It’s summer, but at the CES Toronto 2013 evaluation conference we’re having a series of Fireside Chats. These informal sessions will be held on Tuesday 11 June and your ticket is included in your Conference registration. Come and take part in one of four critical conversations to seed and foster communities of evaluation practice.

Fireside Chat #1: From the Field, to the Ivory Tower, and Back Again: Promises (and Pitfalls) of Full-Cycle Evaluation Research

Bernadette Campbell, Andy Thompson, Shevaun Nadin and Katherine Gilhnooly; Carleton University

The presenters will share some of our own experiences conducting full-cycle research on evaluation topics ranging from recommendation uptake, to stakeholder involvement, to the quality of stakeholder dialogue.

With a full-cycle approach, researchers draw on observations from practice, conduct empirical examinations based on those observations, return to the field with the empirically-derived evidence, yielding further observation, and the cycle continues.

We will focus on the specific results that emerged from our studies, but also on the promise (and pitfalls) of full-cycle evaluation research more generally, including ideas for where this kind of work might take us in the future.

Fireside Chat #2: Results of the 2013 CES Professional Development Needs Survey: Let’s Discuss

Simon Roy (Goss Gilroy Inc.), Benoit Gauthier (Circum Network Inc.), Shelley Borys (Audit and Evaluation, PHAC) and Natalie Kishchuk (Natalie Kishchuk Evaluation and Research Inc.)

A survey of CES members was conducted to consult them about their professional development needs, including the need for a series of more advanced training as a follow-up to the Essential Skills Series. The main findings of this survey will be presented and discussed during this session.

Members will have the opportunity to comment on the findings and to share their views about their professional development needs.

Fireside Chat #3: EvalPartners: A Global Evaluation Movement

Martha Mcguire, IOCE and Jim Rugh, EvalPartners, Veronica Olazabal (The Mastercard Foundation), Joe Dickman (The Mastercard Foundation), Suzanne Field (Right to Play)

EvalPartners quickly grew from a joint initiative between UNICF and IOCE to a movement that involves regional and country Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation (VOPEs), bilateral donors, the international community, international NGOs and governments.

It is a collaborative movement implemented by the EvalPartners network of organizations that share the common vision and principles set forth in the Chiang Mai Declaration. It is focusing on creating enabling environments for more effective use and influence of evaluations, building VOPE institutional capacity and capacities of individuals’ skills, with an overall focus on equity and gender-responsiveness.

This panel will provide an overview of the EvalPartners movement, outline the principles of the declaration and present information about the current major initiatives.  It will also provide information about how others can get involved.  We will engage the audience in discussion about the ‘blooming of a thousand evaluation flowers around the world’ as we move towards 2015 – The International Year of Evaluation.

Fireside Chat #4: Speed Mentoring for New Practitioners & Students

CES-ON New Practitioners and Students group

Speed Mentoring for New Practitioners and Students is intended for students, recent graduates and professionals building new careers in evaluation. Join our panelists from healthcare, international development, and education as they talk about their academic and professional experiences.

This session is designed as a learning opportunity for anyone breaking into the evaluation field and who is looking to learn from experts who conduct and use evaluation findings in a variety of settings. After the presentations, panelists will break into roundtables where conference delegates can have small group conversations with panel members and get advice about future career directions.

View the Full Conference Program for the informative workshops and plenary sessions, or listen to this podcast to hear about the program we’ve got lined up.

Watch our blog for more information on the 2013 conference, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.

With only 4 days to go until the CES Toronto 2013 evaluation conference, we’ve put together a checklist you may wish to use as you make your final preparations.

Accommodations: Have you booked your hotel room and made transport arrangements? The Fairmont Royal York hotel is still offering fabulous rates for conference delegates, and nothing beats the convenience of on-site accommodation.

Be social: Do you have your ticket for the Experience Toronto / Hard Rock Café Mama Kin dinner and show? This not-to-be-missed event even has the endorsement of the original Aerosmith band and takes place in the hub of Toronto’s city centre at Yonge and Dundas Square.

