Chapter 5: An Exploration of the Values Underpinning the Theory and Practice of Collaborative Approaches to Evaluation

It is our great pleasure to contribute a chapter in this special edition honoring the continuing contributions of J. Bradley Cousins to the field of evaluation. As members of the COVE (Collaborative Opportunities to Value Evaluation) research team [i.e., Brad, Lyn Shulha, Elizabeth (Bessa) Whitmore, Nathalie Gilbert and Hind Al Hudib], this builds on our previous work with Brad on the development of Principles to Guide Collaborative Approaches to Evaluation (CAE) (Shulha, Whitmore, Cousins, Gilbert, & Al Hudib, 2016). The principles capture not only many of the different areas in the field of evaluation to which Brad has contributed over the years, but more importantly the values that he puts into practice as a researcher, professor, and evaluation practitioner. To name a few, these values include his commitment to advancing the field of evaluation through research on evaluation (RoE), his curiosity and openness to people’s ideas, the enthusiasm that he generates when working with others, the trust and respect that he fosters with those with whom he collaborates, his flexibility, and his genuineness.