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AEA Calendar
Your AEA Username and Password for Logging In and Registering
Daily: aea365 Tip-a-Day
Weekly: Headlines and Resources Compilation
Ongoing: Discussion on Evaltalk or LinkedIn
Summer Institute - Registration Open
March 29: Deadline for Nominations to the AEA board
March 31-April 4: Video Week on aea365
April 4: Coffee Break Webinar: 2012 Outstanding Evaluation Award Winner
April 7-12: Branding & Positioning Week on aea365
April 9, 11, 16 & 18: eStudy - Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Planning for Programs/Projects
April 17 & 24: eStudy - Empowerment Evaluation
April 18: Coffee Break Webinar: Crowdsourcing
April 21-26: Environmental Program Evaluation TIG Week on aea365
April 25: Coffee Break Webinar: Evaluating Systems of Teacher Collaboration
May 2: Coffee Break Webinar: Evaluate More Strategically
May 5-10: PreK-12 Educational Evaluation TIG Week on aea365
May 7: Coffee Break Webinar: Overview of Rainbow Framework
May 7, 14, 21 & 28: eStudy - Intro to Quant Methods
May 8 & 15: eStudy - Intermediate Consulting Skills
May 9: Coffee Break Webinar: Define What is to be Evaluated
May 14: Coffee Break Webinar: Frame the Boundaries of the Evaluation
May 16: Coffee Break Webinar: Describe Activities, Results and Context
May 21: Coffee Break Webinar: Understand Causes of Outcomes and Impacts
May 23: Coffee Break Webinar: Synthesize Data from Evaluations
May 28: Coffee Break Webinar: Report and Support Use of Findings
May 30: Coffee Break Webinar: Manage an Evaluation
June 17 & 19: eStudy - Effective Reporting Techniques
Open Training and Event Registrations 

 

Summer Institute

June 2-5

in Atlanta, Georgia

Find out more

 

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Planning for Programs/Projects

eStudy April 9, 11, 16 & 18

with Scott Chaplowe

Registration closes 4/2

 

Empowerment Evaluation 

eStudy April 17 & 24 

with David Fetterman 

Registration closes 4/10

 

Intro to Quant Methods

eStudy May 7, 14, 21 & 28

with Kathy McKnight

Registration closes 4/30

 

Intermediate Consulting

eStudy May 8 & 15

with Gail Barrington

Registration closes 5/1 

 

Effective Reporting Techniques

eStudy June 17 & 19

with Kylie Hutchinson

Registration Closes 6/10

 

More info and registration online here for eStudy Workshops 

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Daily: aea365 Tip-a-Day for Evaluators

Daily Emails 

aea365 provides a tip-a-day by and for evaluators. Featuring hot tips, cool tricks, rad resources and lessons learned. Get your daily dose of evaluation goodness right in your in-box! 

Sign up for email tips: 
http://bit.ly/aea365Subscribe
View the Archive - Over 700 entries to date! http://aea365.org/blog/?page_id=385
Weekly: Headlines and Resources Compilation

Weekly Compilation  

Each week, we compile Headlines and Resources from across the field and send them out on Sunday to our H&R List subscribers and post them on AEA's listserv EVALTALK. 

Sign up to receive weekly H&R List each Sunday via email:
http://bit.ly/SubscribeHeadlines
Ongoing: Dive Into the Discussion on EVALTALK or LinkedIn

Ongoing Discussion Forums 

AEA's legacy listserv is the longest running public discussion forum focusing on Evaluation. This lively list is open to member and nonmember evaluators alike from around the world.

If you have a (free) profile on popular professional social networking site LinkedIn, join the AEA group for ongoing threaded discussion of questions raised by over 7000 subscribers.  


Sign up for AEA's Listserv, EVALTALK:
http://bama.ua.edu/archives/evaltalk.html
Join AEA's LinkedIn Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1021707 
Registration - Open for Summer Institute 
Registration is now open for the annual summer training institute in Atlanta to be held June 2-5.
  
March 29 - Deadline for Nominations to the AEA Board

AEA welcomes nominations for the 2014-2016 AEA Board of Directors. Nomination process details may be found online.

