Evaluate integrity and integrity principles in terms of an evaluator's conflict of interest.

Question

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The Answer is According to the Integrity principle, "Evaluators behave with honesty and transparency in order to ensure the integrity of the evaluation." This principle applies the notion of transparency to every phase of the evaluation from entry/contracting through utilization of results. Stakeholders should have a thorough understanding of the major decisions affecting the design and implementation of the evaluation, the reasons for those decisions, and the consequences of those decisions. Furthermore, the results of the evaluation must be accurately reported, and realistic steps taken to prevent those results from being distorted or misapplied by key stakeholders in the aftermath of the evaluation. In partnership-oriented evaluations, evaluators need to facilitate discussion of these considerations and their implications if truly shared decision-making is to be achieved.
Ensuring the integrity of an evaluation is never a rote task, but in the case of collaborative evaluation it can be especially challenging. Developing a high level of trust among participating stakeholders is essential and requires "relationship-building, spending time together listening to each other's concerns, interests, and needs, and incorporating them into the research agenda." A conflict of interest occurs when "a primary interest (e.g., validity of research) is unduly influenced by a secondary interest (e.g., financial gain, academic success, community leadership)." For instance, evaluating a program that is directed by a close friend would generally be regarded as a conflict of interest for the evaluator (and the director). Or consider an evaluator who expects that a lucrative new contract would be forthcoming if he or she produced a positive evaluation of a particular program. In both cases, it is reasonable to believe that the evaluator might be tempted to skew the study's findings (violating integrity and honesty) in order to maintain a personal relationship or produce financial benefits.
As the number of evaluation stakeholders increases and the networks within which they operate become more elaborate and complex, the "opportunities" for conflicts of interest to occur undoubtedly grow as well. Thus, virtually by definition, collaborative evaluations generate a landscape populated by stakeholders who are likely to see their vested interests linked to the evaluation. The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily mean that unethical behavior is inevitable, but it does set the stage for such behavior. Moreover, where conflicts of interest are involved, the appearance of impropriety can be as damaging to an evaluation as the reality of misconduct. Thus, the evaluator needs to ensure that measures taken to address conflict of interest issues are in fact viewed by stakeholders as credible.

Evaluate Integrity and Integrity Principles in Terms of an Evaluator's