AEA is excited to invite applications for various upcoming volunteer opportunities as we progress through 2021. AEA values broad-based member input and engagement, relying upon your guidance and knowledge about the field to develop policies, programs, events, and other activities to guide the association’s efforts. AEA Executive Director Anisha Lewis will select members for these Working Groups with an eye toward diversity, service to AEA, and overall expertise. The following Working Group will commence their work in early 2021. AEA members interested in participating in this Working Group must submit their applications here no later than Monday, March 8, 2021.   Professional Development Working Group Charge: To provide suggestions and input to the AEA staff team on the professional development offerings through AEA including eStudies, Coffee Breaks, and PD Workshops at the annual conference. The ideal candidate should: ·      Have a high (Senior, executive, well-versed) level of expertise  ·      Be able to commit to monthly calls  ·      Committed to improving the quality and diversification of AEA education for the enhancement of the association and its members

Apply

AEA and the Leadership Team are committed to cultivating and broadening diversity in the governance of the association. As stated in the AEA bylaws, "It is the policy of the American Evaluation Association to actively seek diversity across the Board and all committees, task forces, and other advisory groups, and individuals." Particular attention is paid to adequate representation and balance according to the following criteria: ·      Gender (including nondiscrimination based on sexual representation and orientation or gender identity)  ·      Racial/Ethnic representation  ·      Disciplinary heterogeneity  ·      Practitioner/Academic balance  ·      Geographic heterogeneity  ·      International representation and perspectives  ·      Heterogeneity of areas of application  ·      Tenure heterogeneity  In order to apply for an upcoming volunteer opportunity, click here and select the volunteer groups of interest from the drop down lists.  Important: If you are interested in the above early 2021 volunteer opportunity, please be sure to rank it first based on your interest and speak specifically to how you might contribute to the group(s) in your statement of interest.  To learn more about AEA’s volunteer groups, please visit our AEA Volunteer Opportunities page.  If you have any questions, please contact Mike Zapata at info@eval.org or 202-367-1166. ‌ ‌

You may be familiar with Minnesota Compass, a project that has been a longstanding member of the Community Indicators Consortium community. But are you familiar with their newly redesigned website? How about their special projects that track indicators of COVID-19 and its impacts, the STEM ecosystem in Minnesota, and leadership in the nonprofit, for profit, and government sectors?

Join them for a coffee break with Justin Hollis on March 5 from 3:00 to 3:30p to receive a brief tour of the new website and to learn a bit about each of these special projects. 

Registration link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3086607728690110219

This Scholarship supports Indigenous and underrepresented people (including students) interested in the field of evaluation who are interested in attending the 2021 Canadian Evaluation Conference through funded sponsorships.

The primary focus of the scholarship is to help cultivate a diverse and wide array of Indigenous and underrepresented participants in the field of evaluation at the conference. Priority will be given to applicants that identify as Indigenous.

This is part of the active land recognition and active Canadian Evaluation Society's reconciliation objectives and work of CES and work of CES for Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations.

The scholarship covers registration costs for the 2021 Canadian Evaluation Conference and does not include funding for workshops. The number of awarded scholarships is contingent on funding. Scholarship applications must be submitted by March 5th, 2021.

Scholarship recipients must be in financial need, 18 Years or Older and one of the following:

1. Self-Identify as Indigenous (American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian)

2. Self-Identify with an underrepresented group in evaluation

3. Be interested in the field of evaluation

To access the scholarship application, please visit the AEA IPE TIG's Resources Page at: https://comm.eval.org/aeaipetig/tigresources.

Now Available: In-Depth Workshops

Join AEA for several upcoming education opportunities! You can continue the lessons learned at Eval20 Reimagined: A Virtual Experience with workshops spanning from November to January. Learn more and register below.

Social Network Analysis: Methods and Use

December 4, 12:00 p.m. EDT

Presenter: Kimberly Fredericks, Dr.

The workshop is very hands-on, focusing on the software and concepts and methods to answer research questions. It also covers use of network analysis in applied settings. UCINET and Netdraw will be the base programs utilized to analyze data and discuss results.

