The Philosophy of OD Evaluation

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, philosophy can refer to “the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.” For an OD practitioner, it refers to beliefs about what is worth valuing—and what is not. When evaluating an OD or change effort, the OD practitioner must decide whether the focus is on what is (reality), what is perceived (perceptions), what is planned (target), what has been achieved (outputs or outcomes), or some combination, and make decisions about how to conduct the evaluation.

Before beginning any OD or change evaluation project, it is important to determine who wants to know, what they will do with the results. Is the purpose of the evaluation to “prove,” “persuade,” or “provide information”? Or is there some other purpose?

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