BetterEvaluation at the AEA2016: Evaluation + Design

This week over 3,000 people from all over the world are expected to meet in Atlanta, Georgia for the 2016 conference of the American Evaluation Association.  The theme this year, Evaluation + Design, explores integration of design and evaluation in three areas:

• Program design,
• Evaluation design,
• Information design

Here's a quick link to the Conference Program

Virtual Conference

Broadcasting live from Atlanta, the Evaluation 2016 virtual conference offers over 20 Presidential Strand and Plenary sessions over four days! If you can't make it to Atlanta in person, you can still register to attend these sessions virtually, for free. Register here: https://aea.digitellinc.com/aea/live/2

BetterEvaluation at the AEA

We will be involved in four sessions at the conference:

Thursday Concurrents 11:00am-11:45am (Presenter: Greet Peersman. Co-presenter: Patricia Rogers)

1679: Supporting managers to use evaluators more effectively: A Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation

This session will demonstrate, share and discuss a new resource aimed at improving demand for evaluation - a free online guide developed for the International Development Research Centre by BetterEvaluation to support project/program managers to more effectively plan and manage evaluations. It will also cover the attached interactive software, the GeneraTOR, which can be create a customized TOR specific to organizational requirements. Come and learn about this free resource and how you can be involved in the next stage of its development.

Wednesday Concurrents 4:30pm-6:00pm (Presenter: Patricia Rogers)

2632:Barking up a Better Tree: Lessons about Sustained and Emergent Impact Evaluations (SEIE)

This session will explore a new type of evaluation that will shortly be added to the BetterEvaluation thematic pages – Sustained and Emerging Impact (SEIE) evaluations. Laurie Zivetz and Jindra Cekan have explored the need for this type of evaluation in a guest blog. This session will share some examples and discuss what is needed technically, logistically and organizationally for it to be effective and useful.  Come and share your thoughts on how evaluation throughout the project cycle can do a better job of understanding and supporting sustained impacts.

Thursday Concurrents 2:00pm-2:45pm (Discussant: Patricia Rogers)

2730:Evaluating Prizes, Challenges and Competitions

Prizes, challenges and competitions present particular challenges for evaluation.  Come and learn about how these are being met in recent work and share your experiences and suggestions.

Friday Concurrents 4:30pm-5:15pm (Discussant: Patricia Rogers)

1656:Google’s Evaluation Course: Using Empowerment Evaluation Resources and Tools to Build Evaluation Capacity and Change Organizational Culture

The session will present  an internal evaluation cours being piloted by Google, which incorporates learning resources and processes involving peer review of evaluation proposals. The course is also being exported for use by other organizations.  Additional details and information about course availability will be shared at the session.

You can also find Patricia Rogers at the Meet the Author session on Wednesday evening 7-9pm. 

If you will be in Atlanta, we hope to see you! Come say hello and collect your special BetterEvaluation badge! We'd love to meet you at the AEA conference and hear how you're using the site and how we might make it better together.

BetterEvaluation Authors at the AEA2016:

Among the feast of great sessions at the conference are many being presented by contributors to BetterEvaluation - authors, reviewers, stewards, guest bloggers, webinar presenters,methodological  briefs authors, writeshop case authors and writeshop facilitators.

We've compiled a list of some of the sessions by contributors who've authored pages on particular options, or developed a writeshop case.

There are also many sessions being presented by BetterEvaluation members.  If you'd like us to highlight your session on this page,  please leave your session details in the comments below.

Heather Britt

Authored these BetterEvaluation pages:

Work with universities to staff the evaluation	Resources Stocktake
Designated staff time for evaluation	Evaluation Budget Matrix
Evaluation Costing	Strategies to reduce costs
Leveraged partnerships to carry out the evaluation	Budgeting for Developmental Evaluation (DE)

AEA Presentations:

• 2296: Developing Core Principles of Systems Thinking in Evaluation: A Community Conversation (Birds of a Feather - Oct 27 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM)

