Date: Tuesday, October 31, 2017
From Denise Roosendaal, AEA Executive Director
The Evaluation 2017 conference is quickly approaching. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Washington, D.C. If registration rates hold, we are on pace to break attendance records. Many of you are involved in various aspects of the conference and your volunteer hours (and hours!) are the reason this event is a success. We thank you.
Your fellow evaluators from around the world will gather for six days to share their knowledge, experience, and expertise in order to learn from each other and continue to elevate the field of evaluation. We thought it might be interesting to take a look at the various groups involved in developing and supporting the conference. These statistics demonstrate the depth, breadth, and scope of the year-round operation of developing the conference.
Volunteer Hours are the power behind the Evaluation 2017 conference. These hours include the following tasks and functions (Calculations of these tasks are provided in approximate hours. In preparation for this article, we made assumptions on time required per task. Please excuse any errors in calculation or assumptions. In addition, the risk of undertaking a quick snapshot of these activities is unintentionally leaving out important elements.):
Hotel Preparation is another behind-the-scenes element of the conference. You might find it interesting to learn about the types of activities that take place leading up to the conference and during the busy six days. In addition to advance planning (space planning, food and beverage estimates, and AV specifics) for the 55 simultaneous break-out sessions, four plenaries, and ten receptions, there are onsite activities that result in a flurry of activity. In addition to the housekeeping, reservations, maintenance, and other facility-related personnel, there are other groups of workers who support the AEA conference.
Receptions – two large conferences, eight TIG receptions The following individuals support each large reception:
Room Flips: With so many sessions happening simultaneously and back-to-back, you’ll see hotel staff busily flipping a room or a ballroom. To flip a ballroom:
Audio/Visual: With 55 breakouts and four plenaries, a team of 10 AV specialists prepare each room and troubleshoot inevitable issues on the fly. Other activities of the AV team includes lighting, WiFi, plenary rehearsals, sound, etc.
For an explanation of other conference planning activities, see Kelly Laurie’s aea365 blog post.
While this information is interesting, we hope you’ll never notice. (We = a management team of approximately 20 individuals throughout the year.) We’d prefer you have a worry-free conference experience where you can focus on learning, sharing and creating new friendships.
From Zachary Grays, AEA Headquarters
Evaluation 2017 is less than one week away and over 3,500 evaluators from across the globe are preparing to join their colleagues here in Washington, D.C. Evaluation 2017 by the numbers is both exciting (check out the piece above by AEA Executive Director Denise Roosendaal for an inside look), but can be also overwhelming at first glance. One of AEA’s core values is diversity and inclusion in the field of evaluation and the professionals who serve the various communities who are evaluation users. In that vein, below is just a sample of the diversity-centered sessions, discussions, and activities that I encourage you to take part in during the conference.
Race and Class Dialogues
This year AEA, with generous support from W.K. Kellogg Foundation, embarked on hosting a series of national dialogues to reflect and promote positive actions on the deeply rooted and structurally intertwined issues behind the headlines that propel racial, ethnic, and class disparities in our society. These complimentary discussions, moderated by Dr. Melvin Hall, Northern Arizona University Professor, Former Member of the AEA Board of Directors, bring together evaluators, policy analysts, applied researchers, and local activists to discern ways to proactively engage entrenched issues as the nation goes from one headline-making incident to the next.
The culminating event for the Dialogues on Race and Class will be featured in a plenary session at Evaluation 2017 on Thursday, November 9, 2017, at 9:15 a.m. ET.
3596:Dialogues on Race & Class in America.
A discussion session will follow at 10:30 a.m. ET.
1686:Continuing the Discussion: AEA Dialogue on Race and Class in America.
