Category: Types of Events

2010 ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATORS NETWORKING FORUM

Environmental Evaluation: Quality in an Era of Results-Based Performance
Date: June 7-8, 2010
Venue: Washington, D.C.

The Environmental Evaluators Network (EEN) will host its 5th annual Forum in Washington DC at The George Washington University on June 7,8 2010. The purpose of the EEN is to advance the field of environmental program and policy evaluation through more systematic and collective learning among evaluators and evaluation users. The 5th annual EEN Forum will bring together evaluators and users of evaluation to explore and articulate the significance of the emerging era of results-based performance on the quality of environmental evaluations.

The Issue:

Growing awareness of the interdependencies of our social, economic, and ecological systems requires more efficient use of scarce resources to evaluate complex problems. In this heightened era of accountability, recipients and funders of environmental programs want evidence of what works, and what does not, and better mechanisms for using real time information for decision-making. How will the era of results-based performance affect the quality of environmental evaluations? What must be done to improve the quality of environmental evaluations to meet the requirements and desire for better and more accessible evidence of program and policy effectiveness? Continue reading “2010 ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATORS NETWORKING FORUM”

Conference: “Evaluation Revisited: Improving the Quality of Evaluative Practice by Embracing Complexity.”

PS: Videos of the event are now available:  video_1.wmv video_2.wmv video_3.wmv . The EvaluationRevisited conference website also has a number of interesting post conference comments by different participants.

Date: 20-21 May 2010
Venue: Netherlands

On May 20-21, 2010, a conference on evaluation for development will be held in The Netherlands: “Evaluation Revisited: Improving the Quality of Evaluative Practice by Embracing Complexity.”

This conference focuses on how evaluative practice can be improved, given the need to view much of development as a process of social transformation and, therefore, complex. Current evaluation practice has not yet embraced the full implications of assessing ‘the complex’ and existing approaches often fall woefully short. During the conference, participants can explore concrete evaluation practices that reconcile an understanding of complex societal change processes with quality standards, including rigorous, ethical concerns, appropriateness and feasibility. Continue reading “Conference: “Evaluation Revisited: Improving the Quality of Evaluative Practice by Embracing Complexity.””

European Evaluation Society Conference – Evaluation in the Public Interest – Participation, Politics and Policy

Date: 6-8 October 2010
Venue: Prague, Czech Republic

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the EES Board of Directors we are pleased to announce that the next EES biennial conference will take place in Prague, Czech Republic on 6-8 October 2010, preceded by professional development training sessions on October 4-5. We have launched a new website www.ees2010prague.org where you can find all useful information in regards to the conference. The website will be regularly updated, for newest information please visit section Home – News.

Please find attached a Call for abstract brochure with all information regarding the abstract submission and programme strands.
We want to encourage a wide range of contributions to the conference. Therefore we offer different types of presentation formats, which should be indicated while submitting your abstract. All abstracts are welcome and the best ones are likely to be published or otherwise disseminated by EES. But in addition participants can make use of a wide spectrum of possibilities (panels and symposia, round tables, posters, etc). We also invite creative and original vehicles using the performing arts, film, music, etc.

The Conference topic „Evaluation in the Public Interest – Participation, Politics and Policy“  will be discussed in five strands you are welcome to submit the proposals. Submission strands are:

1.    Ethics, capabilities and transparency
2.    Evaluation and politics
3.    Evaluation producers, beneficiaries, users and decision makers
4.    Sector policy evaluation
5.    Evaluation in developing and transition economies

Please note the overarching theme “methodology, standards, impact and effects”.
As we would like to welcome as many presenters and attendees at this conference as possible, we need your assistance! So kindly pass on this mail to your colleagues and associates and encourage them to arrange for a contributio.

The Conference administration is undertaken by:

CZECH-IN s.r.o.
Professional Event & Congress Organiser
Prague Congress Centre
5. kvetna 65
140 21 Prague 4
Czech Republic

In case of any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at:

Tel: +420 261 174 304
Fax: +420 261 174 307
Email: info@ees2010prague.org, abstracts@ees2010prague.org

Abstract submission is to be open at 18 February 2010

Registration is to be open at 18 February 2010

For more information please visit www.ees2010prague.org

Thank you very much
Looking forward to welcoming you in Prague in October 2010

Conference Secretariat and EES Conference co-chairs Marie Kaufmann & Claudine Voyadzis

American Evaluation Association – Call for Proposals

The American Evaluation Association invites evaluators from around the world to attend its annual conference to be held Wednesday, November 10, through Saturday, November 13, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. We’ll be convening at the lovely Grand Hyatt San Antonio, right in the heart of the vibrant city and adjacent to the Riverwalk’s nightlife, restaurants, and strolling grounds. Discounted hotel reservations will be available in March.

