Evaluation Roundup - October 2020

November 3, 2020 Kristy Madsen

Welcome to our October roundup of new and noteworthy evaluation news and resources – here is the latest.

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New and Noteworthy — Resources

Evaluation issues and recommendations for change

The tables have turned and now evaluators need to examine how we can do better. The Funder & Evaluator Affinity Network (FEAN) developed a Call to Action series: five briefs, decision tools, open letters, discussion guides, and more that address urgent issues and recommendations for change. The five briefs propose tangible steps to make changes in the field: 1) Strategy and Practice; 2) Evaluators of Color; 3) Knowledge Sharing; 4) Global Transformation, and; 5) Collaboration and Partnership. We have a lot of work to do. The first step is reading these.

Engaging community in evaluation through empowerment evaluation

The Tamarack Institute and Fetterman & Associates co-facilitated an online session that explored how we ensure evaluation is inclusive, equitable and community-driven. The first part of the session focuses on criteria central to relationship building in participant-driven community-based evaluation. The second half focuses on empowerment evaluation as an evaluation approach to foster community engagement, improvement and self-determination.

Principles Focused Evaluation: A quick overview

CoLab Dudley has pulled together a quick case study guide for anyone interested in Principles Focused Evaluation (PFE). If you don’t have the time to read Michael Quinn Patton’s 435 page book on PFE then check out this resource. The guide contains links to insights from CoLab Dudley team members telling you why and how PFE works for them in their role. It also outlines the steps they took to implement PFE and tips if you are thinking of using it.

How to incorporate gender in your evaluation

Khulisa Management Services breaks down how they incorporate gender into their work through six best practices. Incorporating gender means incorporating analyses of institutions and structures that limit the realization of gender equity. One best practice that Khulisa implements is developing gender-related evaluation questions like, “have stigma and discrimination against people who do not follow traditional gender norms and behaviours been reduced?” Check out the blog and the accompanying slide deck here.

EvaluATE’s tips for better communication

One-pagers are a necessity when it comes to quickly conveying findings. However, creating a one-pager is often more difficult than a 25-page report! EvaluATE has put together a number of resources to help you create knockout one-page reports. The resources include fillable planning sheets, examples to inspire you, template grids to use in your one-pager and even a couple videos.

EvaluATE also recently posted a blog that outlines strategies for communicating in virtual settings. It outlines some really easy, practical tips for how we can improve our communication in virtual settings. A tip I never thought about – “if you have books in the background turn the spines of the books away. The titles of the books can be distracting and can communicate unintended messages.”

Planning and conducting virtual workshops

Jan Noga (@jannoga) recently contributed to AEA’s A Tip-a-day by publishing a three-part series of articles focused on helping us plan and conduct virtual workshops. In the posts she talks about how online workshops are not the same as in person and gives some helpful tips, tricks and tools that can be used to make sure they are just as effective. The third articles lists “rad resources” like books, training materials, and software to reference when planning your next workshop.