Experiential site visit: Have you bought your ticket for the Regent Park Pathways to Education program site visit? Every year, thousands of Canadian students in low-income communities drop out of high school, contributing to poverty and the need for social housing such as Toronto’s Regent Park community complex. This is a unique experiential learning opportunity for evaluation conference delegates to contribute to an innovative education program in one of Canada’s most exciting urban revitalization projects.

Workshops: Have you registered for a pre-conference workshop?  The registration desk will located in the Canadian room foyer, convention level and be open for check-in and to answer questions during the following hours:

Registration desk hours:

Sun June 9 – 07:00 – 19:30h

Mon June 10 – 07:00 – 19:30h

Tue June 11 – 07:00 – 17:00h

Wed June 12 – 07:00 – 13:00

Are you on Twitter? If so, please remember to tweet during the conference using hashtags #cestoronto2013 and #eval. You’ll be able to follow our live tweets whether you’re there or not, but delegates will be able to contribute to the content on our Twitter wall by using these hashtags.

Stay healthy:  Remember to pack your yoga mats and/or running shoes for early morning workouts! We’re planning to make sure you don’t let your health regimen slip while you wait for the daily intellectual stimulation to begin.

CESEF silent auction: On Sunday evening, you can kick-off the conference by greeting old and new friends and colleagues, as well as helping the CES Educational Fund (CESEF) make this year’s benefit auction the best yet! Tapas and a selection of drinks will be provided, and a cash bar will be available. Proceeds from the silent auction support scholarships, awards, and educational opportunities to individuals wishing to pursue a career in the field of Program Evaluation.

Internet: There is no internet in the individual conference rooms. There will be limited WIFI access in the learning lounge if you have a laptop or other WIFI enabled device. If you’re staying in the hotel, your WIFI connection is for your own account.

Evaluation – not a spectator sport! Have you considered your answers to the following questions in preparation for the collaborative town hall session on 12 June? You can answer our poll on LinkedIn or Facebook, or just bring your responses along to the session.

Questions

What challenges do you face as an evaluator?

1. Developing evaluations of big picture evaluands such as strategy, innovation, or policy
2. Ethical challenges e.g., concerns over integrity, neutrality and conflicts of interest
3. Accessing credible, advanced-level professional development opportunities
4. The use of evaluation to inform decision-making

How do you think Evaluation as a field/practice might need to evolve over the next 10 years in order to remain viable?

1. Work with large, complex datasets
2. Expand our methodologies and tools
3. Become mainstream – Evaluation as “must do” v. “nice to have”
4. Draw parallels from, and engage with, diverse disciplines (e.g., social finance)

What is our role as practitioner evaluators in this process?

1. Conduct research on evaluation
2. Increase commitment to evaluation capacity building
3. Influence evaluation policy formation
4. Define evaluation – as a profession and as a discipline

See you in Toronto!

View the Full Conference Program for the informative workshops and plenary sessions, or listen to this podcast to hear about the program we’ve got lined up.

Watch our blog for more information on the 2013 conference, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.

As part of the fabulous line-up of activities we have for you at the Canadian Evaluation Society’s 2013 Conference, you’ll also be able to meet these inspiring young graduates if you take part in the Regent Park Community Event. The Pathways to Education @ Regent Park is a unique experiential learning opportunity for evaluation conference delegates to contribute to an innovative education program in one of Canada’s most exciting urban revitalization projects.

Words from Pathways Graduates

The Pathways Alumni Association is dedicated to keeping graduates of the Pathways program connected to each other and engaging them with Pathways Canada to develop and demonstra

te leadership, give back through the Ambassador Program, and accesses various opportunities to enhance their networking skills.

Below you will find a few words that describe some of our alumni ambassadors and leaders that will be present during your visit in Regent Park.

There are limited spots available for this event so please register urgently!

Graduate #1: Rasha

My name is Rasha Ashraf and I have been a resident of Regent Park since 2004. After graduating from Pathways in 2010 I moved on to complete post-secondary studies at the University of Toronto. I am currently completing my double major in mental health studies and mathematics.

