Just Give Me an Example! Exploring Strategies for Building Public Understanding of Evaluation

Evaluators often lament that the general public does not understand what we do. Yet, there is limited empirical research on what the general public does know—and think—about program evaluation. This article seeks to expand our understanding in this domain by capturing views about evaluation from a demographically representative sample of the U.S population. This article also explores different strategies for describing program evaluation to the general public. Using an experimental design, it builds on previous research by Mason and Hunt, testing a set of hypotheses about how to enhance communication about evaluation. Findings suggest that public understanding of evaluation is indeed low, although two specific communication strategies—using well-known examples of social programs and including a why statement that describes the purpose of evaluation—can strengthen understanding among members of the public.