My Favourite Competencies by Kylie Hutchinson

My name is Kylie Hutchinson. I’m an independent evaluator with Community Solutions Planning & Evaluation and author of three books about evaluation and program planning: A Short Primer on Innovative Evaluation Reporting, Evaluation Failures: 22 Tales of Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned, and Survive and Thrive: Three Steps to Securing Your Program’s Sustainability.

Every year I adapt a holiday song to share with my colleagues and clients.  Season’s greetings, and enjoy!

My Favourite Competencies
(sung to the tune of The Sound of Music’s “My Favourite Things”)

Ethical practice and being systematic
Growth and integrity, cultural competence
Engaging stakeholders e-ffectively
These are a few of our competencies

Reflective praxis and rigorous methods
Management skills and focus on context
Never forgetting about equity
These are a few of our competencies

When there’s no baseline
When data’s a mess
When the numbers don’t add
I simply remember my competencies
And then I don’t feel so bad

Objective and curious and certainly flexible
Able to plan and find what is most workable
Good interpersonal always is key
These are a few of our competencies

Appreciates data viz, good with Excel
Uses a systems lens, listens as well
Co-mmunication should come with some ease
These are a few of our competencies

When the budget’s small
When results aren’t used
When the client’s mad
I simply remember my competencies
And then I just feel…so glad!

Rad Resource:  Both the AEA and CES evaluator competencies, words to live by.

Rad Resource:  Liven up your office holiday party with our other seasonal songs for evaluators and nonprofits. 

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