The ACE Evaluation Network Spring Call for Qualifications is open!

The Advancing Culturally-responsive and Equitable (ACE) Evaluation Network invites experienced evaluators to join our diverse community of professionals whose mission is to both drive and support the practice of excellent, culturally responsive and equitable evaluation (CREE).

Joining the ACE Evaluation Network is free and provides opportunities to build networking connections, establish evaluation contracts, and pursue professional development. Expanding the Bench™ (ETB) specifically invites evaluators from historically marginalized and under-supported groups to apply for Network membership. Membership criteria include:

• 7 years (or more) of paid evaluation experience and expertise
• Authorship and writing quality
• Project management resources
• Knowledge and practice of CREE

Learn more and apply to join the ACE Evaluation Network: https://expandingthebench.org/ace/become-a-member/

Responses to the Call for Qualifications are due on Monday, April 27, 2020 by 5:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm CT/ 3:00 pm MT/ 2:00 pm PT/ 1:00 pm AKT/ 11:00 am HT.

Please contact the ETB Team at team@expandingthebench.org with any questions.

The Expanding the Bench Team

Online Icebreakers: Connecting from a Distance.

The Indiana Evaluation Association (IEA) is excited to be hosting John Gargani and Robert McLean for a virtual presentation on their new book Scaling Impact: Innovation for the Public Good. The webinar will be April 17th from 1:00-3:00 pm CST (2:00-4:00 pm eastern time). 

IEA is offering free registration MNEA members!  Thank you! Register under "Affiliate" at:  https://indianaevaluation.org/Events.   Log-in to the MNEA website HERE  and access the event promo code by selecting Members Discounts and Promo Codes. 

Inspired by research on scientific and entrepreneurial innovators across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East, the book presents a different perspective on how to achieve impact that matters. The book is organized around four research-based scaling principles—justification, optimal scale, coordination, and dynamic evaluation—and culminates in five case studies. 

John and Robert will go beyond their published work, unpacking what they call dynamic evaluation. One aspect of dynamic evaluation is a new systems model that helps evaluators identify what they should assess when evaluating efforts to scale impact. They will discuss how the systems model complements traditional tools, like logic models and theories of change. And they will connect their work to two recent publications—Feinstein’s (2019) paper suggesting that dynamic evaluation be used to support transformative change, and Patton’s (2018) framework for Principles-Focused Evaluation.

The National Center for Evaluation and Assessment (NCEA), a division of Creative Research Solutions (CRS), will hold our inaugural conference on April 8-9, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.  Our speakers include Dr. Tracy Hilliard (MPHI), Dr. Melvin Hall (CREA), and Dr. T'Pring Westbrook.  Our theme is Forging New Pathways: Evaluation and Assessment in Support of Equity and Inclusion.  Visit https://nceaonline.com/events/save-the-date-2020-conference/ to learn more.  

On February 20 at 9am EST, join Data for Impact for the third webinar in a series sharing lessons learned in applying complexity-aware methods in evaluation. We'll discuss the Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) method, a useful tool for evaluators.

  Learn more

By Sheila Robinson / January 25, 2020

Greetings aea365 readers AND authors! I’m Sheila B Robinson, Lead Curator and sometimes Saturday contributor. Just last week, I wrote this post asking what you would like to read on aea365 in 2020.

Thanks to those who offered these ideas! Now, I’m writing to ask YOU to consider contributing on one of these, or any other evaluation-related topics.

Learn more