AEA’s annual meeting is expected to bring together approximately 2500 evaluation practitioners, academics, and students, and represents a unique opportunity to gather with professional colleagues in a collaborative, thought-provoking, and fun atmosphere.

The conference is broken down into 44 Topical Strands that examine the field from the vantage point of a particular methodology, context, or issue of interest to the field as well as the Presidential Strand highlighting this year’s Presidential Theme of Evaluation Quality. Presentations may explore the conference theme or any aspect of the full breadth and depth of evaluation theory and practice.

Proposals are due by midnight in the Eastern time zone, on Friday, March 19, 2010.  More details here

INTRAC courses on M&E in 2010

1. Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation

19-23 April 2010 (repeated 27 September–1 October 2010)

£1250 fully residential (4 nights accommodation and all meals), £999 non-residential (including lunch, refreshments and materials)

Oxford, UK

http://www.intrac.org/events.php?action=event&id=90

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is an essential component of international NGOs, NGOs and civil society organisations striving for greater accountability in their work. There is an increasing demand in the sector for staff to understand what M&E entails, why it is so vital, and how to do it well and in a participatory way. This course will give a thorough introduction to the concepts and practical knowledge and skills needed by new staff, or staff new to M&E. Participants will learn to conduct monitoring and evaluation activities that will help their projects and programmes improve accountability, learning and effectiveness.

Objectives of the course.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Define the main terms and concepts associated with the processes of monitoring and evaluating
  • projects and programmes
  • Articulate the key purposes of M&E and be able to prioritise according to the context
  • Select and use a range of tools with confidence
  • Apply results of M&E processes to both accountability and organisational learning.

“My trip to Burundi was fantastic and I really felt I went into it with open eyes after the training…I just wanted you to know how much your training has really helped me launch into monitoring and evaluation. It was just so exciting to finally apply this in the field.”

Danielle Tirello Givens, Program Associate, Africa and the Middle East, Episcopal Relief & Development – a participant on an Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation course

2. Advanced Monitoring and Evaluation

26-30 April 2010 (repeated on 18-22 October 2010 and 14-18 March 2011)

£1250 fully residential (4 nights accommodation and all meals), £999 non-residential (including lunch, refreshments and materials)

Oxford, UK

http://www.intrac.org/events.php?action=event&id=91

This course explores M&E in greater depth than the introductory course. It is particularly relevant for staff that have a responsibility for those who are either managing or coordinating M&E in projects/programmes, trying to improve and enhance current M&E systems, and/or supporting partners to develop and implement effective M&E. The focus is on building coherent, effective and realistic systems that will serve to improve organisational learning and accountability.

Objectives of the course.

At the end of the course, participants will:

  • Have consolidated their understanding of terms and concepts in M&E
  • Be able to identify characteristics of an effective M&E system
  • Be able to design and implement an effective and contextually appropriate M&E system
  • Be better equipped to address challenges faced by their organisation and their partners in developing effective M&E systems.

3. Impact Assessment

26-28 May 2010 (repeated on 6-8 October 2010 and 23-25 March 2011)

With increased pressure on delivery and accountability, the need has never been greater for development and civil society organisations to assess the longer-term impact of their work. This three-day course explores the challenge of measuring impact and attribution and provides very practical tools and methods.

Objectives of the course

At the end of the course, participants will:

  • Have developed conceptual clarity of impact assessment and its purpose
  • Be able to select and apply appropriate methods and tools of assessing impact from a range of approaches
  • Have considered the relevance of their organisation’s theory of change in relation to impact assessment
  • Be better equipped to ensure that impact assessments contribute effectively to organisational learning and accountability.

“Excellent! As a facilitator myself, I’m really impressed.”

Anna Rambe, Programme Development Officer, Forum Syd – a participant on INTRAC’s Impact Assessment course

Training on M&E in South Africa in 2010

Southern Hemisphere consulting and development services are providing the following training courses, during the coming year:

PROJECT PLANNING, MONITORING & EVALUATION
* Project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation for Development Practitioners*

DEVELOPING A MONITORING & EVALUATION SYSTEM
*How to Develop a Monitoring & Evaluation System*

Dtails of these course, including costs and dates, are available on their website. Or email training@southernhemisphere.co.za

The 2010 International Program for Development Evaluation Training

Date: June 7, 2010 to July 2, 2010
Venue: Ottawa, Canada

“Information on the 2010 International Program for Development Evaluation Training is now available at www.ipdet.org and on-line registration is open.

