The future of research and evaluation is clearly “up for grabs.” There is little doubt that managing public programs and nonprofit organizations in the future will be more complex than in the past. This increasing complexity will have a profound impaction research and evaluation. Researchers will surely have access to more information than in the past and will need to learn to use large amounts of information to make decisions about the effectiveness of programs and the success of policies. Technological advancements, resources limitations, and globalization are just a few of the ways that the landscape of research and evaluation will change in the future.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Think about the evaluation design you used to evaluate the program, problem, or policy you selected for your Final Evaluation Design (Final Project).
• Consider the changes and trends in research and evaluation, and how the skills and insights you gained in this course may help promote social change in the future.

Explain of what you think are the most important future trends in the field of research and evaluation. Explain how the skills and insights you gained from this course may help you promote social change in these areas.