Paper Example on Reporting Evaluation Results and Ethics

Introduction

Accountability and ethics are two critical elements that can determine the success or failure of an organization. Ethical practices are the accepted norms of conduct of a specified organization or industry (Shipman, 2005). While accountability is the assumption or acknowledgment of obligation towards an action, process, or a decision within the scope of the policies stated (Gorman & Conde, 2007). Ethical behavior determines what is right and wrong. In business and evaluation process, ethics is concerned with choosing the best possible action for the success of the organization, hence, eliminating selfish gains through fraud and bribes. Ethical practices must be professional at all times within the organization.

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Need For Ethics in the Evaluation Process

Respect For Individual and Organization Rights

In maintaining ethical practices, the evaluators of the business must have both professional and personal integrity (Shipman, 2005). Integrity ensures respect for the rights of individuals and the organization as a whole during the evaluation process. It facilitates the provision of data in confidence hence ensuring that malicious individuals can not trace confidential data that is key to the organization.

Promotes Trust between Staff

Ethical considerations in the evaluation process ensure that there is trust among the individuals who are involved in evaluation (Gorman & Conde, 2007). The created trust ensure free sharing of information as the participants have confidence in one another that the information discussed will not be exposed to third parties. In addition to the trust created, ethics promote teamwork and inclusivity of the members involved (Shipman, 2005).

Enhance Value to the Organization

Strict adherence to ethical issues while performing evaluation facilitates accurate data and timely delivery of results to the organization (Shipman, 2005). Ethical issues confine the evaluators on the time frame, maintenance of high-quality standards of the data, and accuracy of the results (Gorman & Conde, 2007). The accurate and reliable data in the evaluation process ensures value to the sponsor and the recipients of the data. The data collected can be used for decision-making processes that will improve the profits of the firm.

Need for Accountability in the Evaluation Process

Ensures Honesty and Integrity

Responsibility in the evaluation process compels the participants to exhibit high levels of completeness and reliability in the process. Accountability ensures that the evaluators declare any form of conflict to the clients at any point when it occurs during the evaluation process (Shipman, 2005). It is also advisable that all the evaluators account for their qualifications, skills, and knowledge of the process at hand. Honesty ensures that the evaluators work within the strict guidelines of professionalism and rules given.

Ensures Privacy and Obligation among Evaluators in Case of Errors

Accountability code dictates that after every evaluation process, the participants should be ready to own up the consequences of their decisions. Every action of each evaluator needs to be taken into account (Gorman & Conde, 2007). It is through accountability that confidential data can be collected in the entire process. Privacy of the data being evaluated, and the results are only kept for use by the specified organization that initiated the evaluation processes. Confidentiality ensures the discretion of information in the assessment method which the organization will use ("United Nations Evaluation Group," 2008).

Eliminate Fraud and Exploitation

Transparency can further eliminate any cases of fraud and misconduct, and wrongdoings that could be associated with the evaluation process (Gorman & Conde, 2007). Accountability also restrains the evaluators from exposing the evaluated data to third parties, which could lead to the exploitation of the organization (Kirsh, Krupa, Horgan, & Kelly, 2005).

Incorporation of Ethical and Accountability Concerns in the Evaluation Process

Yes, numerous pieces of evidence reveal that the elements of transparency and moral issues are integrated into assessment processes (Shipman, 2005). The principles of ethics and responsibility are never limited to one field or action; they are spread out to any practice being undertaken to ensure accuracy and transparency (Shipman, 2005). Even though the accountability and ethical guidelines are used in the evaluation process in the majority of the organizations, the same principles can be transferred and applied to a different field or industry.

Why Ethical and Accountability Concerns Are Used In Evaluation Process

To Avoid Legal Confrontation from Regulators

Accountability and ethical issues are primarily incorporated into evaluation processes to avoid legal confrontation from professional bodies and other regulators who may sue the evaluators and the organization for failure to adhere to the principles and guidelines of carrying out (Shipman, 2005).

Promotes Corporative Governance

The incorporation of the accountability and ethical issues in the evaluation processes focusses on achieving the corporate governance goals. The sensitivity of all stakeholders in the business on the usefulness and need to observe ethical and accountability issues also compels evaluators to keep ("United Nations Evaluation Group," 2008). The sensitization of the moral elements among customers, governments, shareholders, and other participants gives them the power to sue the evaluators in case the evaluators fail to observe the accountability and ethical code, hence compelling the evaluators to strictly incorporate and adhere to the laws (Shipman, 2005).

References

American Evaluation Association. ( 2007). American Evaluation Association is guiding principles for evaluators. Retrieved from http://www.eval.org/p/cm/ld/fid=51

Gorman, D. M., & Conde, E. (2007) Conflict of interest in the evaluation of "model" school-based drug and violence prevention programs. Evaluation and Program Planning, 30(24), 422-429. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2955513/pdf/nihms-243089.pdf

Kirsh, B., Krupa, T., Horgan, S., Kelly, D., et al. (2005, Winter). Making it better: Building evaluation capacity in community mental health. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 28(3), 234-241. Retrieved from https://evaluationcanada.ca/system/files/cjpe-entries/21-2-133.pdf

Shipman, S. (2005, Fall). Program evaluation: Improving performance and accountability. Public Manager, 34(3), 53-56. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=Shipman%2C+S.+(2005%2C+Fall).+Program+evaluation%3A+Improving+performance+and+accountability.+Public+Manager%2C+34(3)%2C+53-56.&oq=Shipman%2C+S.

United Nations Evaluation Group (2008). UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.uneval.org/papersandpubs/documentdetail.jsp?doc_id=102