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Different professions have unique strengths and skills! Recognizing these provides us as evaluators with a great opportunity to learn from other professions to enhance our own work.

February is National Psychology Month here in Canada, and in honour of our counselling, clinical, and educational psychologist friends, I explored what we as evaluators can learn from psychologists to improve our practice! While evaluation and psychology practices are different in many ways, they also share quite a few similarities. For instance, both professions often involve working with people, using evidence to support our work, using tools like interviews and questionnaires, writing reports, and continuing professional development.

By looking closer at some of the skills that are essential to psychology practice, we can borrow some ideas to grow our own skills as evaluators. Using this lens can help us discover new strategies to try or remind us to be more intentional about things we may already be doing without thinking!

In this article, I’ll share three top tips we can learn from psychology practice to support our work as evaluators.

1. Communication and active listening

The first tip is about communication. Psychologists spend much of their time communicating with clients, families, and other professionals. To make these interactions go smoothly, psychologists learn how to communicate effectively. For example, they often practice active listening in their interactions.

Active listening is a communication strategy that goes beyond simply hearing someone’s words. It involves showing understanding through both verbal and non-verbal cues. To practice active listening, psychologists might use techniques like the following:

• Attending (being present, showing interest by nodding or saying, “I see,” for example)

• Paraphrasing (restating what they hear in other words to show understanding)

• Reflecting (expressing an understanding of the other person’s feelings)

• Silence (encouraging the other person to continue or providing an opportunity for reflection)

Psychologists also pay attention to their own communication styles and might choose to adapt how they speak or interact to match a client’s style. For example, with a client who uses plenty of jokes and avoids eye contact, a psychologist might also intentionally incorporate some humour and limit their eye contact too. This helps the client feel more comfortable and builds the relationship between two people.

What can evaluators learn?

Evaluators also spend a great deal of time communicating in our work! Whether it’s conversations with coworkers, clients, project staff, or collecting data from interviewees, evaluators rely on the information we gain from our interactions. We can practice active listening to make sure we understand what someone is sharing by listening carefully, asking clarifying questions, and allowing silences. Active listening also supports relationship-building by letting others feel heard and seen in conversations.

To make our communication as effective as possible, we can also tune in to the other person’s communication style by noticing their body language, volume, tone of voice, use of humour and metaphors, or the specific terminology they use (for example, “partner” vs. “spouse” or “patient” vs. “client”). We can then consider mirroring certain elements to create shared understandings, such as by matching their volume or referring to a metaphor they used.

2. Interdisciplinary and collaborative work

Most psychologists don’t work in isolation. Psychologists who work in agencies or healthcare settings often need to collaborate with other professionals, like social workers, nurses, or housing workers to support their clients. Psychologists in private practices may consult with other psychologists on their cases to seek advice and discuss strategies.

Collaboration and working with professionals from other disciplines can be valuable for psychologists. It can help them understand a client’s experiences (e.g., dealing with a chronic illness or navigating the legal system) and offers them diverse perspectives to inform their approach. Psychologists can also discover new resources or learn new skills and techniques to incorporate into their work.

What can evaluators learn?

Collaboration can benefit evaluation practice too! Whether it’s with other evaluators or people from other disciplines, collaboration provides a great opportunity to problem-solve, learn new ideas, and build relationships. Asking someone to help you talk through an issue (I like the phrase “being a soundboard”) and paying attention to what others share about their work are two easy ways to start regularly incorporating collaboration into your work.

Even people who are the only evaluators on their team can incorporate this tip! Get involved in professional organizations like your local Canadian Evaluation Society chapter or check out interdisciplinary advocacy or learning events in your area. You can also stay connected to past fellow students or colleagues on a site like LinkedIn  to expose yourself to new developments in other fields.

It can also be useful to seek out learnings in casual interdisciplinary interactions. Any interaction with someone from another field or background, such as a project manager, an academic researcher, a nurse, or the Executive Director of a non-profit, can be a built-in interdisciplinary learning opportunity! Here are a few simple ways to make the most of these opportunities.

• Reflect on any differences in how they approach their work compared to how you approach yours. Could any of these differences potentially be beneficial to your work?

