Boyer and Sarah Hearn from the University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies and Linda Smith from the Delaware Department of Education. All three are members of the Positive Behavior Support core team for the state. Their knowledge and guidance were essential to the development and conduct of this evaluation study and we are grateful for their conscientious feedback on report drafts. Finally, we wish to thank the Delaware State Legislature for providing the funds to support this study. iii

The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a m... more The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a multimethod evaluation of Project TEAMS, a middle school curriculum delivery program. The logic model was used to:(a) focus the data collection activities on relevant activities ...

American Journal of Evaluation - AM J EVAL, 2000

The evaluation of the Academic and Social Enrichment (ASE) program requires a decision about the ... more The evaluation of the Academic and Social Enrichment (ASE) program requires a decision about the use of sensitive information that had been provided to the evaluator "off the record." The decision that I would make is documented below in a series of memos written as part of an evaluation audit trail. The decision itself and the issues raised in the memos are then discussed in relation to the

Public Performance & Management Review, 2001

New Directions for Evaluation, 2008

Multilevel programs-that is, programs with multiple levels of administration, funding, and implem... more Multilevel programs-that is, programs with multiple levels of administration, funding, and implementation-present dynamic and challenging environments for the conduct and use of evaluation. The challenges include questions, priorities, audiences, and purposes that vary at each level. This chapter discusses the challenges as well as the opportunities for increasing the value of evaluation at the federal, state, and local levels. Five areas of information are used as a framework for the discussion: (1) Who came? (2) Who cares? (3) What was the intervention? (4) What changed, and what difference did it make? (5) How much did it cost? Using the Cooperative Extension System and other cases as illustrations, the authors describe the relative emphases given to these questions at the different levels, the motivations for those emphases, and the opportunities evaluators can take to make multilevel evaluations useful to audiences at all levels.

New Directions for Evaluation, 2009

The author develops the basic idea of evaluation policy, describes a practical model for developm... more The author develops the basic idea of evaluation policy, describes a practical model for development and revision of evaluation policies (including a taxonomy, structure, and set of principles), and suggests critical challenges and opportunities for the future of evaluation policy. An evaluation policy is any rule or principle that a group or organization uses to guide its decisions and actions when doing evaluation. Every entity that engages in evaluation, including government agencies, private businesses, and nonprofit organizations, has evaluation policies. Sometimes they are explicit and written; more often they are implicit and ad hoc principles or norms that have simply evolved over time.

New Directions for Evaluation, 2009

ABSTRACT Evaluation policy is of considerable importance, especially in relation to the limited a... more ABSTRACT Evaluation policy is of considerable importance, especially in relation to the limited amount of attention it receives as a general topic in the mainstream evaluation literature. Evaluation policies matter for several reasons, among them that they can profoundly affect evaluation practice, they underlie many recent and current controversies about evaluation, and they may be a lever for change that can have far-reaching effects for practice. This chapter gives an overview of several issues regarding evaluation policy, including defining it, identifying possible facets of evaluation policy, describing how it is established, and outlining the potentially greater role for evaluators in shaping the evaluation policies that influence evaluation practice. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New Directions for Evaluation, 2013

Evaluation and Program Planning, 2001

The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a m... more The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a multimethod evaluation of Project TEAMS, a middle school curriculum delivery program. The logic model was used to:(a) focus the data collection activities on relevant activities ...

Evaluation and Program Planning, 1989

This paper describes the translation from hierarchical structures, operationalized as outlines, t... more This paper describes the translation from hierarchical structures, operationalized as outlines, to relational structures, operationalized as the maps derived from a multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis procedure. Using a variety of models that represented different assumptions about the relationships within the outline, similarity matrices were derived for a sample outline. The resulting maps were examined to see how well they reflected the outline. The three best reflections are presented here. The ability to translate between hierarchical and relational structures wiN give program planners and evaluators greater flexibility in both the sources for and the representation of a conceptualization College Publishing Company. 308.

Outlook on Agriculture

Agricultural research oriented towards developmental goals, such as poverty alleviation, better n... more Agricultural research oriented towards developmental goals, such as poverty alleviation, better nutrition and environmental sustainability, is challenging for monitoring and evaluation. The causal chains are long, indirect and not well understood. CGIAR, a system of independent agricultural research centres with a mission to agricultural development, has a long history of evaluation and other mechanisms of accountability. The purpose of this article is to analyse the role and utility of independent evaluation in CGIAR over two decades during which the system established a programmatic approach to research and underwent governance changes. The key findings are (i) during the historic period when evaluation of research centres was the primary mechanism of accountability to donors and of improvement of research and management at centres, evaluations were used for their intended purposes and were important for the credibility of CGIAR; (ii) evaluation of programmes in networked systems ...

