Learning to visualize data through charts and graphs is an effective way to communicate key insights to stakeholders quickly. When evaluators and applied researchers design data visualizations that illustrate the change between two data points, most default to the clustered (or grouped) bar graph. But there are so many choices out there! In this talk, several alternative methods for visualizing change between two points in time that go beyond the bar will be presented. This discussion will dig into this assumption, examining what we mean by each of these concepts, and exploring how the application of an intersectional feminist lens can in fact nuance and enhance our understanding of rigor in evaluation.

Google Data Studio (GDS) is a free, flexible, and robust system for creating dashboards and interactive reports. GDS seamlessly connects with existing spreadsheets, making it an ideal tool for evaluators and community agencies seeking to maximize the value of their data. This workshop demonstrates how to use GDS to convert a collection of static agency reports into a single, interactive report that can easily be updated, extended, and shared. We also offer resources and suggested strategies to promote efficient skill development.

As the most frequently used qualitative research method, the in-depth interview enables researchers to explore complex issues and gain a contextually rich understanding of participants’ lived experiences. However, the complexities associated with conducting qualitative research – and, specifically, in-depth interviews – present unique challenges to researchers who strive to develop qualitative research designs that result in meaningful contextual data while incorporating quality measures that maximize the ultimate usefulness of their research. 

This session presents an approach that brings greater rigor to the in-depth interview method without stifling the creative approaches and interpretations utilized by skilled qualitative researchers. This approach is the Total Quality Framework (TQF) which is a comprehensive and principled yet flexible way to conceptualize, implement, and interpret qualitative research. This session discusses the TQF, focusing on the Credibility component having to do with data gathering. The discussion includes practical examples of how to apply the Credibility component of the TQF to the in-depth interview method.

Indigenous nation (re)building occurs as an Indigenous nation strengthens its own foundational capacity for governance and self-determined community development. Much can be done to spur Indigenous nation rebuilding, from executive leadership training to inter-nation visits, community-wide strategic planning, work on constitutional reform, and more. But the actual results of these efforts—which can manifest in improved social, economic, health, and environmental outcomes—generally arise slowly and only over the longer term. How is it possible to know whether an Indigenous nation is moving along the nation building pathway? How can champions identify what is working and amplify those efforts?

A medicine wheel logic model provides an approach for evaluation work that is rooted in Indigenous cultural frameworks. From the initial focus on identity to the final recommendations and intergenerational nature of each stage, this model challenges mainstream ideas and offers an alternative perspective that is much needed in this field.

The focus on equity, especially racial and gender equity in the US have received supercharged attention, especially with the growth of the Black Lives Matter and Me Too Movement, and the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. At the same time, primarily in the international development context, there is burgeoning discourse on the importance of decolonizing development and the need for localization. These three movements/discourses seem to converge around the importance of dismantling old power structures that are at the root of long-standing social and economic inequities.

In a PhD-level Foundations of Evaluation course, students are anticipated to gain an in-depth understanding of the origins and history of evaluation as well as its evolution toward an independent discipline. They should also develop a basic understanding of a wide array of evaluation theory and practice perspectives. In a changing world, deep understanding of the foundational theories vitally grounds evaluation professionals, helping them to be more responsive and inclusive. Targeting these objectives was the purpose of a mock debate between students posing as evaluation theorists. The cognitive complexity represented in the debate transcript shows that students can articulate theorist approaches and, when challenged by their classmates, occasionally compare, contrast, and evaluate different approaches.

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