A key consideration in developing an evaluation framework and tools is the incorporation of ethical standards for research. Evaluation with integrity is done in ways that:

• respect people, relationships, and service objectives;
• are methodologically responsive and appropriate; and
• are credibly and competently done.¹

Some of the main ethical considerations in conducting evaluation are:

• Ethics Board approval to ensure compliance with current ethical standards;
• Informed consent from participants to ensure they are aware and comfortable with the processes involved in the evaluation; and
• Permissions / releases to allow certain types of information to be used for the purposes of evaluation.

Key Resources for Ethical Standards in Research & Evaluation

Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (2014): http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique/initiatives/tcps2-eptc2/Default

Canadian Evaluation Society, Program Evaluation Standards: http://old.evaluationcanada.ca/site.cgi?s=6&ss=10&_lang=en

Research & Evaluation with Indigenous Groups: http://pimatisiwin.com/uploads/1444288718.pdf

 

 

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1. ^{Bania, M. (2015). Evaluation of mentoring programs. Presentation for the Ontario Mentoring Coalition, Toronto, ON, February 2015.}

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