The Evaluation Center
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Evaluation Planning Retreat

If you’ve been wanting to use data and evaluation to strengthen your program or organization but haven’t had the time, support, or clarity to make it happen, the Evaluation Planning Retreat is for you.

The Evaluation Planning Retreat is a week of hands-on learning where you’ll build the core tools your initiative needs: logic models, evaluation questions, data collection plans, and more. Whether your initiative is brand new or well underway, you’ll leave with practical tools and a clear plan to measure and communicate your impact.

Evaluation Planning Retreat

The Evaluation Center's Evaluation Planning Retreat is for anyone who wants to use data and evaluation to enhance their work. By the end of the week, you’ll leave with an actionable evaluation framework, ready-to-use tools, and a plan to communicate your impact, setting your initiative up for lasting success.

The 2027 retreat will take place May 17-21. 

Sign up below to be notified when registration opens.

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The retreat is designed for teams who are ready to collaborate to either jumpstart a new evaluation or strengthen existing practices. No prior evaluation experience is required. Whether your initiative is still in the planning stages or well underway, you’ll gain practical skills and tangible products, and leverage evaluation to advance your mission.

Each day includes engaging activities, hands-on work time, peer feedback, and one-on-one support from instructors. You’ll apply key concepts directly to your own initiative as you develop foundational evaluation deliverables:

  • Program logic model
  • Detailed evaluation plan, including evaluation questions, indicators, data collection strategies, plans for analysis, and sensemaking
  • New or improved data collection instrument
  • Slide deck to present the plan to others in your organization 
You will also learn:
  • Multiple ways evaluation can be used for the benefit of your organization and the people you serve
  • Simple ways to nurture a culture of evaluation
  • The value of infusing equity- and asset-framing throughout your evaluation

The retreat will be facilitated by senior staff from the Western Michigan University Evaluation Center. We have deep experience as evaluation practitioners and educators and are ready to meet you wherever you are on your evaluation journey. Check back closer to the retreat to learn more about the specific instructors.

The Evaluation Center is widely recognized for its 60+ years of leadership in advancing evaluation theory, practice, and use. We are well known for our talent for translating evaluation concepts into practical strategies to support data-informed learning and decision making.

Learn more about The Evaluation Center and what guides our work by exploring our mission, vision, values, and beliefs about evaluation. 

Have additional questions before registering? View answers to other frequently asked questions about the retreat.

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Pricing and Registration

Registration for the 2027 Evaluation Planning Retreat will open in January 2027. Use the form at the top of this page to be notified when registration opens.

For maximum benefit, we encourage organizations to send more than one person to the retreat.

The registration fee includes instruction; materials; parking; and daily light breakfast, lunch, and snacks. 

Community Participants

$1,460 per person for the week

WMU Participants

$1,241 per person (15% discount) for the week

Evaluation Retreat FAQ's

Review frequently asked questions about the Evaluation Retreat.

Questions

Please email @email with any questions.