• 2119: When Linear Logic Models Just Don't Work (Birds of a Feather - Oct 27 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM)
• TIGBM32: Systems in Evaluation TIG Business Meeting (Thursday Concurrents 6:20pm-7:10pm)
• NPF1: Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Nonprofit Organizations (Saturday Concurrents 7:00am-7:45am)
• ​1544: Process Monitoring of Impacts: A USAID Illustration of a Systemic Design and Monitoring Technique (Saturday Concurrents 9:45am-10:30am)
• 2320: Outcome Harvesting nitty-gritty: Promise and Pitfalls of Participatory Design (Saturday Concurrents 10:45am-11:30am)

Kerry Bruce

Authored these BetterEvaluation pages:

Institutional Revew Board	Mobile Data Collection
Hybrid - Internal and External staff	52 weeks of BetterEvaluation: Week 30: Manage an evaluation or evaluation system

AEA Presentations:

• 2280: New Approaches to the Design and Evaluation of Global Programs to End Modern Slavery: Establishing an Evidence Base and Understanding What Works (Saturday Concurrents 9:45am-10:30am)

Julia Coffman

Authored these BetterEvaluation blogs:

Week 9: Innovation in evaluation part 3: what’s the latest in advocacy evaluation?

AEA Presentations:

• 1735:Designing a New Community of Practice: Celebrating 10 years of Advocacy and Policy Change TIG through reflections from past and present TIG chairs (Thursday Concurrents 11:00am-11:45am)
• 1283:Oh for the Love of Sticky Notes! The Changing Role of Evaluators Who Work with Foundations (Thursday Concurrents 3:00pm-4:30pm)
• 1613:Designing Impact: How to Support and Evaluate Programs that Aim for Scale (Saturday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

Stephanie Evergreen

Authored these BetterEvaluation pages:

Visualise Data (Task)	Pie Chart	Stacked Graph
Images	Scatterplot	Text
Matrix Chart	Scatterplot V2	Treemap
Matrix Chart V2	Slopegraph	Word Cloud
Network Diagram	Small multiples	Word Tree
Network Diagram V2	Split Axis Bar Graph

AEA Presentations:

• 01:(01) Presenting Data Effectively: Practical Methods for Improving Evaluation Communication (Pre-Conference Workshop - Two Day (Mon/Tues))
• 1103: The Link Between Graphic Design and Report Use (Wednesday Concurrents 6:15pm-7:00pm)
• 1098: Learning from Evaluation Design Failures (Thursday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)
• 1084: The Updated Data Visualization Checklist (Thursday Concurrents 11:00am-11:45am)
• 1874: Meet the Pros: Intermediate Consulting Skill-Building Self-help Fair (Thursday Concurrents 4:45pm-6:15pm)
• ​1990:The Design and Visual Display of Qualitative Data and Information (Saturday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

Stuart Henderson

Authored these BetterEvaluation pages:

Phrase Net

Word Tree

Word Cloud

AEA Presentations: 

• 1990: The Design and Visual Display of Qualitative Data and Information (Saturday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

Tania Jarosewich

Authored these BetterEvaluation pages:

Treemap

Word Cloud

AEA Presentations: 

• 2454: Independent Consulting Topical Interest Group 2015 Decennial Survey: Findings for Member Communication Strategy Design (Friday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

Julian King

Authored this BetterEvaluation blog:

52 weeks of BetterEvaluation: Week 42: Using value for money in evaluation - a conversation

AEA Presentations: 

• 2981: Impact Convergence Part II: Building Bridges (Wednesday Concurrents 5:15pm-6:00pm)
• 2971:Impact Convergence Part III: Designing Change (Thursday Concurrents 1:00pm-1:45pm)
• 2779:Rubric Design to Promote Understanding and Evaluation Use (Thursday Concurrents 1:00pm-1:45pm)
• 2919: What is Good Enough Evidence? Designing Fit-For- Purpose Evaluations (Friday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)
• 1980:The power of communicating evaluation conclusions through rubrics (Friday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)​

Jade Lamb

Authored this BetterEvaluation page:

Mobile Data Collection

AEA Presentations:

• 1116: Valuing what Matters: Utilizing the Social Return on Investment (SROI) Methodology in International Development Programs (Saturday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)
• 2170: Entry points for designing, monitoring, and evaluating DRG integration in sectoral programs (Saturday Concurrents 10:45am-11:30am)

