Chapter 3: Evaluation Theory Contributions of J. Bradley Cousins: Focus on Process Use

Over a distinguished career, Cousins has made substantial contributions to evaluation theory. His writings, presentations, and professional interactions have generated productive discussions on the assumptions, goals, frameworks, theories, and practices of evaluation. Cousins’ contributions integrate attention to evaluation inquiry, participatory approaches, evaluation capacity-building, organizational support, learning systems, evaluation utilization, and evaluation theory development. His scholarship has contributed to our understandings of:

At the broadest level, Cousins’ theoretical contributions have concerned the connections between evaluation practice and evaluation theory. He has contributed organizing frameworks to clarify constructs and promote dialogue. His work is undergirded by critical reflection, a commitment to conceptual clarity, and empirical research as a basis for bringing about and further testing this conceptual clarity. In his contributions to our understanding of evaluation use, he has examined, both empirically and theoretically, the power of evaluation to bring about desired change in social policies and programs. In his university research plan, he articulated the perspective that has informed his scholarship: