Anxiety is a multifaceted force that can negatively impact the ability of evaluators to succeed in practice. In the evaluation literature, discussions concerning anxiety have primarily been limited to strategies to reduce stakeholder anxiety to encourage positive and productive working relationships with evaluators. This study was among the first…

This article reports findings from a research program exploring the role of mediation in an "adaptive learning" process through study of developmental evaluation (DE). Our study focuses on how mediators might influence the relationships between components of a social learning system and the implications for adaptive learning.…

In this paper we share our reflections, as evaluators, on an evaluation where we encountered Excessive Evaluation Anxiety (XEA). The signs of XEA which we discerned were particularly evident amongst the program head and staff who were part of a new training program. We present our insights on the evaluation process and its difficulties, as well as…

Discusses the sources and signs of excessive evaluation anxiety in program evaluation and provides some strategies to help evaluators prevent and manage this common problem. Shows how more than technical skills are required to conduct high quality program evaluation. (SLD)