Susan Kistler on Filling Your Evaluation Tookbox through eStudy This Fall

My name is Susan Kistler. I am the American Evaluation Association’s Executive and aea365’s regular Saturday contributor. We’ve been writing a lot lately about AEA’s upcoming conference, Evaluation 2012. Today, I wanted to provide an update on our fourth quarter eStudy workshops – three foundational offerings for filling your evaluation toolbox, even if you can’t join us next month in Minneapolis:

Rad Resource – Introduction to Evaluation with Tom Chapel, Chief Evaluation Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
October 9, 11, 16, & 18, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM Eastern Time.
Description: This workshop will provide an overview of program evaluation for those with some, but not extensive, prior background in program evaluation. The session will be organized around CDC’s six-step Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health as well as the four sets of evaluation standards from the Joint Commission on Evaluation Standards. The six steps constitute a comprehensive approach to evaluation. While its origins are in the public health sector, the Framework approach can guide any evaluation. The course will touch on all six steps, but particular emphasis will be put on the early steps, including identification and engagement of stakeholders, creation of logic models, and selecting/focusing evaluation questions.

Last day to register is Tuesday October 2

Rad Resource – Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Planning for Programs/Projects with Scott Chaplowe, a Senior M&E Officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
November 13 & 15, 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Eastern Time.
Description: This workshop will introduce six key planning steps for a successful monitoring and evaluation 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. The 6-step approach has been designed to guide international programming at both the community and national levels, and is also appropriate for domestic (US) programs and projects. Particular emphasis will be given to planning for data collection and management using an example M&E planning table for indicators and assumptions.

Last day to register is Wednesday November 7

Rad Resource – Creating Surveys to Measure Performance and Assess Needs with Michelle Kobayashi, co-author of Citizen Surveys: a comprehensive guide to making them matter
December 4 & 6, 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM Eastern Time.
Description: Surveys for program evaluation, performance measurement, or needs assessment can provide excellent information for evaluators. However, developing effective surveys requires an eye both to unbiased question design as well as to how the results of the survey will be used. Neglecting these two aspects impacts the success of the survey. This eStudy course will use lecture and homework assignments to review guidelines for survey development. We will use two national surveys, one used for measuring the performance of local governments and the other to assess the needs of older adults, to inform the creation of our own survey instruments.

Last day to register is Tuesday November 27

Hot Tip – Learn more and access the registration page at http://comm.eval.org/coffee_break_webinars/eStudy/

Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.