The Practice of Evaluation : Partnership Approaches for Community Change provides foundational content on evaluation concepts, approaches, and methods, with an emphasis on the use of evaluation and partnership approaches to effect change. Real examples in every chapter illustrate key ideas and concepts "in action" on topics such as organizational development, capacity building, program improvement, and advocacy. Editors Ryan P. Kilmer and James R. Cook, and the chapter authors, highlight pragmatic approaches to evaluation that balance the needs of stakeholders in an ethical way, to provide useful, usable, and actionable guidance for program improvement. Key features include : real-world examples of partnerships from various settings and contexts help "connect the dots" between evaluation concepts and their application and help make the content "real" for readers ; a focus on a diverse range of topics and applications enhances the applicability and relevance across disciplines, and includes coverage of more cutting-edge topics that are often not included in other evaluation texts such as network analysis and GIS (geographical information systems) ; pedagogical elements in each chapter include learning objectives, key terms, questions for reflection, and suggested additional readings that help frame the chapter and support readers' efforts to hone in on the key points.