Rakesh Mohan 

Authored these BetterEvaluation blogs:

Week 15: Fitting reporting methods to evaluation findings – and audiences

AEA Presentations:

• 1876:Harnessing the Power of Partnerships: How the Funder-Grantee Relationship Impacts Program and Evaluation Design in Nonprofit Settings (Thursday Concurrents 7:00am-7:45am)
• 2514:Trust: An Essential Element of Evaluation Design (Friday Concurrents 1:45pm-3:15pm)
• 1427:Winning the Telephone Game: Communication Techniques in Program Evaluation (Saturday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

Jonathan Morell

Authored these BetterEvaluation blogs:

Week 29: Evaluation design and unintended consequences or, from firefighting to systematic action

AEA Presentations:

• 1174:Iterating Empirical Data Collection and Agent-Based Modeling as an Evaluation Methodology (Thursday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)
• 1143:Four Key Design Elements for Successful Evaluation Use in the Federal Government (Thursday Concurrents 4:45pm-6:15pm)
• 2903:Critical Meta-Evaluation of Social Return on Investment (SROI): Evaluator, Economist, and Accountant Perspectives on Evaluation Design, Part 1 (Friday Concurrents 4:30pm-5:15pm)
• 2911:Critical Meta-Evaluation of Social Return on Investment (SROI): Evaluator, Economist, and Accountant Perspectives on Evaluation Design, Part 2 (Friday Concurrents 5:30pm-6:15pm)
• 1447:Applying Theory-Driven Evaluation in Program Design (Saturday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

Svetlana Negroustoueva

​Authored this BetterEvaluation page:

Feminist evaluation

• 2342: Challenges and Successes of Operationalizing EvalGender+ Globally (Thursday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

• 1272: AEA's Role in the New Global Initiatives from EvalPartners (Thursday Concurrents 3:00pm-4:30pm)
• TIGBM25: Feminist Issues in Evaluation TIG Business Meeting (Thursday Concurrents 6:20pm-7:10pm)

Donna Podems

​Authored this BetterEvaluation page:

Feminist evaluation

AEA Presentations:

• 2912: Designing the Profession of Evaluation, Part 1 (Thursday Concurrents 1:00pm-1:45pm)
• 2916: Designing the Profession of Evaluation, Part 2 (Thursday Concurrents 2:00pm-2:45pm)
• 1272: AEA's Role in the New Global Initiatives from EvalPartners (Thursday Concurrents 3:00pm-4:30pm)
• ​1292: Update on the Development of the AEA Evaluator Competencies (Friday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)

Authored these BetterEvaluation pages:

Rich Pictures

Dotmocracy

​AEA Presentations:

• 1677: Combining co-design processes and evaluative inquiry in designing projects and programs (Saturday Concurrents 9:45am-10:30am)

Bob Williams

Authored these BetterEvaluation blogs:

Week 36: Systems thinking

AEA Presentations:

• 1368:Systems Thinking and Evaluation Design : A short sharp introduction (Wednesday Concurrents 4:30pm-6:00pm)
• 1654:Evaluating Community Sustainability: Issues and Approaches (Friday Concurrents 3:30pm-4:15pm)

​Ricardo Wilson-Grau

​Authored this BetterEvaluation page:

​Outcome Harvesting

Co-authored this BetterEvaluation Writeshop Case:

Retrospective 'Outcome harvesting': Generating robust insights

AEA Presentations:

• 2197: Case studies of Outcome Harvesting principles in practice around the world (Thursday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)
• 2320: Outcome Harvesting nitty-gritty: Promise and Pitfalls of Participatory Design (Saturday Concurrents 10:45am-11:30am)

Sonal Zaveri

​​Authored this BetterEvaluation writeshop case:

Listening to smaller voices: using an innovative participatory tool for children affected by HIV and AIDS to assess a life skills programme

AEA Presentations:

• 2971: Impact Convergence Part III: Designing Change (Wednesday Concurrents 6:15pm-7:00pm)
• 2342: Challenges and Successes of Operationalizing EvalGender+ Globally (Thursday Concurrents 8:00am-9:30am)
• 2974: Designing Evaluation for the Entire World (Thursday Concurrents 3:00pm-4:30pm)