Graduate Education Diversity Internship (GEDI)
This year has been full of positive, new changes for the Graduate Education Diversity Internship (GEDI). New Program Directors, Dr. Rodney Hopson and Dr. Brandi Gilbert, were introduced to the program as we celebrated the 15th anniversary of this prestigious program and introduced the 15th cohort to the program. Join the GEDI (past and present) for their five scheduled sessions on varying topics throughout the conference:
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET 2810:GEDI 15 - Learning from the AEA GEDI Program Leaders and Mentors, 15 years and counting: Towards action to reshape the field of evaluation
2883:Moving Scholarship into Practice: Notes from the 2017 AEA GEDI Program Graduates
Wednesday, November 8, 2017 6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. ET
2993:GEDI15 Alumni Reflections: How Learning to Action Produces Culturally Responsive Evaluation Knowledge-Brokers and Leaders
Friday, November 10, 2017 1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. ET
2984:The GEDI Legacy: Reflecting on Fifteen Years of Fostering Culturally Responsive Practices
Minority Serving Institution Fellowship (MSI)
The MSI Fellowship initiative, directed by Dr. Art Hernandez, aims to increase the participation of evaluators and academics from underrepresented groups in the profession of evaluation and in the American Evaluation Association. The program focuses on:
Applications are currently available for our 2017/2018 Cohort. This year’s four eligible candidates will participate in their final culminating presentation at Evaluation 2017, marking their successful completion of fellowship requirements, on Thursday November 9, 2017, from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. ET.
3285:Exploring The Intersection between Social Determinants of Health and Culturally Responsive Evaluation
TIG Business Meetings
You’ll hear it from just about anyone who is a member that the AEA Topical Interest Groups (TIGs) are the heart and soul AEA. Each TIG is defined around a special topic or interest and creates a forum whereby the knowledge, experience, and skills of each member can become a resource that the entire community can leverage. If you’re joining us at Evaluation 2017 in Washington, D.C., this November, there is no better way to get involved with AEA than to add a TIG Business Meeting to your agenda!
Each TIG will hold a business meeting, open to all attendees, on Thursday, November 9. During this time, attendees have the opportunity to learn more about the TIGs in an informal environment, participate in TIG business, and network face-to-face with fellow members of the TIG. It is an excellent community and discovery experience for AEA members, new and seasoned.
While AEA is home to 57 TIGs, the below TIGs focus specifically on evaluation professionals, evaluation work, and communities that are underserved and underrepresented.
TIG Reception Group 4 meeting in Roosevelt Foyer 1 (Exhibit Level) Business Meeting taking place on Thursday, November 9, 2017, from 5:15 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET
International and Cross-Cultural Evaluation Washington 6
TIG Reception Group 4 meeting in Roosevelt Foyer 1 (Exhibit Level) Business Meeting taking place on Thursday, November 9, 2017 from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET
Feminist Issues in Evaluation Washington 3
TIG Reception Group 6 meeting in Maryland Foyer A (Mezzanine Level) Business Meeting taking place on Thursday, November 9, 2017 from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET
Disabilities and Underrepresented Populations Harding
TIG Reception Group 7 meeting in Maryland Foyer (Lobby Level) Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation Maryland C
Latinx Responsive Evaluation Discourse Virginia B
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues Virginia C
Multiethnic Issues in Evaluation Delaware A
This is by no means an exhaustive list (you can take a look at the full conference program here). It is, however, a snapshot of some the diversity-focused sessions sponsored by AEA (or cross-sponsored by TIGs) that may be of interest to you. I hope these hand-picked items help guide you as you build out your agenda for Evaluation 2017. No matter what you do, I encourage you to take this opportunity to connect with your fellow evaluator and engage them during your time here in Washington, D.C.
One of the highlights of every AEA conference is Friday evening’s Silent Auction, which is coordinated by AEA's International and Cross-Cultural Evaluation Topical Interest Group. The proceeds benefit AEA's International Travel Awards and are used to offset travel expenses for presenters who reside in emerging countries and to encourage their participation internationally. Contributions from last year's silent auction helped raise more than $7,000 (an amount that is matched dollar for dollar by the AEA Board of Directors) to support this important cause. Thank you to all who contributed!
What are some of the highlights of the night? The evening is well-known for serving host to a vast array of handcrafted clothing, jewelry, and accessories from across the globe. In addition to the delectable regional delights, including coffees, chocolates, and other treats, the event offers an opportunity to bid and win one-on-one time with several well-known evaluators, as well as opportunities to attend sessions at The Evaluator's Institute (TEI) and sessions sponsored by the Claremont Evaluation Centre, regular contributions to the auction.
Fancy a good read? You can bid on a range of books signed by your favorite "evaluation gurus." Come prepared to either bid for yourself, or on behalf of the organization you work for, so that your colleagues may also benefit from the collection of books on showcase. All the goodies from around the world make unique and one-of-a-kind gifts for your friends and family!
Feeling inspired? Drop by on Friday, November 10, 2017, from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. ET before you head out for the night. The silent auction is a great opportunity to socialize, network, and wind down from Evaluation 2017 with your colleagues while supporting a great cause. See you at Evaluation 2017!
If you would like to donate something, please feel free to bring it along and drop it at the AEA conference information desk with AEA staff members. If you have any queries, please email Hubert Paulmer, silent auction coordinator, at hubertpaulmer@gmail.com.
From Mirele B. Goldsmith, AEA Working Group on Environmental Sustainability
When over 3,500 evaluators come together for our annual AEA conference, what is our impact? In the U.S. alone, hotels spend over $7.5 billion on energy and their carbon emissions are equal to the impact of 19 volcanic eruptions. The impact of Evaluation 2017 is not just on our learning, the conference has a physical impact on the community where we meet and even on the planet.
AEA has worked with the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel to help make our conference as environmentally responsible as possible. In 2014, Marriott scored highest among global hospitality companies in the Climate Counts scorecard for its sustainable business practices. Marriott’s annual CSR report provides an informative overview of the corporation’s efforts. Familiar Strategies for Making Change As I explored Marriott’s efforts for environmental sustainability, I was excited to learn that Marriott is using strategies that will be familiar to any evaluator. For example, hotels are heavy water-users, often in water scarce regions. Marriott has joined some of the largest global hotel groups in the Hotel Water Measurement Initiative, an effort to develop a tool for measuring water consumption. Consistent measurement across hotels will allow for benchmarking.
Placing Sustainability Efforts in Context In recent years evaluators have learned more and more about the importance of context in evaluation. We know that an evaluation that is too narrow and isolated from other organizational processes is unlikely to result in action. Marriott’s efforts for environmental sustainability go well beyond individual hotels. For example, Marriott has a supplier sustainability assessment program and has been increasing purchasing from vendors that are rated for fair labor & human rights practices, environmentally responsible manufacturing efforts and product sustainability. Marriott is organizing its sustainability efforts around the U.N. Sustainability Development Goals, thereby orienting its efforts around agreed upon international priorities and indicators of progress. What You Can Do The AEA Environmental Sustainability Working Group has several suggestions for what you can do to have a positive impact on the environment during Evaluation 2017:
First, AEA’s Green Audit revealed that in 2015 AEA’s carbon footprint was 4,845 metric tons, or the equivalent of over 64 tanker trucks of gasoline. Almost all of those tons – 4,596 to be exact – are a result of air travel. Carbon offsetting is a way to ameliorate some of the impact of air travel, as well as be proactive in supporting other important efforts to address climate change. Consider making a voluntary contribution through Native Energy, or a similar organization, to a project that will reduce or capture carbon, thus offsetting the carbon resulting from your travel. Click here to calculate the emissions associated with your trip and make a contribution.
Second, support the efforts of AEA and the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel to reduce waste and pollution. Save paper (and trees) by downloading the Evaluation 2017 app. Save water by letting your room cleaners know that you will reuse your linens and towels. Consider bringing your own coffee cup from home, or choose china during coffee breaks and forego disposable coffee service items. Talk about your choices with your AEA peers, because making a commitment yourself and establishing social norms are two of the most effective ways to change behavior.
And finally, when you check in and check out, make it a point to thank the hotel staff for their environmental responsibility efforts. You’ll have a positive impact by encouraging them to increase their efforts in the future.
Commission on Evidence-Based Policy Making AEA has issued a Press Release supporting the evaluation-relevant recommendations of the report of the U.S. Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. The Commission’s report, released on September 7, can be found at www.cep.gov. The Press Release is provided here:
The American Evaluation Association (AEA) applauds the work of the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking and its final report, The Promise of Evidence-Based Policymaking, issued in September 2017. The report makes a very thoughtful contribution to the ongoing discussion of how the federal government can ensure that decision makers have access to credible information on the performance and results of government programs and policies. As the Commission notes, “Generating and using evidence to inform government policymaking and program administration is not a partisan issue.” The Commission’s recommendations represent a nonpartisan approach to making greater use of data the government already collects, improving data privacy protections, and strengthening the government’s capacity to generate the evidence needed to support policy decisions.
