title: Conclusion: Agency in the face of complexity and the future of assumption-aware evaluation practice.
abstract: This final chapter in the volume pulls together common themes from the diverse set of articles by a group of eight authors in this issue, and presents some reflections on the next steps for improving the ways in which evaluators work with assumptions. Collectively, the authors provide a broad overview of existing and emerging approaches to the articulation and use of assumptions in evaluation theory and practice. The authors reiterate the rationale and key terminology as a common basis for working with assumption in program design and evaluation. They highlight some useful concepts and categorizations to promote more rigorous treatment of assumptions in evaluation. A three-tier framework for fostering agency for assumption-aware evaluation practice is proposed-agency for themselves (evaluators); agency for others (stakeholders); and agency for standards and principles.
authors.affiliation: Payson Program for Global Development, Tulane University, 5208 Magazine St, #188, New Orleans, LA 70115, United States. Electronic address: nmorrow@tulane.edu.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.affiliation: African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), Hosted by World Agroforestry Centre, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, P.O. Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: nkwake@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Apollo M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nkwake
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design
keywords: Agency; Complexity; Future of assumption- aware evaluation