• Pay attention to the kinds of tools they use in their work, such as tools for collaboration, decision-making, or productivity. Could any of them be useful for you?

• Ask questions when you feel curious or when you don’t understand something.

• Think about how they do training and professional development in their role. Are there any resources you could learn from too?

3. Documentation

Psychologists need to document everything! From intake forms to case notes to communication logs to insurance documents, psychology practice requires strong procedures for documentation while protecting client confidentiality and privacy. Because they have so many records, many of which contain confidential information, psychologists typically follow clear processes for creating, sorting, keeping, and destroying documents. They often schedule blocks during the week to create case notes or update other files, for instance, and they adhere to record-retention procedures set by their professional organizations.

What can evaluators learn?

While evaluators may not use the exact same kinds of documents as psychologists, it is still important to be intentional about the ways in which we create, organize, and retain documents.

It’s a good idea to create a strong digital file organization system to help keep track of project documents, notes, and deliverables. Here at Three Hive & Eval Academy, we use a standard folder setup for each project (such as folders for Planning, Data, and Reporting) so everyone knows where to find a document. The organization system you use is up to you—create whatever categories make the most sense for your work—but just make sure you have a system! It’s also important to have clear record-retention and destruction policies and ensure everyone on your team is aware of them.

Evaluators can also take inspiration from the communication logs that psychologists might use to keep thorough records of any communication you have during a project. It’s helpful to schedule regular time to track these communications to avoid losing anything essential, make it easy to refer back to previous interactions, and create transparency in case you need to demonstrate what has been carried out. You could track emails with clients, survey invitations, meetings, phone or face-to-face interviews, or documents shared with you—and that’s just a start! What types of communication do you think could be helpful to track in your work?

Do these tips apply to your own work? Is there anything else you have learned from psychologists? Share with us in the comments!

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You may have a program steering committee or an evaluation advisory committee meeting coming up and want to ensure you can track the discussion and any action items. These strategic and planning-type meetings are notorious for complexity, and it may be hard to document the many issues discussed, decisions being made, and action items that need to be followed through. The challenge is, how do we keep track of it all?

Note-taking is just one piece of this puzzle which can include calendars, Gantt charts, and project or task management software like Asana or Microsoft Planner. Here is a template I use to help track notes in project meetings.

Why a note-taking template?

This template helps you to:

• Document what is important during the meeting;

• Record key details you need to refer back to or follow up on;

• Document decisions, challenges, and action items;

• Increase team accountability by tracking who is responsible for follow-up on action items;

• Efficiently update other project management tools.

Who’s it for?

This template is for anyone who needs to track updates and action items in project meetings!

What’s included?

The Meeting Notes Template in Microsoft Word is a tool to use when needing to keep track of challenges, changes, and action items discussed in a project meeting. The template captures who is in attendance, changes to the project, what challenges may affect the project, and who is responsible for action items.

How do I use this template?

In preparation for a meeting, I pre-populate the agenda items for the meeting into the Topic column. If any agenda items get added, I add a new row, or if I’m using a printed copy of the template, I write on the back or in a notebook to add these later.

Once completed, it can act as a useful tool to help drive the project forward by clearly listing the action items. Action items can be added to whatever project management or to-do list tracking system you prefer.

Learn more: related articles and links

You can learn more about project management in evaluation through the following links:

Project Management for Evaluation

How to Present Your Evaluation Timelines: 4 Simple Ideas

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In a world driven by data and outcomes, the ability to think evaluatively has become an important skill for individuals, organizations, and communities. Evaluative thinking goes beyond data analysis alone; it involves a systematic and reflective approach to understanding the effectiveness and impact of actions, programs, and decisions. In this article, we explore what evaluative thinking means, its key components, and why evaluative thinking is important.

What is Evaluative Thinking?

Evaluative thinking is a cognitive process focused on the analysis, interpretation, and judgment of information to guide decision-making. It involves posing critical questions, weighing evidence, and reflecting on experiences to gather insights into the successes or challenges of a project or program. Evaluative thinking is critical to the practice of evaluation and recognizes the importance of continuous learning. Based on a curious mindset and a strong belief in the importance of evidence, evaluative thinking involves tasks like recognizing assumptions and considering different perspectives. As put by Michael Quinn Patton: evaluation is an activity, evaluative thinking is a way of doing business.