Go to the Board of Directors Call for Proposals:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs194/1100694346064/archive/1112481397245.html 

March 31- April 4: Video in Evaluation Week on aea365       

This week will be devoted to the ways in which evaluators are using video as part of their practice. We have colleagues using participatory video for empowerment, using video as an elicitation tool during interviews, using video for stand-alone reporting, using video for supplementary reporting, etc. - and everyone seems to agree that it is an avenue for engaging stakeholders at one level of another. Join us and learn hot tips, lessons learned and rad resources!


Go to aea365 and use the buttons to subscribe to a tip-a-day via email:
http://aea365.org/blog/ 

April 4: Outstanding Evaluation Award Winner (2012) - Bernard Wood

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, April 4, 2:00-2:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This Coffee Break will feature the 2012 Outstanding Evaluation, Evaluation of the Implementation of the Paris Declaration. The webinar will consist of the award winner giving a brief overview of the evaluation, its outstanding features, and any changes he would have made in hindsight. Find out what made this evaluation so successful and what pieces of it might be applicable to your own evaluation projects. Attendees are encouraged to review a summary of the evaluation beforehand and come with questions. Evaluators may also be interested in the key methodological steps and lessons described in Annex 5 of the full report  or the  Policy Briefs as examples of pro-active and accessible dissemination of evaluation results.  


Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/361035657   

April 7-12: Branding & Positioning Week on aea365       

This week's posts will feature content on authentic branding, rebranding, positioning yourself and your evaluation business for success, determining the size of your consultancy, and the implications of niche businesses on branding.

 

Go to aea365 and use the buttons to subscribe to a tip-a-day via email:
http://aea365.org/blog/ 

April 9, 11, 16, & 18: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Planning for Programs/Projects - Scott Chaplowe          

eStudy - Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12:00-1:30 PM Eastern

This eStudy will introduce six key planning steps for a successful monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system: 1) Identify the purpose and scope of the M&E system; 2) Plan for data collection and management; 3) Plan for data analysis; 4) Plan for information reporting and utilization; 5) Plan for M&E human resources and capacity building; 6) Prepare the M&E budget. While informed by international programs/projects, the 6-step approach has been designed to guide international programming at both the community and national levels. Therefore, it is also appropriate for domestic (US) programs and projects.


This eStudy is based upon the Results Based Management (RBM) approach to programs/projects. Therefore, it will examine the initial needs assessment and program project design that informs the M&E planning, as well as the other stages of the project/program cycle and planning and their corresponding M&E activities (events).


Particular emphasis will be given to planning for data collection and management using an example M&E planning table for indicators and assumptions. The eStudy will walk through how to develop an M&E planning table that builds upon a project/program's logframe to detail key M&E requirements for each indicator and assumption. Like the logframe, M&E planning tables are becoming common practice in both international and domestic programming - and with good reason. They not only make data collection and reporting more efficient and reliable, but they also help better plan and manage projects/program through careful consideration of what is being implemented and measured. 

This eStudy will occur in four 90-minute sessions and will include preparation materials sent before, between, and after the sessions. It is appropriate for both the new and more experienced M&E practitioners, as well as program/project managers.

Day 1: Identify the purpose and scope of the M&E system; this builds upon the initial assessment and project design (logical framework).

Day 2: Plan for data collection, management, and analysis.

Day 3: Plan for data reporting and use. And plan for human and financial resources.

Day 4: Planning for the evaluation/s; this session will examine more closely the real-world consideration for program evaluaton.

Presenter: Scott Chaplowe is currently a Senior M&E Officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), based in Geneva. In addition to M&E, his work includes strategic planning, organizational development, and capacity building for international organizations, with an emphasis on participatory methodologies. He regularly gives trainings in M&E internationally, including professional development workshops with the AEA, the European Evaluation Society, the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association, and the Malaysian Evaluation Society.

  

Register: https://www.eval.org/webinar_reg/Registrationtop.asp

  

Last day to register is Tuesday April 2 

April 17 & 24: Empowerment Evaluation - David Fetterman          

eStudy - Wednesdays, 1:30-3:00 PM Eastern

Empowerment evaluation builds program capacity, fosters program improvement, and produces outcomes. It is used throughout the world, ranging from Australia to Japan and Brazil to New Zealand. Empowerment evaluation teaches people how to help themselves by learning how to evaluate their own programs. The role of the evaluator is that of a coach or facilitator in an empowerment evaluation, since the group is in charge of the evaluation itself. In addition, empowerment evaluation produces both a learning organization and measurable outcomes. This eStudy will introduce you to the steps of empowerment evaluation and tools to facilitate the approach.This eStudy will occur in two 90-minute sessions and will include preparation assignments and materials sent before, between, and after the sessions.

