Recently, I read that 45% of individuals make New Year’s Resolutions and only 8% actually achieve success. Hmmm…not a friendly probability. Perhaps intentions about behavior are indeed more realistic. (Haven’t seen the statistics on that potential change. Mazanian (et al, 1998) 
does say stated intention to change is the most significant behavioral indicator.) My intention for 2016 is to provide content related to or about evaluation that provides you with something you didn’t have before you read the post (Point one). Examples follow:
David Fetterman 
said in another blog , “context matters in how we interpret behavior.” Yesterday, in a faculty meeting, we were asked to identify the “isms” inherent in the various sayings. We were given a group of sayings. One saying in that group was, “I’m just a person”. This saying is a good example of what Fetterman was saying. An individual is NOT “just” a “person”. An individual is defined by the context and the behavior conducted. I am an evaluator; I am a single mom by choice; I am a long time academic. How I behave depends on all of those and more. Saying I am “just” a “person” negates all that I am and do. Evaluation is the same way. Although the field has been advanced by the “western” world, many (most?) of those cultural characteristics of the field need to be translated to fit the context.
New topic: I have been blogging on evaluation now for over 6 years, since early December 2009. In that time I’ve tried to post weekly (barring holidays, conferences, you know, within reason). I’ve accumulated many posts that can be categorized into the four main parts of evaluation as I see it:
- Program Planning and Logic Modeling;
- Program Implementation, Monitoring, and Delivery;
- Data Management and Analysis (divided into Qualitative and Quantitative data); and
- Program Evaluation Utilization.
My intention in 2016 (Point two) is to organize the blog posts into those four topics and replicate a WECT program (say “west”) on-line, at least nominally. It won’t be an “on-line course” as most of you know it. It will be an access point for you who are interested in Evaluation. It will list the resources that I’ve listed in the posts; it will send you to other places for additional information. It will organize for you what I’ve written. Granted, not all the posts will be included; you can always access the blog through “Evaluation is an Everyday Activity“. Whether this will be in the blog or a separate on line posting hasn’t been decided; I will let you know.
Let me know what you think about making a WECT-type activity.
my 
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molly.