Graduate #2: Yussuf

My name is Yussuf Hussein and I grew up in Regent Park and I am currently a resident of Regent Park. I graduated from Pathways Regent Park and am currently pursuing a double major in International Development and Communication Studies at York University. Living in Regent Park has given me the pleasure to become involved in various activities and programs like Y.E.P.

Graduate #3: Mahi

My name is Mahi Choudhury.   I have lived in Regent Park for over 16 years.  Aside from being involved with different sports like Cricket in the community, For the past three years I have been a Program Director at Lead2Peace, which is a community initiative designed to help youth to get engaged in Regent Park and Elementary Schools.  I am also a Pathways alumni.

Graduate #4: Farid

Farid Jalil went to Ryerson University for business.  He has been living in Regent Park for over 10 years and has experienced the revitalization project from its conception.  He has recently been employed with the Artscape Centre as a coordinator of Marketing and Outreach.  Farid has also been involved with various initiatives in the Regent Park community.

Graduate #5: Mark

Mark Luguya is a prospective Master’s degree student at the University of Toronto, Centre of Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies. Along with being a graduate student he is also a Research Coordinator on a major research project examining the impact of community revitalization on youth in low income communities. In the future Mark hopes to pursue his work in assisting community organizations and initiatives to broaden their impact.

Get Your Ticket

You’ll have to purchase a ticket to be a part of this opportunity, but all profits go to the Regent Park Community so it’s for a worthy cause.

Details of the event are:

Venue: Daniels Spectrum, Regent Park in Toronto

Date/Time: Tuesday, June 11 2013, 4.00pm—6.00pm.

Transportation: Transportation to the site will be arranged for participants. The price of transportation is included in the ticket price for the event.

Price: $CAD 35.00 + taxes per person

If you are interested in reserving your ticket, please write for the attention of Yasser Ismail at CESProgram2013@evaluationontario.ca. This is a great opportunity to get to grips with a real-life issue and contribute to the future development of the program. Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis, so we encourage you to secure your spot now.

Please note: you must be registered for the conference to participate in this special event! 

For more information on this wonderful urban revitalization project, please visit http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/en/toronto-regent-park.

Subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and  Google+.

With the Canadian Evaluation Conference coming up in a week’s time, you may be having difficulty deciding on the sessions you want to attend. We figured we’d help you with that by highlighting the 6 types of sessions we believe you won’t want to miss:

PANEL – Towards a Canadian Definition of Evaluation

The purpose of this panel is to begin to examine how the field of evaluation currently is being defined within the Canadian context. The authors will report the preliminary findings from three sources: (a) consultations with current leaders in evaluation, (b) a public discussion on Twitter, and (c) a content analysis from literature.

MULTI-PAPER – Examining leadership initiatives

1. Sport and Recreation Leadership Development initiatives in the Northwest Territories – Katy Pollock, NWT Sport and Recreation Council
2. The Joy of Complexity: Evaluating Geriatric Health Systems – Paul Stolee, University of Waterloo
3. Building Evaluation Capacity Among Diverse Stakeholders in the Yukon: Progress To Date- Harry Cummings, University of Guelph; Jean Sebastien Blais, Yukon Government, Advanced Education; Shawn Kitchen, Yukon Government, Advanced Education

This project involves a series of three case studies examining leadership initiatives undertaken by five sport and recreation partner organizations in the Northwest Territories.  Each case looks at program impact(s) on leadership development in community sport and recreation in NWT communities.

DEMONSTRATION – What works? How Evaluation Can Cross Boundaries to Influence Public Policy and Management – Steve Montague, Performance Management Network Inc.

Evaluation has languished behind other review efforts in terms of influencing public policy and administration. This has occurred despite the fact that evaluation is designed to address fundamental questions. This session suggests that evaluation efforts need to adopt a realistic and pragmatic approach to help public and NGO decision makers to learn and understand what works (to what extent) for whom in what conditions and why in terms of initiatives.