Day 1: This session will cover principles guiding empowerment evaluation, such as improvement, capacity building, and accountability. The session will also briefly discuss theories, such as process use and theories of use and action. Concepts covered will include: critical friend, cycles of reflection and action, and a community of learners. This session will also present the steps to plan and conduct an empowerment evaluation, including: 1) establishing a mission or unifying purpose for a group or program; 2) taking stock - creating a baseline to measure future growth and improvement; and 3) planning for the future - establishing goals and strategies to achieve objectives, as well as credible evidence to monitor change.

Day 2: This session will highlight the use of basic self-monitoring tools such as establishing a baseline, creating goals, specifying benchmarks, and comparing goals and benchmarks with actual performance. In addition, this session will respond to critiques in the literature. The session will also cover how to select appropriate user-friendly technological tools to facilitate an empowerment evaluation, aligned with empowerment evaluation principles. Although questions will be entertained throughout the two sessions, this session will conclude with a formal question and answer period focusing on questions such as: when it is most appropriate to use an empowerment evaluation approach, common challenges, and effective techniques to implement high quality empowerment evaluations.

Presenter: Dr. David Fetterman is president and CEO of Fetterman & Associates, an international evaluation consulting firm. He has 25 years' experience at Stanford University in administration, the School of Education, and the School of Medicine. He is the founder of empowerment evaluation and the author of 15 books including Empowerment Evaluation in the Digital Villages: Hewlett-Packard's $15 Million Race Toward Social Justice (Stanford University Press) and Empowerment Evaluation Principles in Practice (Guilford) with his collaborator Dr. Abraham Wandersman. He is a past-president of the American Evaluation Association, recipient of the top evaluation theory and practice awards, and co-Chairs the Collaborative, Participatory and Empowerment Evaluation AEA Topical Interest Group. He is a highly experienced and sought after speaker, facilitator, and evaluator.


Register: https://www.eval.org/webinar_reg/Registrationtop.asp


Last day to register is Wednesday April 10

April 18: Crowdsourcing: What Is It, and How Can It Be Used in Evaluation Practice - Tarek Azzam

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, April 18, 2:00-2:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This Coffee Break webinar will introduce evaluators to crowdsourcing and how to access it through Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The presenter will discuss how crowdsourcing can be used to develop survey instruments, determine reliability, and could potentially be incorporated into evaluation design and qualitative analysis. Crowdsourcing's strengths and limitations will also be discussed.

 

Preregister: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/958177617

April 21-26: Environmental Program Evaluation TIG Week on aea365       

Join the Environmental Program Evaluation TIG as they celebrate Earth Week by sharing news that we all can use. Stop by for hot tips, cool tricks, rad resources and lessons learned.

Go to aea365 and use the buttons to subscribe to a tip-a-day via email:
http://aea365.org/blog/ 

April 25: Evaluating Systems of Teacher Collaboration: A Framework for PreK-12 Evaluators - Rebecca Woodland

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, April 25, 2:00-2:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! Evaluator use of the Collaboration Evaluation and Improvement Framework to assess the factors of: 1) team configuration, 2) time allocation, 3) focus, 4) process, and 5) diffusion, can equip school stakeholders with the knowledge they need to build effective professional learning communities. Through this webinar participants will learn to recognize and assess the quality of the five key educational system factors that affect teacher collaboration and its capacity to improve instruction and increase student learning.

 

Preregister: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/625594080

April 28-May 3: Social Network Analysis TIG Week on aea365       

Join our colleagues in the Social Network Analysis TIG to learn more about this methodology and its applicability to your evaluation practice. Stop by for hot tips, cool tricks, rad resources and lessons learned.

Go to aea365 and use the buttons to subscribe to a tip-a-day via email:
http://aea365.org/blog/ 

May 2: Evaluate More Strategically - Efrain Gutierrez 

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, May 2, 2:00-2:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! There is an emerging trend in the philanthropic sector toward being more deliberate about the intersection of strategy and evaluation. Foundations and nonprofits are being more intentional about learning from their work by evaluating their programs and initiatives, but often lack an overarching structure that brings evaluation activities together into a comprehensive strategy. This webinar will explain one solution - the concept of Strategic Learning and Evaluation Systems. They describe learning in terms of "why", "how", "when", and "by and with whom", and determine to what extent various programs, initiatives, processes, or policies will be evaluated and with what resources.

