Efforts to promote professionalism in evaluation, whether through certification, credentialing, or other path, are not new, but there is a new push to adopt sets of essential evaluator competencies, both in the United States and globally, that are intended to advance professionalism of the field. This emphasis on professionalism is relevant to the…

The systematic identification of evaluator competency training needs is crucial for the development of evaluators and the establishment of evaluation as a profession. Insight into essential competencies could help align training programs with field-specific needs, therefore clarifying expectations between evaluators, educators, and employers. This…

This article explores the overlaps and disconnects between the competencies evaluators acquire during graduate school and those required and desired by employers. To investigate this relationship, two different surveys are administered, one for job seekers and the other for employers; 205 postings in the American Evaluation Association job bank…