THINK TANK Cultivating a Community of Practice to Build Evaluation Capacity in Community-Based Healthy Lifestyle Programs for People Living with Mental Illness – Scott Mitchell, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario

This think tank will invite participants to consider the process and benefits of creating a national community of practice (CoP) around designing and evaluating healthy lifestyle interventions in community settings for clients with mental health issues.

ROUNDTABLE

1. Social Return on Investment (SROI): Moving the Conversation from Cost to Value – Anne Miller, SiMPACT Strategy Group, SROI Canada Network; Jenny Ofrim, SiMPACT Strategy Group: This session will introduce the SROI approach, provide some examples of its use in Canada, and outline the increasing use of SROI by agencies and funders to understand and communicate the value of their work and investments.
2. An Executive Summary is Not Enough  – Kylie Hutchinson (Community Solutions Planning & Evaluation): This presentation will present an overview of three key principles of effective reporting and engage participants in a discussion of its role in effective evaluation. Participants will leave with an expanded repertoire of innovative reporting techniques for their own practice.

EXPERT LECTURE: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should – how to address ethical considerations in evaluations

1. Wendy Doughty, University of Alberta
2. Linda Barrett-Smith, Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions
3. Birgitta Larsson, BIM Larsson & Associates
4. Flora Stephenson, Alberta Health Services
5. Jeanne Annett, Alberta Health Services

Focusing on Project Ethics, the panelists will share their experience working with leaders of program evaluation and quality improvement projects to ensure that people and their information are protected and respected.

View the Full Conference Program for the informative workshops and plenary sessions, or listen to this podcast to hear about the program we’ve got lined up.

Register today

Join more than 480 of your evaluation peers who have already signed up by registering online using our Registration page. You can also book your hotel rooms online to take advantage of the special rate offered at the Fairmont Royal York.

Follow the Conference

Watch our blog for more information on the 2013 conference, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+. We’ll also be tweeting live from the conference using the hashtags #cestoronto2013 and #eval, so you can follow everything we’re doing.

Toronto is an exciting city with lots to see. We know you’ll be busy much of the time, but we’re thrilled about the leisure event organized for your last evening. You’ll get to see something of Toronto and have some fun to boot.

What’s Happening?

We’re taking you to the Hard Rock Café, which overlooks Toronto’s busiest intersection of Yonge and Dundas and features historic memorabilia from artists such as Madonna, Depeche Mode, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks and more. There you’ll be able to mingle with your fellow delegates, dine on delicious food in your own VIP area and experience the sounds of Mama Kin, a world-renowned Aerosmith tribute band.

Who the Heck is Mama Kin?

We thought you’d never ask! Established in 1991, Mama Kin has been touring extensively throughout both Canada and the United States to thousands upon thousands of faithful Aerosmith fans. With well over 1000 shows under their belt the performances exhibit unbridled energy, custom built lighting and staging to accommodate any venue, elaborate costuming, and a set list that spans the entire Aerosmith catalogue.

As Aerosmith is capable of doing, Mama Kin has been able to easily transform events – from small intimate clubs such as the world famous Gasworks in Toronto, Ontario, through in-store appearances such as the legendary House of Guitars in Rochester, New York, to massive outdoor festivals such as Sterling Heights, Michigan – drawing thousands to a single performance.

With the seemingly never ending popularity of Aerosmith, Mama Kin has become more in demand than ever with performance requests spanning the entire continent and the band more than willing to satisfy those looking to hear America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band.

How Do I Get There?

Ride the Rocket! The Hard Rock is a short ride on the TTC from the Royal York hotel (Union Station northbound to Dundas Station.) Alternatively, join us for a fun walking tour through the heart of the City’s financial district. Departure information will available on-site at the registration desk.

I Can’t Wait – What are the Logistics?

1. The event starts at 19:00 and we suggest you plan to be out until around 22:30. Meet next to the clock in lobby at 18:30.
2. Reception (cocktails and food) at 19:00, show begins at 20:00
3. It’s a ticketed event and the cost is $60 + taxes

View the Program at a Glance for info on the workshops and plenary sessions, or listen to this podcast to hear about the program we’ve got lined up. Join more than 480 of your evaluation peers who have already signed up by registering online using our Registration page. You can also book your hotel rooms online to take advantage of the special rate offered at the Fairmont Royal York.

Watch our blog for more information on the 2013 conference, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.

The Canadian Evaluation Society’s conference is drawing near and there’s little time left before we all meet in Toronto to network and enjoy the great content that’s lined up. To showcase just how global our event is going to be and how we’re living up to the 2013 theme of Evaluation Across Boundaries, we’ve put together this synopsis of workshops from across the world to whet your appetite:

Using Innovative ICT Tools for Effective Evaluation of Social Impact – Live Demonstration (Africa)

with Valentine J Gandhi and Vida Razawi

This workshop will introduce you to ICT (Information and Communications Technology) tools and techniques to measure and report project / programme outcomes to your stakeholders (e.g. donors, funders, supervisors or the general public). At the end of the workshop, you will be familiar with the components of an effective monitoring and evaluation plan using ICT, as well as methods and tools to conduct data collection, statistical analysis and reporting.

Professionals such as Monitoring and Evaluation Officers, Program Officers, Project managers, Research Scholars, Students and any other professionals involved in or interested in learning more about monitoring and evaluation processes will benefit from this course.

Dr Valentine J Gandhi is a development economist and knowledge manager with 11 years of experience in Asia and Africa working both at both the policy and grassroots level. He is the founder of The Development CAFÉ. He also is a consultant for several international donors and UN Agencies on Impact Evaluation and Organizational Capacity Building, Team building and Gender Training. Dr. Ghandi has been described as ‘a citizen of the world’ and is very articulate and generous in sharing his knowledge.

Vida Razawi is a sociologist who integrates ICT-based tools in her research, particularly on activating empathy among school children. She is also editor for an international journal run by DevCAFE called The Development Review.

Empowerment Evaluation (USA)

with David Fetterman

Empowerment evaluation builds program capacity and fosters program improvement.  It teaches people how to help themselves by learning how to evaluate their own programs.  The approach is guided by process use – the more that people conduct their own evaluations the more likely they are to find their findings and recommendations credible and the more likely they are to use them. The role of the evaluator is that of a coach or facilitator in an empowerment evaluation.  The workshop will also highlight how empowerment evaluation produces measurable outcomes with case studies.

Dr. David Fetterman is a past President of the American Evaluation Association and the founder of Empowerment Evaluation. He has provided professional development workshops for over 25 years. Clients include:  Stanford University, the Ministry of Education in Japan; Ministry of Health in Brazil; and the US Office of Special Education.  Dr. Fetterman has taught or facilitated empowerment evaluation workshops world-wide, ranging from Australia to Japan and Brazil to Israel.  He has also successfully taught AEA “coffee breaks” and an eStudy webinar, as well as webinars for UNICEF and Claremont Graduate University.  He has also taught at Stanford for over 25 years.

Causal Inference for Qualitative and Mixed Methods (New Zealand)

with E. Jane Davidson

Many people argue that causal inference simply can’t be done without large-scale quantitative studies, high-powered statistical techniques, and the ability to control the program or intervention. But aren’t there ways to get an approximate answer to the causal question, even using qualitative or mixed method evidence? I think there are – and that’s what this workshop is about.

You will learn eight practical, commonsense strategies to build an evidence base for causal contribution: (1) Ask observers; (2) Match content to outcomes; (3) Modus operandi; (4) Logical timing; (5) Dose-response link; (6) Comparisons; (7) Control variables; (8) Causal mechanisms. You will also learn how a judicious mix of evidence can be woven to build a case for a causal claim – to a level of certainty that makes sense in that context.