In particular, the recommendations to strengthen the government’s evidence-building capacity mirror our own in An Evaluation Roadmap for a More Effective Government (2013): to institutionalize evaluation as an integral component of government program management; to ensure evaluations provide the information needed to inform planning, budgeting, and ongoing program management; and to ensure agencies have sufficient resources to support credible, systematic data collection and analysis.
AEA thanks the Commissioners and staff for their hard work, as well as Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Patty Murray for authoring the legislation establishing the Commission and their ongoing commitment to encouraging the development and use of evidence to build strong public policy. While the report’s recommendations are an important start, many details of implementation remain to be determined. AEA looks forward to working with Congress and the federal agencies on legislation and policy changes to strengthen a government culture of learning and improvement.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at EvaluationPolicy@eval.org.
From Leslie Goodyear, President-Elect and Search Selection Committee Chair, and Denise Roosendaal, Executive Director
As reported in past President and Executive Director columns, AEA has engaged in a search for a new Executive Director who will be dedicated full-time to AEA, and like our current Executive Director Denise, employed by SmithBucklin. (More information can be found on the AEA About Us page.) As of October 20, more than 50 applications have been received for the position and are being reviewed for initial screening. The job application portal remains open while the applications are being reviewed. In addition to an external search firm’s recruitment efforts, the job has been advertised on a variety of websites and social media pages including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, ASAE, and CEO Update, as well as social science organization job boards such as AERA, public service careers, and the Council on Foundations.
The AEA board had input into the search process and plans, as well as the elements of the job description. A unique feature of this job search was the establishment of the Job Specifications Committee, which included 17 AEA members who provided input to Leslie Goodyear on the ways in which the job description for the AEA Executive Director could be customized to include skills and qualifications specifically related to AEA’s culture and needs. (See full customized job description here.)
As we move into the application and review phase of the job search, the SmithBucklin HR department will host initial reviews and interviews. Once a slate of candidates is developed, the Selection Committee will host final round interviews. The following AEA members make up the Selection Committee:
Kathy Newcomer, President Leslie Goodyear, President-Elect Susan Tucker, Treasurer Karen Jackson, AEA Member Rakesh Mohan, AEA Member
The anticipated timeline, while inevitably fluid, remains largely intact thus far. The anticipated selection date is early-mid December with a hire date of early-mid January. If you know of potential candidates, we encourage you to send them to the application website. This is an exciting time for AEA. Feel free to offer your suggestions or observations by emailing AEAedsearch@eval.org.
Name: Priya Alvarez
Affiliation: Universidad Complutense (Madrid) Degrees: Master’s Degree on Evaluation of Public Policy Years in the Evaluation Field: 15 years Joined AEA: March 2010
1. Why do you belong to AEA?
I joined AEA while I was enrolled at the Complutense University in Madrid for a Master’s degree in Evaluation of Public Policy. It was a way to connect to the evaluation community. I worked as an independent evaluator before, but after finalizing the Master’s degree I became involved in institutionalizing evaluation in organizations, particularly in the international context. I ended up working for U.N. Women and for the European Union.
AEA works because it caters to any kind of evaluator. The mandate is very broad and flexible. It provides an interesting platform and community space to develop your professional identity as evaluator. I think anyone working in the evaluation field can feel welcome. I felt welcome as a student and as a professional. AEA provides interesting resources, inspiration and networking both for independent evaluations, evaluation researchers, and for evaluation offices.
But the true reason I belong to AEA has to do with the fact that there is a Feminist Topical Interest Group (TIG). The AEA Feminist TIG combines my main professional and political interests, gender equality and feminism, with evaluation, which is my current job as Evaluation Specialist in U.N. Women. I have found a community of like-minded people with whom I can have an interesting conversation and work together on projects. I feel I am contributing and find myself encouraged to take my professional development here as researcher and advocate for feminist evaluation. I am truly grateful to AEA as a professional platform that allows us to connect, learn, and grow.
2. What is the most memorable or meaningful evaluation you have been a part of? I would say that it is always the last one! It was a corporate evaluation to assess U.N. Women’s contribution to coordination on gender equality within the United Nations system.
Since its creation in 2010, U.N. Women was entrusted with the role of coordinating the U.N. on gender equality and the empowerment of women. It was a broad evaluation exercise that included a portfolio analysis of 26 countries, six country case studies, and more than 400 interviews across the world.
