SPECIAL EDITION: October 2013

SPOTLIGHT ON:
AEA 2013: Evaluation Practice in the Early 21st Century

Community Science at the 27th Annual Conference of the American Evaluation Association 
From October 14-20, the sessions and workshops of the 27th Annual Conference of the American Evaluation Association will be taking place at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC -- and Community Science will be well represented. 
 
Please join us as a number of Community Science associates deliver presentations and sit on panels during this informative, exciting event. 
 
Below, we've listed where you can find us during the conference. We look forward to seeing you there, and continuing to take evaluation into the 21st century. To learn more or view all sessions, visit http://www.americanevaluation.org. 
Roundtable Rotation: Evaluating Workforce Development Programs: What are We Measuring? What are We Missing?
Thursday, October 17, 2013, 4:30 PM
Suite 6101

This rotating roundtable discussion featuring Angel St. Jean will serve as a knowledge exchange between evaluators in the human services field who are accustomed to determining and measuring outcomes for people with multiple barriers to success. Together the group will engage in a discussion about how the lessons from these efforts can be adapted to set realistic outcomes and measures of progress for job seekers who face significant challenges on the path to work.

Evaluation Methods to Measure (and Foster) System and Community Change
Thursday, October 17, 2013, 2:40 PM
Columbia Section 12
 
Scott Hebert will chair this panel, which will present an overall conceptual framework for understanding and evaluating system and community change initiatives. It also will examine a variety of specific formative and summative evaluation approaches that have been used to inform and rigorously assess the impact of complex system and community change initiatives. The multi-paper session also features Angel St. Jean and David Chavis.
Walking and Talking Evaluation in and of the Community: A Walking Tour of a Local DC Neighborhood With Discussion Following at a Community Gathering Place 
Thursday, October 17, 2013, 4:30 PM
AEA Registration Desk
 
David Chavis and Kien Lee will lead this unique two-mile walking excursion highlighting diversity, development and activism. The walk ends at Busboys and Poets (14th and V streets), a community gathering place; all will be encouraged to participate in a facilitated conversation about the theory and practice of exploring and attending to complex histories and contexts within evaluation work and strategies for extending the utility of evaluation to community efforts.
The Journey to Becoming and Being an Indigenous Evaluator 
Friday, October 18, 2013, 8 AM
Columbia Section 12
 
Sponsored by the Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation, this multi-topic session features Ricardo Millett and an attempt to answer the question "What experiences hones the lens through which we view the world, influencing our approach to evaluation practice?" 
Evaluation and Racial Equity: What About It? 
Friday, October 18, 2013, 1:45 PM
Northwest
 
Chaired by Kien Lee, this session also features Julia Lee (Evaluating Immigrant Integration Efforts) and LaKeesha Woods (Evaluating Juvenile Justice Efforts) as well as Ricardo MillettThis multi-paper session will present examples and ideas for conducting evaluations to advance racial equity, specifically in the context of immigrant integration and juvenile justice work. In particular, the presenters will address the following questions: In order to address racial inequity, what types of approaches should be considered? What measures can be used to assess racial equity? What challenges exist and how can these be addressed?
Just Good Evaluation: Conversations with Senior Evaluators About Culturally Responsive Evaluation 
Friday, October 18, 2013, 4:30 PM
Georgetown West
 
A panel of national and international senior evaluation leaders will discuss their knowledge and historical perspectives regarding the status of cultural responsiveness in evaluation and its application to various practice settings. Ricardo Millett will be sharing tools and techniques for evaluators in "Culturally Responsive Skills."
Measuring, Monitoring, and Evaluating Racial Justice Work 
Saturday, October 19, 2013, 8:00 AM
Georgetown West
 
Breakfast will be provided.
 
Also chaired by Kien Lee, this
breakfast session explores the measurement, monitoring, and evaluation of racial justice. Three panelists (including LeKesha Perry) involved in  foundation-funded placed-based initiatives will provide different perspectives about this work: a framework and measures to monitor progress towards racial justice; an effort to change the way civil rights history is taught to students in a school district in Mississippi; and funding strategies for racial equity work.
Roundtable: Beyond the Box Office: Measuring the Contribution of Film in Policy and Advocacy Efforts 
Saturday, October 19, 2013, 10:45 AM
Suite 3101
 
With support from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Active Voice has convened a working group of four leading evaluators with different areas of expertise and insight (Including Kien Lee) into how the contribution of film might be measured internally by a media strategy non-profit. Why and how is it useful for a peer-to-peer network of evaluators to work with a creative organization, especially when this field is nascent? What unique insights and candid feedback are offered and utilized to improve campaign strategy, design, ongoing evaluative learning, outcomes measurement, and understanding of the value-add of story and strategy in social and policy change? 
Hearing From Others on Evaluation: A Dialogue with Foundation Administrators
Saturday, October 19, 2013, 2:40 PM
International East
 
Sponsored by the Presidential Strand, this session once again features Ricardo Millett as administrators of foundations are brought together for a dialogue on how they view the strengths and limitations of current evaluation practice, as well as their recommendations on how evaluators might take better advantage of emerging opportunities. 
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In This Issue
Eat. Drink. Be Merry!
 

Community Science would like to thank all our friends, colleagues, partners, and clients for their support and leadership in advancing our work to connect knowledge to social change. We hope to continue our journey with you in the coming years!

 

Please join us for some Indian appetizers, wine and beer, and chatter at Le Mirch, 1736 Connecticut Avenue, NW (two blocks south of the Washington Hilton) on October 18 (Friday) from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.

 

Please contact Kien Lee at [email protected], 240-423-9642 to let her know if you can join us, or feel free to just come on by!


ABOUT AEA 2013:

Go Beyond the Sessions 

with 

Professional Workshops

 

 

More than 3,000 professional evaluators will converge on Washington, DC to experience more than 875 sessions spanning the breadth and depth of the field.

  

One of the most valuable features of Evaluation 2013 is the focused learning that will take place during professional development workshops. These workshops offer evaluators at all phases of their careers an opportunity to take a look at a topic or skill-set of interest under the tutelage of  experts.  

 

These workshops differ from the sessions offered during the conference itself in at least three ways:

  • Each is longer and thus provides a more in-depth exploration of a skill or area of knowledge, and
  • Presenters are expected to have significant experience as training facilitators and in the subject area.
To learn more, visit here

 

   
Get Answers Before You Get There

There's much to do and see at the 2013 AEA Evaluation 2013, and a short time to do it. If you have questions about sessions, getting around, speakers, or even the getting around Washington DC, visit the AEA FAQ page here.
 
Looking for a specific speaker, topic, or session? For a searchable conference program, click here. 
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If you are a motivated, conscientious professional

who can help us take the practice of social change through science and capacity building to a higher level, Community Science wants
to hear from you.  

 

To learn more about opportunities with Community Science, visit our CAREERS page.

Information Links

Knowledge is the key to understanding, and the links below offer informative resources from trusted Community Science partners:
About Community Science


Community Science is an award winning research and development organization that works with governments, foundations, and non-profit organizations on solutions to social problems through community and other systems changes.

 

Since 1997, our objective has been simple: to develop the knowledge necessary to address social problems in a way that benefits all communities. We provide an integrated approach to building the capacity of organizations and institutions, combining the principled, rigorous use of scientific methods with practical tools to foster learning and improved capacity for social change.  

 

To learn more, visit our PROJECTS page. 

 

To discuss how Community Science can collaborate with your organization, contact us at 301-519-0722 or [email protected]

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