Dr. Jane Davidson is internationally recognized for applying critical thinking and evaluative reasoning to evaluation, policy, strategy, and program design. She has delivered workshops at AEA for many years, and they are consistently sold out and rated among the highest each year. She brings a distinctively multidisciplinary and refreshingly practical, plain language approach to her work, which spans education, health, social policy, leadership development, and many other areas.

View the full list of workshops planned for CES Toronto 2013 and make your choice ahead of time. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter.

The evaluation field has long been peppered with great insights, and many of those have been shared with our colleagues through the publication of books. Because it’s a largely academic field, however, authors don’t get quite the same exposure in the open market as more widely-read and popular genres do. So we’ve undertaken to remedy that by making sure you get to meet the pre-eminent authors of evaluation books at the conference, with our “Meet the Authors” book signing event.

Lunch Time Networking

The book signing will be held during lunch time, and will provide a great opportunity for you to connect one-on-one or in small groups with leading Canadian and International evaluation authors. Chat with Robert Schwartz, editor of the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation or discuss Empowerment Evaluation with David Fetterman.

Participating Authors

We have an exciting line-up of evaluation authors for you to meet, including:

- Gail V. Barrington (pictured above) –Consulting Startup and Management -  Sage 2012

- E. Jane Davidson–Actionable Evaluation Basics – Real Evaluation 2012

- Stephanie Evergreen – Presenting Data Effectively – Sage 2013

- David Fetterman – Empowerment Evaluation in the Digital Village: Hewlett-Packard’s $15 Million Race Toward Social Justice – Stanford 2013

- John Mayne – Enhancing Evaluation Use: Insights from Internal Evaluation Units – Sage 2013

- Hallie Preskill – Evaluating Social Innovation – FSG 2012

- Robert Schwartz –Evaluating the Complex: Attribution, Contribution, and Beyond – Transaction 2011

- Ricardo Ramirez, Dal Brodhead - Utilization-focused evaluation: A primer for evaluators (Southbound, 2013)

Our authors are also participating in CES 2013 as keynote speakers, panel and session presenters, and workshop facilitators. They are looking forward to chatting with you about CES 2013, their publications or any evaluation topic of interest to you.

Buy the Books

By attending the book signing you’ll have the option to purchase the books at a 30% discount, and get the author to sign a book plate for you. You might even win one of the publications if you participate in our raffle. 

Be There

Of course, you need to be at the conference to participate in this and other events we have planned for you. Register without delay to make the most of the early bird discount on registration and hotel rates, which have been extended to Friday 17 May. Listen to this podcast for more information on the activities scheduled for the conference.

Watch this space for more information on the 2013 conference, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.

BREAKING NEWS: Early bird pricing has been extended to 17 May 2013. Register now!

Guest Post by John Gargani

A few weeks ago, the New York Times reported that the United States Department of Homeland Security was in the midst of an evaluation failure.

Since 2010, the Department has been struggling to develop a measure of border security that would help Congress evaluate and improve immigration policies. Senior officials reported to Congress that the Department “had not completed the new measurements and were not likely to in coming months.”

This could delay comprehensive immigration reform legislation, which would have vast political, legal, economic, and social consequences.

The State of Modern Evaluation Practice

This is a cautionary tale of the state of modern evaluation practice. It represents a situation in which stakeholders believe that evaluation can improve social change efforts—immigration policies that almost all stakeholders consider flawed—yet evaluation has not. The reasons are complex, touching on long-discussed themes of use, politics, stakeholder inclusion, and methods. However, an important consequence has not been widely discussed—whether in the face of evaluation failure stakeholders will continue to believe that evaluation can improve society for the better.

A Shared Belief

If there is one thing that holds evaluators together as a community it is our shared belief that our work matters. This is more than a belief in the importance of evaluation use. It is a belief about impact. Our impact. We are willing to believe in the impact of our work in the absence of evidence. Should we expect others to do the same? We should not. Nor should we stop believing. We should respond by adapting our practice in ways that are more likely to achieve impact and demonstrate that we have. I call this the new practice of evaluation, and it is emerging in exciting ways in unexpected places.

