RISKING COLLABORATION: PROFESSIONAL DILEMMAS IN EVALUATION AND DESIGN

Postoccupancy evaluations are presented as having two explicit purposes: the generation of new knowledge and the promotion of action intended to improve the quality of life. Most evaluations reported in the literature favor the generation of new knowledge over the action agenda. This paper argues for the premise that the action agenda is critical, and that it requires collaboration. This premise forces a fundamental reconceptualization of what constitutes professional competence. The paper further identifies the conditions necessary for successful collaboration while recognizing professional dilemmas which make meaningful collaboration extremely difficult.