Difference between revisions of "Evaluating performance of environmental health assessments"
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This is a manuscript about evaluating performance of environmental health assessments. It discusses different perspectives to evaluating the goodness of assessments and proposes a new more comprehensive approach to considering performance of environmental health assessments. | This is a manuscript about evaluating performance of environmental health assessments. It discusses different perspectives to evaluating the goodness of assessments and proposes a new more comprehensive approach to considering performance of environmental health assessments. | ||
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+ | == Title == | ||
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+ | '''The properties of good assessments - a multi-perspective approach to evaluating performance of environmental health assessments | ||
== Abstract == | == Abstract == | ||
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*environmental health assessment is intentional societal activity involving plural actors with diverse perspectives and needs | *environmental health assessment is intentional societal activity involving plural actors with diverse perspectives and needs | ||
− | **provide information on practical decision-making (political, industry, individuals) | + | **intentionality and actors |
− | **increase awareness and level of understanding on important issues (experts, DMs, SHs, public) | + | ***provide information on practical decision-making (political, industry, individuals) |
− | **advance scientific research (experts) | + | ***increase awareness and level of understanding on important issues (experts, DMs, SHs, public) |
+ | ***advance scientific research (experts) | ||
+ | **activity: understanding and describing real-world phenomena in order to enable rational actions accordingly | ||
*effectiveness of assessments must be ensured → performance of assessments needs to be considered and evaluated | *effectiveness of assessments must be ensured → performance of assessments needs to be considered and evaluated | ||
+ | *also efficiency should be considered | ||
*various overlapping perspectives to the issue: uncertainty assessment, quality assurance, model development guidelines, ... | *various overlapping perspectives to the issue: uncertainty assessment, quality assurance, model development guidelines, ... | ||
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'''Evaluation | '''Evaluation | ||
− | *focus on the mediator of the overall intellectual process - the shared | + | *focus on the mediator of the overall intellectual process - the shared object of activity |
**product|use purpose, assessment process|product | **product|use purpose, assessment process|product | ||
**trialogical process, knowledge creation metaphor | **trialogical process, knowledge creation metaphor | ||
Line 48: | Line 55: | ||
*environmental health assessment is intentional societal activity involving plural actors with diverse perspectives and needs | *environmental health assessment is intentional societal activity involving plural actors with diverse perspectives and needs | ||
− | **provide information on practical decision-making (political, industry, individuals) | + | **intentionality and actors |
− | **increase awareness and level of understanding on important issues (experts, DMs, SHs, public) | + | ***provide information on practical decision-making (political, industry, individuals) |
− | **advance scientific research (experts) | + | ***increase awareness and level of understanding on important issues (experts, DMs, SHs, public) |
+ | ***advance scientific research (experts) | ||
+ | **activity: understanding and describing real-world phenomena in order to enable rational actions accordingly | ||
*effectiveness of assessments must be ensured → performance of assessments needs to be considered and evaluated | *effectiveness of assessments must be ensured → performance of assessments needs to be considered and evaluated | ||
+ | *also efficiency should be considered | ||
+ | *various overlapping perspectives to the issue: uncertainty assessment, quality assurance, model development guidelines, ... | ||
== Perspectives to performance == | == Perspectives to performance == | ||
Line 87: | Line 98: | ||
== Discussion == | == Discussion == | ||
− | *focus on the mediator of the overall intellectual process - the shared | + | *focus on the mediator of the overall intellectual process - the shared object of activity |
**product|use purpose, assessment process|product | **product|use purpose, assessment process|product | ||
**trialogical process, knowledge creation metaphor | **trialogical process, knowledge creation metaphor |
Revision as of 10:01, 19 August 2008
<accesscontrol>Members of projects,,Workshop2008,,beneris,,Erac,,Heimtsa,,Hiwate,,Intarese</accesscontrol>
This is a manuscript about evaluating performance of environmental health assessments. It discusses different perspectives to evaluating the goodness of assessments and proposes a new more comprehensive approach to considering performance of environmental health assessments.