The Foundation Review

Community-First Funder Collaboratives Reflective Practice dearth of philanthropic and public inve... more Community-First Funder Collaboratives Reflective Practice dearth of philanthropic and public investment. Funders working in other regions with similar histories could use this approach, which joins the concepts of funder collaboration, funder-grantee collaboration, and community empowerment. After a brief overview of the model, this article describes the San Joaquin Valley funders

Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, Dec 17, 2008

This paper examines the practice of metaevaluation as indicated by the Metaevaluation standard of... more This paper examines the practice of metaevaluation as indicated by the Metaevaluation standard of the Program Evaluation Standards, as the evaluation of a specific evaluation to inform stakeholders about the evaluation's strengths and weaknesses. The findings from an analysis of eighteen metaevaluations, including a description of the data sources and methods used to come to conclusions about the evaluation and the criteria of quality employed, are reported. A diverse set of practices were identified, ranging from the use of emergent criteria in a narrative review of information about an evaluation to the structured application of the Program Evaluation Standards using a checklist. The paper concludes that the evaluation field does not have a common understanding of metaevaluation practice.

Two hundred seventy surveys were distributed; 186 were returned for a response rate of 69%. Of th... more Two hundred seventy surveys were distributed; 186 were returned for a response rate of 69%. Of the 186, 133 (72%) provided open-ended comments.

Impact Studies, 2006

CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org) is an international, not-for-profit organization that conducts research ... more CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org) is an international, not-for-profit organization that conducts research and training related to maize and wheat throughout the developing world. Drawing on strong science and effective partnerships, CIMMYT works to create, share, and use knowledge ...

Am J Eval, 2012

Attention to evaluation quality is commonplace, even if sometimes implicit. Drawing on her 2010 P... more Attention to evaluation quality is commonplace, even if sometimes implicit. Drawing on her 2010 Presidential Address to the American Evaluation Association, Leslie Cooksy suggests that evaluation quality depends, at least in part, on the intersection of three factors: (a) evaluator competency, (b) aspects of the evaluation environment or context, and (c) the level and nature of supportive resources that are

Am J Eval, 2005

Metaevaluations are systematic reviews of evaluations to determine the quality of their processes... more Metaevaluations are systematic reviews of evaluations to determine the quality of their processes and findings. The knowledge about evaluation quality that results from metaevaluation of multiple evaluations can be used to inform researchers’ decisions about which studies to include in evaluation syntheses. Metaevaluations of multiple studies are also used to identify strengths and weaknesses in evaluation practice in order to develop evaluation capacity. This article discusses the multiple ways in which quality can be defined, the political and cultural contexts of metaevaluation, and issues surrounding use and misuse. A metaevaluation of evaluations of international agricultural research centers illustrates these topics.

INTRODUCTION After school programs have become part of the daily experience for a great number of... more INTRODUCTION After school programs have become part of the daily experience for a great number of children in most communities. After-school recreation programs are believed to help prevent some of the problems arising from the risks faced by youth (e.g., lack of home supervision during after-school hours, low family income, lack of positive adult role models and mentors, and lack of community opportunities) (NRPA, 1994; Posner & Vandell, 1994; Witt & Crompton, 1996). With the increasing number of working caregivers comes an increasing risk to children; the more potential they have for unsupervised time, the more vulnerable they tend to be to the possibility of engaging in high-risk behaviors. With this in mind, parents and policy makers are increasingly realizing the importance of providing a safe and engaging place in which children can spend time between the time when the school day ends and their time at home begins. At the same time, as the political pressure for academic accountability and school improvements grows, after school programs are seen as an important strategy for improving students' academic skills. The purpose of this evaluation is to explore the performance and quality of the New Communities After School/Summer Programs, with a focus on their impact on both academic achievement and personal and social skills enhancement. The After School Program Evaluation Team has provided support to New Communities sites during this fiscal year assessing the effectiveness of the program by examining each component, documenting barriers to implementation, and developing recommendations to address them. The New Communities After School Programs are funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, which allows the community to utilize the after school program's services at no charge. PROGRAM SETTINGS Delaware's New Communities programs take place in two communities: Clark's Corner and Knollwood. The After School/Summer site located in the Clark's Corner community center, operates out of the Delaware Public Housing Project office. The site is in an isolated rural area in Harrington, Kent County. There are 72 low-income families living in the housing project, which is surrounded by empty space and an elementary school. All of the children enrolled in the program are residents of the complex, which makes it convenient for them to walk to the program.

