Building Capacity for Organizational Learning Through Evaluative Inquiry

In this article we argue that evaluation is an event-driven and product-oriented activity needs to be reconsidered and reconceptualized in light of continuous changes organizations are experiencing. We describe how evaluative inquiry for organizational learning offers organization members a way of integrating inquiry processes into their daily work practices, with the outcome being learning and improved personal and professional performance. We first define evaluative inquiry for organizational learning, then describe the four learning processes that undergird evaluative inquiry. From here we explain the three phases of evaluative inquiry for organizational learning and conclude with a discussion of issues evaluators and practitioners may face in implementing this approach.