Funnell, Sue

(b. 1951, Sydney, Australia). M.A. Education, B.A. Psychology, University of Sydney

Funnell's work in evaluation stems from a mixed group of intellectual influences, including realist philosophy; evaluation approaches that focus on “the why of the outcomes”; stakeholder values; social justice and distributive considerations; and taxonomies of objectives, including those of Bennett, Bloom, Hastings, and Madaus.

Funnell's primary contribution to evaluation has been the development of a particular approach to program theory (program logic), beginning in the mid-1980s in Australia, that overcomes some of the shortcomings of mechanistic input-process-output-outcome models, gives explicit recognition to the complexities of causality, and incorporates evaluation criteria, including those that represent different stakeholder perspectives. The methodology helps to avoid simplistic and goal-displacing approaches to performance monitoring and is an antidote to black-box approaches to evaluation. The methodology, including the development of a taxonomy of program logics, was informed by evaluation theory but developed from the ground up as Funnell was working with hundreds of program managers and evaluators across many different areas of the public sector. The methodology has [Page 166]been influential throughout Australia and internationally with respect to program planning and design, performance monitoring, and program evaluation at both policy and practitioner levels.

Highlights of Funnell's career include a 6-month research scholarship to study at the Center for Instructional Research and Curriculum Evaluation at the University of Illinois, two terms as President of the Australasian Evaluation Society, and receiving the Australasian Evaluation Society Evaluation Training and Services Award (its highest award) for Outstanding Contributions to Evaluation in Australia.