Contents
Title
The properties of good assessments - a multi-perspective approach to evaluating performance of environmental health assessments
Abstract
Situation
- environmental health assessment is intentional societal activity involving plural actors with diverse perspectives and needs
- intentionality and actors
- provide information on practical decision-making (political, industry, individuals)
- increase awareness and level of understanding on important issues (experts, DMs, SHs, public)
- advance scientific research (experts)
- activity: understanding and describing real-world phenomena in order to enable rational actions accordingly
- intentionality and actors
- effectiveness of assessments must be ensured → performance of assessments needs to be considered and evaluated
- also efficiency should be considered
- various overlapping perspectives to the issue: uncertainty assessment, quality assurance, model development guidelines, ...
Problem
- all perspectives provide only limited or narrow views to performance
- use purpose of information often not considered
- all aspects of performance not covered
- evaluation as a separate process, often only after assessment
- societal aspect often neglected
- focus either on giving assessment procedure guidelines or considering product as such
Solution
- multi-perspective approach to performance
- effectiveness
- quality of content
- applicability
- efficiency
- effectiveness
- an integral part of assessment process → applicable also in design and execution (a priori), not only evaluation (a posteriori)
Evaluation
- focus on the mediator of the overall intellectual process - the shared object of activity
- product|use purpose, assessment process|product
- trialogical process, knowledge creation metaphor
- not only collection and use of existing information or learning to deal with new situation, but also creation of new knowledge
- capable of incorporating the goods from other perspectives into a more comprehensive and coherent approach
- evaluation of performance can only be done meaningfully against purpose
- various intentions need to be identified, explicated and prioritized in all assessments
Introduction
- environmental health assessment is intentional societal activity involving plural actors with diverse perspectives and needs
- intentionality and actors
- provide information on practical decision-making (political, industry, individuals)
- increase awareness and level of understanding on important issues (experts, DMs, SHs, public)
- advance scientific research (experts)
- activity: understanding and describing real-world phenomena in order to enable rational actions accordingly
- intentionality and actors
- effectiveness of assessments must be ensured → performance of assessments needs to be considered and evaluated
- also efficiency should be considered
- various overlapping perspectives to the issue: uncertainty assessment, quality assurance, model development guidelines, ...
Perspectives to performance
- various overlapping perspectives to the issue: uncertainty assessment, quality assurance, model development guidelines, ...
- all perspectives provide only limited or narrow views to performance
- use purpose of information often not considered
- all aspects of performance not covered
- evaluation as a separate process, often only after assessment
- societal aspect often neglected
- focus either on giving assessment procedure guidelines or considering product as such
Properties of good assessments
- multi-perspective approach to performance
- effectiveness
- quality of content
- applicability
- efficiency
- effectiveness
- an integral part of assessment process → applicable also in design and execution (a priori), not only evaluation (a posteriori)
- Relation of properties to information structure/content
- Evaluation process
- a priori and/or a posteriori view
- identification of purpose
- evaluation of quality of content (uncertainty + relevance)
- in principle reality, but in practice golden standard as reference point D↷
- evaluation of applicability
- evaluation of efficiency (effort expenditure)
- overall performance
- potential for effectiveness/effort given purpose
- can be further evaluated retrospectively against realized effectiveness (possibly against redefined purpose)
- potential for effectiveness/effort given purpose
Discussion
- focus on the mediator of the overall intellectual process - the shared object of activity
- product|use purpose, assessment process|product
- trialogical process, knowledge creation metaphor
- not only collection and use of existing information or learning to deal with new situation, but also creation of new knowledge
- capable of incorporating the goods from other perspectives into a more comprehensive and coherent approach
- evaluation of performance can only be done meaningfully against purpose
- various intentions need to be identified, explicated and prioritized in all assessments
- data about hypothesis
Conclusions
- There is more to assessment performance than just statistical uncertainty and data source reliability
- Overall performance of assessment can be evaluated systematically and explicitly
- requires consistent information structure
- a priori evaluation should be made an inherent part of assessment process