A Purpose-Driven Action: The Ethical Aspect and Social Responsibility of Evaluation

This article raises questions concerning the boundaries of the evaluator's role and the scope of evaluation with regard to ethical issues. In a unique dialog format, a variety of thinkers are brought to the stage in order to illuminate these issues. Their collective answer is that evaluators bear a very great social responsibility: to look broadly, to look forward, to be responsible for their actions, and as far as possible, to be sure that their efforts are indeed for the benefit of those who will ultimately be affected by their work.