Evaluation in a Complex Adaptive System April 30 , 1998

Evaluation is a central issue in all organizations. Many standard evaluation tools, techniques and methods rely on basic assumptions about linear organizational dynamics (predictability, low dimensionality, system closure, stability and equilibration). Some of these assumptions are not valid when a system enters the regime of a complex adaptive system (CAS). New strategies are required to evaluate human systems as CASs. New tools, techniques and methods must integrate assumptions about the dynamical nature of the CAS. This paper summarizes the characteristics of CASs from an organizational perspective. It identifies properties of an evaluation system that are consistent with the nature of a CAS. It describes evaluation tools and techniques that promise more effective evaluation of human CASs. Finally, it describes the role of the evaluator in a CAS.