 
Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/251591792

May 5-10: PreK-12 Educational Evaluation TIG Week on aea365       

Join us as the bustling Education TIG will be sharing their hot tips, cool tricks, and lessons learned all this week on aea365.


Go to aea365 and use the buttons to subscribe to a tip-a-day via email:
http://aea365.org/blog/ 

May 7: Overview of Rainbow Framework for Evaluation - Irene Guijt  

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, May 7, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This webinar, part 1 in an 8-part series, provides an overview of the tasks involved in planning and conducting an evaluation. These tasks are grouped into 7 clusters shown in the BetterEvaluation 'Rainbow Framework'. An evaluation plan sets out how to (1) Define what is to be evaluated, (2) Frame the boundaries of the evaluation, (3) Describe activities, outcomes, impacts and context, (4) Understand Causes of outcomes and impacts, (5) Synthesize data from one or more evaluations, (6) Report and Support Use of findings, and (7) Manage the evaluation. In each webinar, the expert presenter will discuss one of the evaluation steps in the framework and outline the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public.

 
Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/238653488

May 7, 14, 21 & 28: Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Evaluators - Katherine McKnight 

eStudy - Tuesdays, 1:30-3:00 PM Eastern

Quantitative data offers opportunities for numerical descriptions of populations and samples. The challenge is in knowing which analyses are best for a given situation. Designed for the practitioner needing a refresher course and/or guidance in applying several univariate quantitative methods to evaluation contexts, the workshop covers the basics of parametric statistics, as well as how to report your findings.

 

Mini-lectures, computer demonstrations, and homework will introduce methods and concepts. The instructor will review examples of research and evaluation questions and the application of specific statistical methods appropriate to developing a quantitative data-based response.

This eStudy course will occur in 4 90-minute sessions (with a 5 minute break in the middle of each to reflect and catch up on notes) and will include preparation materials sent before, between, and after the sessions. 

Day 1: Measures of central tendency & dispersion (e.g., means & std deviations), the basic General Linear Model, and the t-test
Day 2: Extend session 1 to ANOVA models
Day 3: Extend the application of the GLM to correlational analyses, i.e. bivariate correlation
Day 4: Finish with multiple correlation, i.e. linear regression

All 4 sessions will make a conceptual tie to the GLM and show how tests of means (e.g., t-tests & ANOVAs) and tests of correlation (bivariate and multiple regression) are extensions of the GLM and are therefore related.

Presenter: Katherine McKnight applies quantitative analysis as Principal Director of Research for Pearson's Center for Educator Effectiveness and is co-author of Missing Data: A Gentle Introduction (Guilford, 2007). Additionally, she teaches research methods, statistics, and measurement in the Department of Psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. 

 

Register: https://www.eval.org/webinar_reg/Registrationtop.asp 


Last day to register is Wednesday April 30 

May 8 & 15: Staying Power: Intermediate Consulting Skills - Gail Barrington 

eStudy - Wednesdays, 12:00 - 1:30 PM Eastern

Are you already managing a consulting practice? Do you find that you look forward to the field work but avoid dealing with the small business demands? Join Gail Barrington in this 3 hour webinar series as she explores some of these challenging consulting management issues. 

Evaluators and applied researchers may be well versed in academic research processes, but uncertain about how to handle the entrepreneurial and small business management skills needed to be successful independent consultants. For those aspiring to have a thriving practice, this workshop addresses common problems encountered in the day-to-day running of a small consulting business and identifies some of the key issues faced by consultants.

This workshop will help participants problem solve around the ongoing challenges of a consulting practice. For those looking to fine-tune their current professional practice, a seasoned practitioner/award winner/author will share from her more than two decades of experience. This eStudy will occur in two 90-minute sessions. Each session will cover three inter-related topics.

Day 1: Fresh approaches to marketing, Pricing strategies, Contracting for success 

Day 2: Communicating with clients, Managing work processes, Fostering innovation 

Day 3: Plan for data reporting and use. And plan for human and financial resources.

Presenter: Gail Barrington has more than 25 years of practical experience. She founded Barrington Research Group, Inc. in 1985 and has conducted more than 100 program evaluation studies. In 2008, Gail won the Canadian Evaluation Society award for her Contribution to Evaluation in Canada. A frequent AEA presenter, she is the author of a new book entitled Consulting Start-up & Management: A Guide for Evaluators and Applied Researchers, released by SAGE in 2012.
 