Key Components of Evaluative Thinking:

• Questioning and Inquiry: Evaluative thinking begins with asking the right questions. This includes questioning assumptions, motivations, and expected outcomes behind a project or program. Evaluative thinking is guided by an overall curiosity and a willingness to explore various elements of a change process. This way of thinking encourages us to explore the details of a situation rather than accepting it at face value.

• ·Data Collection and Analysis: Gathering relevant data is a fundamental aspect of evaluative thinking which has a strong belief in the value of evidence. This could involve quantitative data and qualitative data. The integration of both forms of data enriches the evaluation process, providing a holistic understanding of the topic. Analyzing this data helps us to understand patterns, trends, and potential areas for improvement.

• Reflection and Interpretation: Taking time to reflect on the collected data and interpreting its meaning is crucial. This goes beyond observation; it involves considering the context and identifying contributing factors and underlying patterns.

• Continuous Learning and Improvement: At its core, evaluative thinking embraces continuous learning and improvement. Rather than viewing evaluations as endpoints, it positions them as facilitators for growth and improvement. Individuals and organizations committed to evaluative thinking actively seek to take lessons from both successes and setbacks, using these insights to inform future decisions such as refining strategies, reallocating resources, or adapting approaches to achieve intended outcomes.

Why Evaluative Thinking Matters:

• Informed Decision-Making: Evaluative thinking lays the groundwork for informed decision-making. By systematically analyzing data and reflecting on experiences, individuals and organizations can make decisions rooted in evidence.

• Accountability and Transparency: Evaluative thinking fosters accountability by creating a culture where individuals and organizations are responsible for their actions and can transparently communicate their results, whether they are successful or present challenges.

• Resource Optimization: By understanding what works and what doesn’t, evaluative thinking enables the optimization of resources. This involves allocating funds, time, and efforts more efficiently, ensuring that resources are directed toward strategies and initiatives that have proven to be effective while minimizing investments in areas that may not yield the desired outcomes.

• Adaptability and Innovation: A mindset of evaluative thinking encourages adaptability and innovation. It allows individuals and organizations to adapt strategies based on real-world feedback, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

• Community and Stakeholder Engagement: In community development and social initiatives, evaluative thinking fosters meaningful engagement with stakeholders by deepening our understanding of the program’s impact on communities. This process not only builds trust and collaboration but also propels community engagement, as it prompts an exploration of the “why” and may necessitate collaboration with others to address underlying issues.

To expand your evaluative mindset, incorporate the following practices into your thinking process:

1. Maintain Curiosity: Expand your curiosity by consistently asking “why.” Fostering a curious mindset deepens your understanding of the world, catalyzing evaluative thinking. This includes asking questions and enriching your understanding by probing into situations, decisions, or information. Ask the less obvious questions to explore what might be causing the situation and uncover potential gaps. Similar to the concept of negative space in art, effective evaluation often involves not only observing what’s evident but also identifying what may be missing or not directly addressed. Consider the cultural context too; for example, in some Indigenous cultures, direct negative feedback might not be given, so it’s important to explore the unspoken, gaining a nuanced understanding of unintended outcomes and cultural nuances.

2. Rely on Evidence: Base your decisions on collected data, thoroughly reviewing information to underpin your reasoning. Utilize this data to shape recommendations and implement changes, ensuring your choices are well-supported and grounded in thorough analysis.

3. Reflect on Experiences: Consider your past experiences to evaluate what worked well, identify areas for improvement, and extract valuable lessons for future endeavours. This process may also involve considering diverse viewpoints through perspective-taking and seeking feedback from others.

4. Embrace Learning Opportunities: Consider challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement. Embrace the opportunity to grow through experiences and continuously seek ways to enhance your skills.

Evaluative thinking is not just a process; it’s a mindset that empowers individuals and organizations to navigate complex challenges with evidence. By adopting evaluative thinking, we can collaboratively make a difference through our work.

How do you adopt evaluative thinking? Let us know in the comments below!