Shaping Evaluation for the Future

When I give my keynote at the Canadian Evaluation Society Conference (June 9-12), I will be discussing the new practice of evaluation. The conference theme is Evaluation Across Boundaries, a metaphorical hook that is literally what the new practice of evaluation is advancing—evaluators crossing boundaries to become change makers, program designers, and market engineers. I will describe:

• - how this new practice is taking form
• - how it is disrupting evaluation practice today, and
• - how it may shape evaluation practice in the future.

These are principally undirected efforts. Should we—collectively as a profession and individually as practitioners—attempt to influence them? If so how? To what end?

Be Part of the Discussion

I cannot claim to have the answers to these questions. But I want you to be a part of the discussion. Join us in Toronto, let your voice be heard, and help define what evaluation practice will be.

About John Gargani

John Gargani is the President and Founder of Gargani + Company, Inc., a program design and evaluation firm located in Berkeley, California. Over the past 20 years, his work has taken him to diverse settings, including public housing projects, countries adopting free market economies and 19th century sailing ships. He shares his knowledge of program design and evaluation at EvalBlog.com, published articles, workshops, and speaking engagements.

John will be delivering his keynote address “The New Practice of Evaluation: Crossing Boundaries, Creating Change” on Wednesday June 12, 2013 at 8.30 am, directly following the Thematic Breakfast.

A few words from John:

It is an exciting time in evaluation. The boundaries of the profession are expanding and our work is becoming increasingly important to policymakers, program designers, and philanthropists. The challenge we face over next few years is growing our profession in ways that maximize our contribution to the greater good. I am thrilled to be a part of 2013 CES conference where we—as a community—will have a chance to do just that by sharing our visions of the future and advancing the benefits of evaluation.

Watch this space for more information on the 2013 conference, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and  Google+.

Pathways to Education @ Regent Park: A unique experiential learning opportunity for evaluation conference delegates to contribute to an innovative education program in one of Canada’s most exciting urban revitalization projects

Every year, thousands of Canadian students in low-income communities drop out of high school, contributing to poverty and the need for social housing such as Toronto’s Regent Park community complex.

The country’s oldest and largest social housing project, Regent Park is also home to Pathways to Education, a program designed to reduce poverty by helping young people finish high school and go on to obtain post-secondary qualifications.

The community is currently undergoing a major urban revitalization, and delegates to the 2013 evaluation conference have the chance to provide input into the Pathways program. (View this video of some of the program’s education success stories.)

Guided Tours

“We’ll be taking small groups of delegates on a guided tour through the community,” says Yasser Ismail of Cathexis Consulting, Inc. who has been working with the Pathways program on behalf of the CES Conference program committee to coordinate this event.“We can take a maximum of 48 participants, and after the tours they will all get together to explore the key research questions that we need their input on.”

Delegates will get to see the social housing project, develop their understanding of the issues facing the community and the reasons why the education program is so vitally important.

Sharing and Discussion

Ismail explains that participants will be able to view a video documentary, a summary of the program results and the evaluation report before the two-hour event. Afterwards, delegates will be able to network and share ideas. Organizers plan to use a World Café process for the group meeting, to maximize creativity and innovative thinking.

Cost

You’ll have to purchase a ticket to be a part of this opportunity, but all profits go to the Regent Park Community so it’s for a worthy cause. Details of the event are:

Venue: Daniels Spectrum, Regent Park in Toronto

Date/Time: Tuesday, June 11 2013, 4.00pm—6.00pm.

Transportation: Transportation to the site will be arranged for participants. The price of transportation is included in the ticket price for the event.

Price: $CAD 35.00 + taxes per person

If you are interested in reserving your ticket, please write for the attention of Yasser Ismail at CESProgram2013@evaluationontario.ca  This is a great opportunity to get to grips with a real-life issue and contribute to the future development of the program. Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis, so we encourage you to secure your spot now. Please note: you must be registered for the conference to participate in this special event!

