Evaluation Capacity Building Event

When
23 May 2014
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Location
Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Parkway North, Saint Paul, MN 55104

Registration

MNEA Member
Non-Member – $5.00

Registration is closed

Please join us for a lunch presentation and discussion on evaluation capacity building. Hear from Jean King from the University of Minnesota and Michelle Gerrard & Kristin Dillon from Wilder Research. The presentations will take place from 12 - 1 with time for networking and discussion before and after. A light lunch will be provided.

We hope to see you there!

More details about the speakers and presentations:

Jean King's Presentation

This presentation will briefly seek to answer a number of questions that have arisen during evaluation capacity building efforts over the past 15 years: What is the special role of evaluators seeking to help others build evaluation capacity? How can such capacity encompass both the demands of external funders and the needs for internal developmental evaluation? How can you sell evaluation within an organization? Under what conditions is ECB a bad idea?

Jean King is a Professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development at the University of Minnesota where she also coordinates the all-university Program Evaluation minor and serves as Director of the Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute (MESI). She is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and reviews. Her most recent book, Interactive Evaluation Practice (with Laurie Stevahn), was published last year. Since 1999 she has collaborated with staff in several Twin Cities organizations to build their capacity to conduct and use evaluations.

Wilder Research's Presentation

Wilder Research conducts evaluations with dozens of small, medium, and large organizations each year. Michelle Gerrard and Kristin Dillon will talk about their overall approach to evaluation, which has collaboration and capacity building as a central tenet. The goal of capacity building is to meet community organizations where they are at, to help them learn about and get engaged in all steps of the evaluation process, and to help enable them to own the process (or the pieces that they feel comfortable with). Capacity building means many things based on the needs of the organizations. After explaining the overall approach, Michelle and Kristin will discuss specific project examples including:

A recent seminar series conducted with non-profit organizations
Several specific project examples, including small organizations and statewide grant funded projects
Tools including: evaluation tip sheets, pre-made Excel spreadsheets, and written protocols
An internet resource we have developed with tools and evaluation e-learning modules

This session is intended to be interactive, to allow audience members to ask questions, and give their own examples and feedback.

Michelle Decker Gerrard has worked for over 20 years as an evaluator for Wilder Research. She conducts evaluations for dozens of programs, with a particular focus on services for high-risk individuals and families. Michelle also manages a one-night statewide snapshot of Minnesota’s homeless population every three years. Previously, Michelle worked as a risk and prevention counselor and wraparound facilitator for emotionally disturbed and other at-risk youth. Michelle has a Master’s degree in Education, with a focus on risk and prevention, from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Kristin Dillon is a Research Scientist at Wilder Research with an M.A. and Ph.D. in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. She has over eight years of experience managing research and evaluation projects in a variety of human services areas.

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