Introduction

Introduction The Midge Smith Center for Evaluation Effectiveness is a research center located in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration in the George Washington University in Washington, DC.

The goal of the Center is to harness thought leadership to facilitate and extend knowledge about effective evaluation practices in an effort to identify, support and sustain successful programs in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Three objectives guide this effort:

RESEARCH directed toward understanding how programs work and better methods for assessing effectiveness and enhancing evaluation capacity, learning, and use.

TEACHING courses for on- and off-campus learners by continuing the programs of The Evaluators’ Institute with its internationally-recognized faculty, The Trachtenberg School’s graduate coursework, and tailored learning opportunities with government and non-profit organizations.

EXTENSION and SERVICE to assist public and non-profits in evaluating their programs, building evaluation capacity, and institutionalizing effective evaluation practice.

The Center is named to honor a pioneer in building program evaluation capacity in all sectors of the public and non-profit arenas—M.F. “Midge” Smith. Dr. Smith’s contributions to research and practice in the field of program evaluation are many, but one of her most far-reaching legacies is founding The Evaluators’ Institute®, internationally respected for the high quality of its instruction, balanced curriculum, and practical relevance of the content of its courses. The Institute (TEI) was the first entity of its kind in the world. Dr. Smith’s vision was to bring together the most highly regarded experts in the field to plan for and execute education in the most useful and rigorous strategies and techniques to enhance the practice and impact of evaluation. TEI continues in this tradition in its new university home. The Center is part of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration—the focal point for education and research in public affairs for the George Washington University.