Toward a Definition of Evaluation Within the Canadian Context: Who Knew This Would Be So Difficult?

Th is article describes the systematic examination and membership consultation process undertaken to defi ne evaluation within the Canadian context. To that end, the article (a) presents the fi ndings from a literature scan and analysis of social media postings, (b) considers the outcomes of the audience discussion during the presentation at the 2013 Canadian Evaluation Society conference, and (c) offers ideas for next steps. Together, the literature scan results, social media analysis, and membership discussion reveal that no single defi nition currently exists. Further, there are indications that a shared defi nition would be diffi cult to achieve within the Canadian evaluation community. Among the potential implications discussed is that a single defi nition might restrict or oversimplify the current scope of practice, given the wide range of contexts and purposes for evaluation in Canada.