This year marks IPDET’s tenth-year anniversary and we are very excited by the way this year’s program is taking shape. Once again this year, the Core program will offer eighty hours of instruction and learning in the fundamentals of development evaluation. Participants will also have more than 25 workshops to choose from in the two weeks that follow the Core, including several dynamic new workshops that will be of interest to you and your organization: Continue reading “The 2010 International Program for Development Evaluation Training”

Workshop: Understanding the effects of development interventions: Theory-based impact evaluation in practice.

A three-day workshop jointly organised by Maastricht University and the University of Antwerp.

Date: April 28-30, 2010
Venue: Institute of Development Policy and Management, Lange Sint Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

Focus

In the past few years development organizations in both North and South have focused on improving evaluations of development interventions. As a result, demand for highquality impact evaluation has increased. Impact evaluation refers to the growing field of evaluative practices aimed at assessing the effects of a broad range of policy interventions. As well as enhancing the accountability of public spending in development, it has the potential to be an important learning tool, allowing us to understand what works and why under what conditions. To help impact evaluation to achieve this potential evaluators and policy makers need to open the ‘black box’ of policy interventions. Attention should be paid not only to the changes caused by an intervention but also to understanding how and why these changes have been brought about. In other words interventions should be considered as theories and evaluations are the tools for reconstructing, refining and testing these theories. This is the essence of theory-based evaluation.
The workshop focuses on the concept and application of theory-based impact evaluation in development. It starts with an overview of the key issues in impact evaluation and development effectiveness. Subsequently, the principles of theory-based impact evaluation will be discussed. Particular attention is paid to how a theory of change provides a framework for further inquiry. Starting out from a theory based perspective, different methodological approaches, from review and synthesis of existing evidence to full-scale empirical inquiry, will be presented and illustrated. These methods and modalities can form the basis for an institutional strategy on impact evaluation and learning, which is the subject of the final part of the workshop. Continue reading “Workshop: Understanding the effects of development interventions: Theory-based impact evaluation in practice.”

Workshop: Designing and Building a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System

Date: Sunday   23-May-10   09:00 AM   till: Thursday   27-May-10   05:00 PM
Venue: Amman, Jordan

Join us in Amman, Jordan for a 5-days training workshop in designing and building a results-based M&E system.  The course is organized by the Jordan Education Initiative (JEI) and will heavily depend on the material developed in conjunction with International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) and the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank.

Combining both attention to M&E theory and practical applications of the theory, the 40-45 participants completing the course will gain knowledge and experience on how to design a results-based M&E system, understand the M&E tools, techniques, and resources needed for planning, organizing, and/or managing programs and projects.  The course provides an overview of the theoretical foundations of M&E methods, as well as ample opportunities for practical application of these methods through case studies, course exercises, and group projects.  The discussions will be practical and hands on. Participants will work in teams, discuss problem scenarios, share experiences, and develop M&E tools that they can apply in their own jobs following the course.

FOR MORE DETAILS

Visit http://www.jei.org.jo/#/18

CONTACT DETAILS:

Email: JEI@JEI.ORG.JO

Tel: +962 6 5502360 Fax: +962 6 5502370

Training: Logical Framework Analysis for Programme & Project Planning

Date: 26 March 2010
Venue: Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK.

LFA is the project planning tool used by major international donor organizations such as the World Bank.  It allows organizations to define objectives in a simple, rigorous, logical and concise manner. It has the power to communicate complex objectives clearly and understandably on a single sheet of paper, and is a great ‘aid to thinking’ for project planners and stakeholders alike. LFA serves as a powerful tool for identifying: inputs, assumptions for success, and indicators for monitoring progress and evaluating performance.  This course will be invaluable for anyone who needs to run, or participate in, any LFA process.The course presenter has extensive experience with LFA: having worked with a number of donor agencies (including Australian Aid, DANCED, the EU, and the World Bank) as well as with a range of NGO’s in a number of countries.
Course fee: £100.

Course registration form available here.

Please note: this course is held in Banbury, Oxfordshire, however we can also run this course at your own venue, on a date to suit – please contact us for details.

%d bloggers like this: