Ensaio: Avaliação e Políticas Públicas em Educação ISSN: 0104-4036 [email protected] Fundação Cesgranrio Brasil Dannemann, Angela Cristina; Penna Firme, Thereza; Letichevsky, Ana Carolina Setting Up the Brazilian Evaluation Network: a Challenging Work With no Boundaries Ensaio: Avaliação e Políticas Públicas em Educação, vol. 13, núm. 49, octubre-diciembre, 2005, pp. 523-533 Fundação Cesgranrio Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=399537941009 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Capacitação de professores em Matemática Contextualizada: Projeto bem-sucedido no Brasil 523 Informes e Participações Setting Up the Brazilian Evaluation Network: a Challenging Work With no Boundaries * Angela Cristina Dannemann** Thereza Penna Firme** Ana Carolina Letichevsky** Abstract Angela Cristina Dannemann debate. However, cultural and historical aspects create Evaluation may be a Master in Business limits for the discussions and relevant tool for the practice Administration by IBMEC-RJ Specialization in Program boundaries among its of democracy. In order for it Evaluation by CEATS/FEA/USP participants. This paper to occur, quality and proper Leader of the Avina Foundation intends to shed light into utilization of its results must Board Member of FIRJAN’s some of these limits and be assured (PATTON, 1997). Social Responsibility Council boundaries, reflecting over Therefore, the consolidation Thereza Penna Firme how they are being overcome. of democratic principles in a Ph.D. Education and society and the promotion of Psychology – Stanford effective social interactions University – California Resumo (FETTERMAN; Coordinator of the Evaluation Center – Cesgranrio Foundation Estabelecendo a WANDERSMAN, 2005) will Senior Evaluation Consultant benefit enormously from a Teacher (retired) of the Federal rede brasileira greater and better use of University of Rio de Janeiro de avaliação: um evaluation in all possible Ana Carolina Letichevsky formats. The Brazilian Doctoral (in process) in Methods trabalho Evaluation Network was of Support to Decision/ desafiador sem created approximately three Department of Electrical years ago in a country with a Engineering PUC—RJ limites. recent history of democratic Master in Production Uma avaliação pode ser Engineering PUC-RJ um importante instrumento practice. Within a theoretical Statistician at Cesgranrio Foundation para o exercício da demo- framework networks do not Professor of Statistics at PUC-RJ have boundaries or limits for cracia. Para que isso ocorra * Paper presented at the 2005 Joint Conference of the Canadian Evaluation Society and American Evaluation Association “Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries”, Toronto, Canada, October 24-30, 2005 ** The authors want to thank all members of the Brazilian Evaluation Network for their indirect contribution in the development of this paper. Ensaio: aval. pol. públ. Educ., Rio de Janeiro, v.13, n.49, p. 515-533,515-522, out./dez. 2005 524 Angela Cristina Dannemann, Thereza Penna Firme e Ana Carolina Letichevsky é preciso assegurar a qualidade da avalia- Rationale ção, bem como a utilização apropriada dos Brazil, with its 500 years of history has seus resultados (PATTON,1997). Desta for- only recently reached a full democratic ma, a construção de uma sociedade de- condition, the dream of generations – free mocrática, que busca a melhoria permanen- presidential elections happened again only te dos seus processos sociais (FETTERMAN; 16 years ago, after a long military WANDERSMAN, 2005), depende do aprimo- dictatorship that abolished civil rights and ramento contínuo da sua prática de avalia- reduced social initiatives to a bare minimum. ção, em suas variadas manifestações. No This new situation has met with a population Brasil, há aproximadamente 3 anos, foi cri- not entirely prepared for its demands, ada a Rede Brasileira de Avaliação. Uma especially due to a historical lack of rede que, em sua concepção teórica, não importance to universal education with high possui limites ou fronteiras de discussão. quality. Some of the reasons for this are Contudo, existem aspectos culturais e histó- summarized below: ricos (envolvendo valores), que criam limi- - lack of vision of the influential elite and tes para as referidas discussões e estabele- nonexistent pressure groups; cem fronteiras entre as diferentes instânci- - vested interests of powerful political as. Este trabalho apresenta alguns destes groups, who benefited from keeping limites e fronteiras, refletindo sobre a forma entire populations uneducated in order como aqueles que encomendam e que con- to delay the natural process of