For more information on this wonderful urban revitalization project, please visit http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/en/toronto-regent-park

Watch this space for more information on events lined up for the 2013 conference, or subscribe to our bilingual Conference Newsletter and follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and  Google+.

In our March blog post, 3 Compelling Workshops You Won’t Want to Miss, we spoke about the range and diversity of workshops available at CES 2013 evaluation conference. This week we’re highlighting three more workshops.

Project Management 101 for Evaluators – Beginner Level 

with Judy Lifshitz

Are you new to evaluation practice? Do you suspect you could be more productive if only you were better organized? Then this half-day workshop is for you.

Participants new to project management will learn practical tools and techniques to identify and manage project risks by planning and managing schedules and resources, both human and financial, using project management techniques. Topics to be covered include the Project Life Cycle (i.e. project initiation, planning, execution, closing) and Project Constraints and the ‘project management triangle’ (i.e. time, cost, scope).

Judy Lifshitz M.S.W., P.M.P, C.E is an Evaluation Manager in the Office of Audit and Evaluation at Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada. Judy is a member of the CES National Capital Region, Professional Development Committee and Core Mentoring Working Group.

Evaluation competencies to be addressed include:

• Management Practice 4.1, 4.3, 4.7

Handling Data from Logic Model to Final Report – Intermediate Level 

with Dr. Gail Barrington

How can you gain 25 years of expert evaluator skills in one day? Sign up for Gail Barrington’s workshop at CES 2013 evaluation conference.

Gail will share her hard-won lessons about how to interact with stakeholders, ask the right questions, collect the right data and analyze and present findings in useful ways. This intermediate-level has drawn large audiences at the Summer Institute sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Evaluation Association. Learn how to collect, analyze, and present data from complex evaluation studies in ways that are feasible for the evaluator and meaningful to the client.

Dr. Gail Barrington was recently named to the Dynamic Dozen, the top-rated presenters at the American Evaluation Association. For more than 25 years, she has owned and managed her consulting firm, Barrington Research Group, Inc. and recently published Consulting Start-up & Management: A Guide for Evaluators & Applied Researchers, (SAGE, 2012).

The workshop will address the following evaluation competencies:

• Technical Practice 2.2, 2.14, 2.15

Lessons from and the Practice of Using Culture-Based Approaches in First Nation Settings

with Andrea L.K. Johnston and Lori Meckelborg 

Do you wish you had more culturally-appropriate techniques in your evaluator’s toolkit? Then this evaluation conference workshop is not to be missed.

Utilizing culturally-focused facilitation methods, such as open space, photo visualization, group discussion, wax modeling, and breathing techniques; this workshop will review appropriate Aboriginal Evaluation Methods and discuss how to overcome difficulties.  We will also review various / multiple ways in which cultural ways of knowing and technology can be used to enhance Aboriginal evaluations by examining our past experiences. We will then review a culture-based evaluation success story and participants will investigate ways to enhance the evaluation with cultural teachings and technology. Finally, we will look at our experience and lessons learned from the field as well as look at some of our reports when we have used cultural knowledge and technological evaluation tools and discuss how these methods could enhance your reports.

Andrea L. K. Johnston is CEO of Johnston Research Inc. With 15 years of Aboriginal evaluation experience, she has managed over 120 local, regional and national projects. Andrea is recognized as an expert in the use of Aboriginal indigenous knowledge in evaluation. In 2010 she received the CES-ON 2010 Excellence in Evaluation Award. She was guest editor for the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation (CJPE) Winter 2010 edition and authored two papers: ‘Aboriginal Ways of Knowing: Aboriginal-led Evaluation’, and ‘Using Technology to Enhance Aboriginal Evaluations’. Andrea currently chairs the Board of the CES-Ontario Chapter. 

Evaluation competencies to be addressed include:

• Reflective Practice 1.1, 1.3

View the full list of workshops planned for CES Toronto 2013 or take in the video and audio messages from some of our presenters and make your choice ahead of time. Registration is now open – book your spot online before May 10^th to qualify for Early Bird pricing.  Register at http://cestoronto2013.ca/registration/.

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