"Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future" Published
A compelling and futuristic book for transformation
Visionary Evaluation: The Book
Take a journey to 2030 where Visionary Evaluatives abound and link with one another in actively bringing about a sustainable, equitable future. Utilizing a creative storytelling approach, Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future brings forward the centrality of values in conjunction with the role of evaluation in building a future of well-being for people, nature, and planet. Visionary Evaluatives emphasize an orientation of humility, compassion, and transparency as they mindfully reflect on what is being learned through the intersection of values, iterative action and inquiry, theory, outcomes, and vision.
Through Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future, you will learn about how you can contribute to a sustainable, equitable future not only in evaluations, as either users or practitioners, but also in your daily actions and lives.
Lovely, along with co-editors Beverly Parsons and Matt Keane, present the case that evaluation users and those who perform evaluations need to do so with six Visionary Evaluation Principles in mind:
Commit Humbly and Compassionately to a Sustainable, Equitable Future
Recognize the World as Composed of Living, Entangled Systems
Discover, Reveal, and Respect Intersectionalities
Facilitate Transparency and Understanding of Human Values
Learn Through Iterative Action and Inquiry
Engage in Deep Praxis
Michael Quinn Patton, Founder and CEO of Utilization-Focused Evaluation and author of Blue Marble Evaluation notes:
“Humanity's current trajectory on Earth is unsustainable. Transformation is needed at every level and in every arena of action. The alternative may be no future at all. This book and its Visionary Evaluation Principles envisions evaluation as part of the transformation. Embrace the vision. Act on it. How? Start by reading Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future.”
Professor Rodney Hopson of the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign has this to say about Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future:
“The core values and principles of visionary evaluatives read too good to be true: envisioning a world of humility, sustainability, equity, compassion, respect, understanding, and engaging deeply, toward iterative action. What a tall order and request this book is making for those of us in the field of evaluation! Bravo to the authors for pushing us. Their book is compelling and futuristic, written as a story that helps us imagine and re-image our field, our lives, and our world.”
The book is set in 2030, allowing the reader to encounter issues from a creative and future-focused perspective. It gathers Visionary Evaluatives (VEs) who are debating the issue of the day in 2030 – Artificial Super Intelligence. As the VEs debate issues and consider their individual and collective values, they turn to key leaders in nine key sectors to help inform their thinking on the issues at hand. These include:
Social Protection: Reframing Toward Individual, Community, and National Well-Being, Lateefah Simon, Charlyn Harper Browne, Ryan Eller, Bo Pryor, and Justin Speegle
Nature: Connecting Well-Being and Conservation Praxis, Kent H. Redford, Carly Cook, Duan Biggs, and Glenda Eoyang
Law: Living Values in Our Legal System, Ellen Lawton and Joe Scantlebury
Business: Doing Well and Doing Good, Eric Barela and Bob Willard
Health: Building Our Power to Create Health Equity, Jeanne Ayers
Financial Investing: Valuing Social Returns, Georgette Wong
Transportation: Designing for Values-Based Mobility, Thomas Abdallah and Antoinette Quagliata
Education: Emancipating Learning, Elizabeth Kozleski
Design: Creating the Future We Want, Cameron Norman
Come on a journey with Jodevi and consider how you can use Visionary Evaluation in your work and in you daily life to create a Sustainable, Equitable Future.
You can purchase Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable Equitable Future at Information Age Publishing’s website here and use Code VEFAS8338 for 50% off the regular price of the book. You can also purchase Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable Equitable Future on Amazon here (but the discount is not applicable).