demand duzem avaliações vêm contornando os li- for social and political rights resulting mites e ultrapassando fronteiras. from educational enlightenment; - education not a priority because it is a Introduction task demanding high investment, After 3 years of steady growth of the constant supervision, and aimed at Brazilian Evaluation Network (hereafter long term results; BEN) several members are arguing its - historical difficulties with mid and long challenges. Presently, its members place term activities, due to the short term of emphasis on transparency of planning and political mandates and excessive implementation, respect for stakeholders dependence on government decisions. values and taking into account all characteristics of the situation; application Thus, the need for a liberating evaluation of proper methods; and assurance that all practice had to face the lack of education stakeholders must understand the and democratic experience, added to a significance of evaluation, agree with its punitive vision of evaluation, due to it being application and, most important, be able introduced within the context of an to understand, debate and use its results. educational tradition. Radical groups of As a consequence, this paper’s proposal several denominations introduced and is to further promote this debate guided by sustained formal education in Brazil for the following question: centuries and are to be praised for this, but - How to evolve to a more transparent must also bear the responsibility for the model, with a well defined identity and well culture of blaming individuals and not organized internal evaluation processes? processes, methods or concepts for Ensaio: aval. pol. públ. Educ., Rio de Janeiro, v.13, n.49, p. 515-533, out./dez. 2005 Setting Up the Brazilian Evaluation Network: a Challenging Work With no Boundaries 525 something gone wrong. Also, it must be promoting and sponsoring activities related to observed that the practice of evaluation as it. In other words, the network is promoting the a systematic process of data collection for development of the practice of evaluation in proper value judgment was established only Brazil, pushing boundaries ever further and 30 years ago. Not the least important is the overcoming moral, political and academic fact that the network dynamic is a very recent barriers. A debate over some critical aspects of organizational arrangement, especially in this network is extremely relevant towards Brazil – the first networks were started in the achieving better interactions within a traditionally 90’s, aimed at environmental education. horizontal, non-hierarchical system, such as this one, for members coming from an ingrained Added to that, Brazil’s huge social vertical, highly hierarchical culture. The inequality will benefit enormously from considerations developed herein may be an adequate measurement of the results and important contribution towards the improvement outcomes of its public policies and programs of evaluation everywhere specially in developing - 10% of Brazil’s population amass 50% of countries such as Brazil (GUARNIERI, 2004). the GDP, which in terms of monthly salaries means that all those earning US$ 200 or above Overview comprise these 10%. In spite of commendable The Brazilian Evaluation Network efforts from several social organizations, very (hereafter BEN) was originally born in low or non-existent income does not promote August, 2002, as part of an international sustainability and certainly promotes alternative cooperation for the promotion and ways of survival such as begging, child labor, development of evaluation stimulated by UN and other worse situations. organisms such as UNICEF (SEGONE, 2002). It was initially constituted as a network Belief in evaluation as a means to of individuals and individuals within promote important values for the institutions with the following mission: improvement of democracy (FETTERMAN, “develop and strengthen public interest 2001), such as transparency, reflection, evaluation culture and practice by means critical thinking, (SCRIVEN, 2003) of articulating individuals and participation and debate, has been the organizations, knowledge management, reason behind the creation of the Brazilian professional development and the advocacy Evaluation Network whose current mission of evaluation as a tool for political statement reads: “Develop and enhance the transformation.” Its founding members culture and practice of public interest believed in evaluation as a social learning evaluation within the Brazilian society.” process that contributes with society’s development, being also an important