More Strategies to Address Weaknesses of Typical Logic Models with an Updated “Condition Modeling” Approach

December 8, 12:00 p.m. EDT

Presenter: Kirk Knestis, PhD

This workshop will share the presenter’s condition modeling logic mapping approach, a unique derivation of models described by W.K. Kellogg in 1998, designed to mitigate problematic aspects of typical modeling strategies. The presenter's recent enhancements to the approach improve the usefulness of condition models to plan, assess, and promote sustainability.

Principles-Focused Developmental Evaluation

December 10, 12:00 p.m. EDT

Presenter: Michael Quinn Patton

Developmental evaluation (DE) guides innovative initiatives in complex dynamic environments. Principles-focused evaluation (P-FE) is one special application of DE focused on evaluating adherence to effectiveness principles for achieving results and guiding adaptive action. Blue Marble Evaluation (BME), addressing global challenges of sustainability and equity, is the latest advance in principles-focused developmental evaluation. The essential principles of DE, P-FE, and BME will be examined and applied. Participants will learn to use the GUIDE framework, an acronym specifying the criteria for high-quality principles.

Learn How to Conduct a Social Inclusion Analysis

December 15, 12:00 p.m. EDT

Presenter: Meri Ghorkhmazyan

This workshop will be based on the curriculum of World Learning’s Transforming Agency, Access, and Power (TAAP) Toolkit and Guide for Inclusive Development phase two on Social Inclusion Analysis. The participants of the workshop will be able to use a case study and apply the social inclusion analysis tools, visualize, analyze and discuss how the data can be used in their work. By consistently mapping the evidence, they will be able to see intersectionality of various identities who may consistently be experiencing exclusion, inclusion and discuss ways to bring the included, marginalized and excluded groups for more impactful programmatic or policy work. 

Living in a Remote-Based World...Let's Learn MURAL, a Digital Workspace for Online Brainstorming, Synthesis and Collaboration

January 8, 9:00 a.m. EDT

Presenter: Mahrukh 'Maya' Hasan

During this workshop, you will learn how to use the powerful interface called MURAL, a digital workspace for visual collaboration. MURAL enables innovative teams to think and collaborate visually to solve important problems. People benefit from MURAL’s speed and ease of use in creating diagrams, which are popular in design thinking and agile methodologies, as well as tools to facilitate more impactful meetings and workshops.  

Introduction to Infographics: Fundamentals and Tools for Developing Infographics

January 12, 12:00 p.m. EDT

Presenters: Stephanie Baird Wilkerson, Anne Cosby

This workshop will cover infographic basics, best practices, and practical tips for using low-cost tools to produce well-designed infographics for a variety of evaluation stakeholders. Participants will learn about the purpose, features, and use of infographics in evaluation as well as criteria for reviewing infographics. Participants will have the opportunity to view demonstrations of tools and steps for developing an infographic and will gain hands-on experience in creating an infographic.

Intermediate Skills in R: Analyzing and Reporting Inferential Statistics

January 15, 12:00 p.m. EDT

Presenters: Dana Linnell Wanzer, Ph.D., Tom McKlin, Ph.D

R is becoming an increasingly popular statistical analysis software for evaluators and researchers because of its free nature and increasing number of resources available on how to use it. This workshop will provide a hands-on opportunity for evaluators to learn how to conduct basic statistical analyses in R using RStudio with example data. This workshop will use the gradual release of responsibility teaching method such that first the statistical technique will be demonstrated, then the entire workshop will do it together, before giving attendees an opportunity to try it out on their own while instructors help anyone with questions. 

Utilization of a Culturally Responsive and Racial Equity Lens to help Guide Strategic Engagement and Evaluation

January 21 & January 22, 12:00 p.m. EDT

The field of evaluation is being challenged to utilize a process that considers who is being evaluated and who is conducting the evaluation. MPHI has worked to develop useful frameworks, tools, and approaches that evaluators could consider to focus on the ways that race and culture might influence an evaluation process; this has resulted in the development of a framework for conducting evaluation using a culturally responsive and racial equity lens. This two-part workshop focuses on the practical use of a racial equity lens when conducting evaluation. 