We applied a systems-thinking and feminist approach. I am proud to say that we managed to tell a compelling story about a complex mandate that needed the collaboration of others within the U.N. system to be fully developed. It unveiled a wide number of issues and provided much food for thought for those involved in managing that mandate in the organization.
At a personal level, I enjoyed working with Katrina Rojas and Gabriela Byron from Universalia. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun going through the ups and downs of any evaluation process.
3. What advice would you give to those new to the field? I have two major ones that work for me all the time: 1) Choose carefully the narrative you tell yourself about yourself because it will determine your attitude in life and 2) Think carefully about specific narratives that can persuade specific others to take action. But more than anything, I will encourage any newcomer to jump into conducting evaluations at any scale and in any field so they have an opportunity to experience what it entails.
From Sheila B. Robinson, Potent Presentations Initiative Coordinator
As we near conference time, presenters are prudently massaging their messages, dabbling in design, and devising their delivery – in other words, attending to the three key components of a Potent Presentation. In today’s column, we’ll address an additional element of effective presentations: audience engagement.
Whether you’re presenting a paper, doing a demonstration, or teaching a new skill, it’s important to consider how you will involve audience members in your presentation. Of course, you’ve come with information to share and they have come to hear it. A potent presenter knows how to get information across while also supporting audience members in activating their own prior knowledge of the topic, and integrating it with what they are learning. Encouraging participants to interact with you or with each other can be as simple as asking them to answer a question, or share their thinking with a nearby peer. Our Audience Engagement Strategy book (available on the p2i Presentation Tools & Guidelines page) has numerous easy-to-implement no cost/low cost strategies for involving audience members.
“Getting your audience engaged is the most important thing you can do when presenting” claims Farshad Iqbal, author of "How to Get Instant Feedback From Your Audience." In this article, Iqbal reviews ten polling tools for audience engagement. I’ve had great fun with audiences using the popular Poll Everywhere, but others on Iqbal’s list appear interesting and promising as well. Some are simpler online tools, while others entail purchasing equipment.
Want to have some fun with a light-hearted audience polling tool? Try Kahoot! It’s designed for K-12 classrooms, but adults enjoy it too! Looking for low-tech options? Check out Dotmocracy and Feedback Frames (referenced in this article on Better Evaluation). Dotmocracy (aka “dot voting”) is a simple strategy that many of you may be familiar with; its website, dotmocracy.org, shares some of the more nuanced aspects of this activity. This site will also link to Feedback Frames, a not-yet-available product (you can pre-order it on the site) that may also inspire your own ideas for voting protocols.
We need your help!
Please contact me at p2i@eval.org and let’s talk! I’m happy to help, offer guidance, or collaborate on any of these.
Image credit: dirkcuys via Flickr.com
Are you a faculty member from a group traditionally underrepresented in the applied social sciences, public health or education working at a Minority Serving Institution? Are you looking for an opportunity to participate in professional development opportunities, expand your professional network, and improve your knowledge and understanding of topics related to evaluation, assessment, and applied research?
The American Evaluation Association (AEA) is now seeking applications from those interested in participating in the 2017-2018 Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) Faculty Initiative. This initiative will bring a cohort of faculty from MSIs together throughout the 2017-2018 academic year and into the fall of 2018 to participate in webinars, the AEA/CDC Summer Evaluation Workshop Series, and the AEA annual conference.
Program Purpose: The overall purpose of the initiative is to increase the participation of evaluators and academics from underrepresented groups in the profession of evaluation and in the American Evaluation Association. The MSI Faculty Initiative identifies this group of potential and practicing evaluators by drawing from faculty at MSIs. The program focuses on:
Program Goals: The goals of the program are to help faculty at MSIs to:
Program Components: The MSI faculty are required to participate in the following programmatic components (exact dates are subject to change):
Financial Support: The following financial support is provided to those participating in the MSI Faculty Initiative
Eligibility Requirements: To be considered for the AEA MSI Faculty Initiative, applicants must:
Click here to apply this year's MSI Fellowship. All materials must be received by Zachary Grays at the AEA offices on or before November 28, 2017.
Want to learn more about the MSI Fellowship? Contact MSI Coordinator Art Hernandez via aeherna8@uiwtx.edu.