who were very helpful in providing the data needed for the quantitative analyses. Four graduate s... more who were very helpful in providing the data needed for the quantitative analyses. Four graduate students enrolled in the University of Delaware College of Education and Public Policy, three of whom had research assistantship appointments at the R&D Center, contributed to the successful conduct of this study through their hard work conducting interviews, transcription, literature review, and data analysis. Without the time and dedication of Mary Culnane, Dariel Janerette, Sara McCraw, and Qinghua Nian, we could not have accomplished so much. We would also like to thank Debby Boyer and Sarah Hearn from the University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies and Linda Smith from the Delaware Department of Education. All three are members of the Positive Behavior Support core team for the state. Their knowledge and guidance were essential to the development and conduct of this evaluation study and we are grateful for their conscientious feedback on report drafts. Finally, we wish to thank the Delaware State Legislature for providing the funds to support this study. iii

The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a m... more The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a multimethod evaluation of Project TEAMS, a middle school curriculum delivery program. The logic model was used to:(a) focus the data collection activities on relevant activities ...

American Journal of Evaluation - AM J EVAL, 2000

The evaluation of the Academic and Social Enrichment (ASE) program requires a decision about the ... more The evaluation of the Academic and Social Enrichment (ASE) program requires a decision about the use of sensitive information that had been provided to the evaluator "off the record." The decision that I would make is documented below in a series of memos written as part of an evaluation audit trail. The decision itself and the issues raised in the memos are then discussed in relation to the

Public Performance & Management Review, 2001

New Directions for Evaluation, 2008

Multilevel programs-that is, programs with multiple levels of administration, funding, and implem... more Multilevel programs-that is, programs with multiple levels of administration, funding, and implementation-present dynamic and challenging environments for the conduct and use of evaluation. The challenges include questions, priorities, audiences, and purposes that vary at each level. This chapter discusses the challenges as well as the opportunities for increasing the value of evaluation at the federal, state, and local levels. Five areas of information are used as a framework for the discussion: (1) Who came? (2) Who cares? (3) What was the intervention? (4) What changed, and what difference did it make? (5) How much did it cost? Using the Cooperative Extension System and other cases as illustrations, the authors describe the relative emphases given to these questions at the different levels, the motivations for those emphases, and the opportunities evaluators can take to make multilevel evaluations useful to audiences at all levels.

New Directions for Evaluation, 2009

The author develops the basic idea of evaluation policy, describes a practical model for developm... more The author develops the basic idea of evaluation policy, describes a practical model for development and revision of evaluation policies (including a taxonomy, structure, and set of principles), and suggests critical challenges and opportunities for the future of evaluation policy. An evaluation policy is any rule or principle that a group or organization uses to guide its decisions and actions when doing evaluation. Every entity that engages in evaluation, including government agencies, private businesses, and nonprofit organizations, has evaluation policies. Sometimes they are explicit and written; more often they are implicit and ad hoc principles or norms that have simply evolved over time.

New Directions for Evaluation, 2009

ABSTRACT Evaluation policy is of considerable importance, especially in relation to the limited a... more ABSTRACT Evaluation policy is of considerable importance, especially in relation to the limited amount of attention it receives as a general topic in the mainstream evaluation literature. Evaluation policies matter for several reasons, among them that they can profoundly affect evaluation practice, they underlie many recent and current controversies about evaluation, and they may be a lever for change that can have far-reaching effects for practice. This chapter gives an overview of several issues regarding evaluation policy, including defining it, identifying possible facets of evaluation policy, describing how it is established, and outlining the potentially greater role for evaluators in shaping the evaluation policies that influence evaluation practice. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New Directions for Evaluation, 2013

Evaluation and Program Planning, 2001

The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a m... more The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a multimethod evaluation of Project TEAMS, a middle school curriculum delivery program. The logic model was used to:(a) focus the data collection activities on relevant activities ...

Evaluation and Program Planning, 1989

This paper describes the translation from hierarchical structures, operationalized as outlines, t... more This paper describes the translation from hierarchical structures, operationalized as outlines, to relational structures, operationalized as the maps derived from a multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis procedure. Using a variety of models that represented different assumptions about the relationships within the outline, similarity matrices were derived for a sample outline. The resulting maps were examined to see how well they reflected the outline. The three best reflections are presented here. The ability to translate between hierarchical and relational structures wiN give program planners and evaluators greater flexibility in both the sources for and the representation of a conceptualization College Publishing Company. 308.