Presenters:

·         Mindelyn Anderson, PhD, Mirror Group LLC

·         Kristine Andrews, PhD, Child Trends

·         Paul Elam, PhD, MPHI

·         Tracy Hilliard, PhD, MPHI

•    LaShaune Johnson, PhD, Estella Lucia Evaluation LLC

• The  EnCompass Learning Center upcoming courses are: 

  • November – Gender Transformative Program Design and Evaluation with Tessie Catsambas https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/gender-transformative-program-design-and-evaluation-november-2020/
    
  • December – Storytelling with Data with Andy Krackov https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/data-storytelling-december-2020/
    
  • December – Evaluation Planning with Ayesha Boyce https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/evaluation-planning-december-2020/
    
• •  January – Interpersonal Growth for Evaluators with Libby Smith https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/interpersonal-growth-for-evaluators/
  • January – Framework Weaving with Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/framework-weaving/
    
  • January – Feminist Evaluation with Donna Podems https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/feminist-evaluation/
    
  • February – Program Monitoring: The Key to Successful Implementation with Kerry Bruce https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/program-monitoring-the-key-to-successful-implementation-february-2021/
    
  • February – Being an Evaluator with Donna Podems https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/being-an-evaluator-aug2020/
    
  • February – Polarity Systems Thinking with Wendy Swire https://encompassworld.com/elc/upcoming/the-best-of-both-worlds-using-polarity-systems-thinking-to-lead-2021/
    

The courses are offered at different times of day to be sure that we are accessible to different time zones around the world.

Please note that we are happy to offer MNEA members the 20% off affiliate member discount rate so long as they contact us to register at learningcenter@encompassworld.com and request the discount.

Please note that the discount cannot be combined with other discounts that are available.

Ending Student Homelessness Conference

Please join us for the presentation of critical research findings from local and national studies! Practitioners, Researchers, Policymakers will unite to interpret evidence around student homelessness. 

Attendees will interrogate the complexities of homelessness among children and youth, and discuss ways that these insights can be used to inform decisions around homelessness solutions. 

The Homework Starts with Home Research Partnership is a collaborative state-university-school-community project designed to integrate multisystem administrative data and analyze it in order to produce and disseminate high quality evidence pertinent to addressing the State and national challenge of student homelessness.

Registration Details

The Homework Starts with Home Research Partnership will host a one-day virtual conference on November 13th, 2020.

8:30AM-3:30PM

Featuring Keynote Speakers

• Dr. Marybeth (Beth) Shinn, Vanderbilt University
• Dr. Matthew Morton, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

Register Here

Empowerment Evaluation with Dr. David Fetterman

November 6 from 1-4 east coast (10:00 to 1:00 pacific)
Register: https://www.drdavidfetterman.com/product-page/empowerment-evaluation-webinar-workshop Cost: $175

The workshop provides participants with an immersive, hands-on, real-life experience conducting an empowerment evaluation remotely. In addition to presenting an introduction to the theory, concepts, principles, and steps of the approach, Dr. Fetterman invites you to participate in the process. He will provide an overview of the approach using case examples from his work at Google, Hewlett-Packard, Stanford School of Medicine, as well as with Native American Tribes, Tobacco Prevention programs in Arkansas, and Squatter Settlement communities in South Arica.

Then you will gain experience conducting an abbreviated empowerment evaluation in real-time using Google Sheets. There is nothing like experiential educational opportunities to crystalize learning.

Dr. Fetterman ha 25 years of experience at Stanford University. In addition, he has served on the faculty of Pacifica Graduate Institute, University of Charleston, California Institute of Integral Studies, and San Jose State University. He is an engaging educator, providing educational experiences, professional development, and online classes for numerous professional organizations, universities, nonprofits, and governmental agencies.

He is a past-president of the American Evaluation Association and the American Anthropological Association's Council on Anthropology and Education. Dr. Fetterman has received the highest honors in the field of evaluation, the Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Educational Research Association, and the President's Award from the American Anthropological Association. He is the author of 17 books including Empowerment Evaluation: Knowledge and Tools for Self-assessment, Evaluation Capacity Building, and Accountability (with Kaftarian and Wandersman); Collaborative, Participatory, and Empowerment Evaluation: Stakeholder Involvement Approaches (with Rodriguez-Campos and Zukoski,); Empowerment Evaluation in the Digital Villages: Hewlett-Packard's $15 Million Race Toward Social Justice; and Ethnography: Step by Step.

Over the past few months, the evaluation community has been discussing its role as evaluators in the recent call for social justice and work in anti-racism. The purpose of this facilitated discussion is to gather together a group of esteemed evaluators who work in a variety of sectors, evaluation practices, and settings to discuss how their work contributes to anti-racism. Evaluators will have an opportunity to discuss and share the practices they use in their work and areas where there is a need for engagement and improvement in the field of evaluation. This session is open to all AaEA members, affiliates, and the general public on Thursday, Oct 22 from 6:00-7:15 PM CDT. 

More information

Registration closes October 19th at 5:00pm 

Dear AEA LAC colleagues,

Register now for the 

Hawaii-Pacific Evaluation Association (H-PEA) 2020 Online Conference--October 12-16

View the conference program and session abstracts: https://h-pea.org/events

Register here: https://h-pea.org/event-3698120 (only $30 regular; $15 student). Deadline: 10/8.

Conference fee waiver available for those with financial hardship. Apply for waiver here.

H-PEA's 2020 conference is online during the week of October 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily, Hawaii Standard Time. We are excited to offer over 25 highly interactive skill-building and roundtable sessions in five tracks:

• Context
• Methodology
• Professional practice
• Planning and management
• Culturally-responsive evaluation

Tom Kelly, from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and an AEA board member, will present the opening keynote: 2021-2030: Mapping Hawaiʻi’s Evaluation Future.

Dr. Sena Sanjines will offer the opening workshop on Evaluation Boot Camp: Introduction to Program Evaluation for Program Directors/Managers.

The closing keynote, Aloha as a Disruptive and Humbling Force on Evaluators’ Journeys toward Justice and Equity, will feature panelists Herb Lee, Jr., President & CEO, Pacific American Foundation; Pālama Lee, Director of Research & Evaluation, Liliʻuokalani Trust; Peter Mataira, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Hawaiʻi Pacific University; Paula Morelli, Program Director, Consuelo Foundation; and Katherine A. Tibbetts, Executive Director of Research & Evaluation, Liliʻuokalani Trust.

The conference has dedicated network sessions for program managers, emerging evaluators, and seasoned evaluators.

Registered participants can access the session recordings for 60 days after the conference.

We sincerely invite you and your colleagues to join us at our conference. Email info@h-pea.org with any questions.

The H-PEA Conference Planning Committee

Let's Get Digital - with Ripple Effect Mapping

When: Fri, October 16, 2020 10:00 AM, EDT
Where: Video conference link will be shared with registrants ahead of the event

MNEA members can attend for FREE using an affiliate member code when registering.  Get the code here by logging into the MNEA member page.

EVENT DETAILS:

Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) is an evaluation method designed to assess the intended and unintended impacts of community-engaged programs and initiatives. In other words, it allows us to better understand the effect we have in a community beyond surveys and quantitative data. REM combines the use of appreciative inquiry and mind mapping to identify how a program impacted or influenced the community it serves.

We will use an interactive format to immerse participants in a virtual REM session. Because of the high level of engagement required, we request that all participants agree to turn on both their video and audio during the participatory parts of the virtual session.

Sarah Goletz, MPH is the Associate Director of Evaluation at the Indiana Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network office at the Indiana University School of Medicine.  Her background includes working with underserved communities and refugee populations to improve health outcomes. She has prior research experience in xeno-transplantation and the educational attainment of rural and disadvantaged populations.

Jennifer Taylor, DHEd, MPH is the Executive Director of the Indiana AHEC Network and an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Her background includes over a decade of experience working on a variety of health-related topics including health workforce development, program evaluation, workplace wellness, interprofessional education, behavioral health, and primary prevention.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY:

After the workshop, please stay on the Zoom call to network and meet other IEA members. We will utilize breakout rooms to keep groups smaller and conversations flowing. 

Best regards,

Indiana Evaluation Association