Navigating the Boundaries Between Evaluators and Similar Applied Professionals

This paper is part of a larger project to examine who calls themselves an evaluator and why, as well as how evaluators differ from non-evaluators. For the present paper, 40 professionals doing applied work (e.g., evaluators, researchers) participated in an hour-long semi-structured interview which involved questions about their applied practice and identity, as well as perceived similarities and differences between evaluators and related applied professionals. Research questions were: what does the journey into the field look like for evaluators and similar professionals and how do they describe the similarities and differences between evaluators and other similar professionals? Results showed evaluators and non-evaluators have unique journeys into the field. Furthermore, evaluators and other similar professionals describe the similarities and differences similarly, yet there are also some misconceptions similar professionals have regarding evaluators and evaluation. This paper contributes to the larger conversation on the professionalization of evaluation by helping understand the jurisdictional boundaries between evaluation and other related fields.