Register: https://www.eval.org/webinar_reg/Registrationtop.asp 


Last day to register is Wednesday May 1 

May 9: Define What Is To Be Evaluated - Simon Hearn  

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, May 9, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This webinar, part 2 in an 8-part series on the BetterEvaluation rainbow framework, focuses on tasks to define what is to be evaluated - developing an initial description, developing or refining the program theory/theory of change, and identifying possible unintended results. The webinar outlines the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public. 


Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/837026544

May 14: Frame the Boundaries of the Evaluation - Patricia Rogers   

Coffee Break Webinar - Tuesday, May 14, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This webinar, part 3 in an 8-part series on the BetterEvaluation rainbow framework, focuses on tasks to frame the evaluation - deciding the purpose(s) of the evaluation, the key evaluation questions, and determining what success looks like for the intervention. The webinar outlines the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public. 


Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/719234112

May 16: Describe Activities, Results and Context - Irene Guijt    

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, May 16, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This webinar, part 4 in an 8-part series on the BetterEvaluation rainbow framework, focuses on tasks to answer descriptive evaluation questions - deciding sampling strategies, developing or selecting measures and indicators, collecting or retrieving data in other ways, managing and analysing data, and combining qualitative and quantitative data. The webinar outlines the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public. 


Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/862584377

May 21: Understand Causes of Outcomes and Impacts - Jane Davidson     

Coffee Break Webinar - Tuesday, May 21, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This webinar, part 5 in an 8-part series on the BetterEvaluation rainbow framework, focuses on tasks to answer causal evaluation questions - using research designs and other strategies to understand the contribution of a program or policy to observed results. The webinar outlines the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public. 


Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/429407368

May 23: Synthesize Data from One or More Evaluations - Patricia Rogers      

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, May 23, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This webinar, part 6 in an 8-part series on the BetterEvaluation rainbow framework, focuses on combining data from one evaluation or from many evaluations to make overall evaluative judgments - including different approaches to systematic review of existing literature. The webinar outlines the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public.

 
Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/285351440

May 28: Report and Support Use of Findings - Simon Hearn       

Coffee Break Webinar - Tuesday, May 28, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members! This webinar, part 7 in an 8-part series on the BetterEvaluation rainbow framework, focuses on tasks to report findings and to support use of them - including ways of developing reporting media, strategies to improve accessibility, develop recommendations, and assist individuals and organisations to understand and use findings. The webinar outlines the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public. 


Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/780806072

May 30: Manage an Evaluation - Kerry Bruce        

Coffee Break Webinar - Thursday, May 30, 4:00-4:20 PM Eastern

Coffee Break Webinar LogoFree for AEA Members!

This webinar, part 8 in an 8-part series on the BetterEvaluation rainbow framework, focuses on tasks to manage an evaluation - including understanding and engaging stakeholders, establishing decision-making processes for the evaluation, deciding who will conduct it, securing resources, defining evaluation standards, documenting agreements (including contractual arrangements) and formal evaluation plans and developing evaluation capacity. The webinar outlines the tasks involved, options for carrying out those tasks, and resources from the BetterEvaluation site that can assist any evaluator. All webinars in this particular series are open to the public. 


Preregister https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/940320017

June 17 & 19: An Executive Summary is Not Enough: Effective Reporting Techniques for Evaluators - Kylie Hutchinson  

eStudy - Wednesdays, 2:00 -3:00 PM Eastern

As an evaluator you are conscientious about conducting the best evaluation possible, but how much thought do you give to communicating your results effectively? Do you consider your job complete after submitting a lengthy final report? Reporting is an important skill for evaluators who care about seeing their results disseminated widely and recommendations actually implemented.

This eStudy course will be presented in 2 90-minute sessions:

Day 1: overview of three key principles of effective reporting and its role in effective evaluation

Day 2: innovative reporting techniques

Presenter: Kylie Hutchinson has served since 2005 as the trainer for the Canadian Evaluation Society's Essential Skills Series (ESS) in British Columbia. Her interest in dissemination and communications stems from twenty years of experience in the field of evaluation. 

Register: https://www.eval.org/webinar_reg/Registrationtop.asp  

Last day to register is Wednesday June 10