Be ready to get to work - you/your team will be working on your evaluation plan deliverables each day.
Identify the program, initiative, intervention project, or other change effort for which you will develop your evaluation plan. (See next question.) Additionally, if you have any materials related to that endeavor or any existing evaluation efforts, bring them with you (either print or digital).
If you have any questions about what type of effort you should focus on during the retreat, email "WMU Evaluation Center" to schedule a brief meeting for guidance.
The retreat’s content on developing evaluation plans applies to anything your organization is doing to help people, organizations, or communities improve, thrive, or sustain strong performance.
If you can ask questions like these about your endeavor, it’s a good fit for the retreat:
- Is it making a difference?
- What successes should we build on?
- What could we do better?
- It seems like it’s going well (or not so well) - what evidence can we gather to back up (or correct) this hunch?
A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the retreat. If you are interested in getting continuing education credits for attendance, let us know, and we may be able to arrange that.
The retreat will cover the basic evaluation concepts and practices that most experienced evaluators will have already mastered. However, the retreat includes independent work time with individualized feedback and support from the facilitators. Experienced evaluators may appreciate the dedicated time and collegial atmosphere for developing evaluation plans for a specific initiative.
The ideal situation is for program teams and evaluators (or others whose work intersects evaluation, such as grant writers and consultants) to attend the retreat together.
Absolutely! The retreat includes structured time to work on your own materials, along with opportunities to share ideas, challenges, and progress with other participants. The retreat facilitators will provide feedback and guidance to every organization represented at the retreat, regardless of the number of team members in attendance.
Bring a laptop and charging cord. If you like taking handwritten notes, also bring a notebook and writing utensil. We encourage you to bring your own refillable water bottle to reduce waste.
The main retreat activities will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. We will serve breakfast daily beginning at 8:30 a.m. There will be a one-hour lunch break at noon and 15-minute breaks each morning and afternoon. With multiple independent work periods built into the schedule, participants will have the flexibility to take additional breaks as needed.
Yes, a light breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be served. Breakfast includes assorted breakfast breads, fruit, and yogurt with granola.
Lunch will be a rotating menu that features the following items:
- Monday - Salad, soup, and baked potato bar
- Tuesday - Chef’s salad bar
- Wednesday - Pasta bar
- Thursday - Taco bar
- Friday - Salad and Baked Casseroles (Shepherd’s pie and macaroni & cheese)
Cookies and assorted snacks will be provided in the afternoon.
Water, soft drinks, coffee, and tea will be served all day.
Vegan and gluten-free options are available upon request.
Wear what you are most comfortable in. Most people will be dressed casually or business casual. Dress in layers to accommodate variations in room temperature.
- WMU buildings are ADA-compliant.
- There is an elevator to the second floor of the Fetzer Center, where the retreat will take place.
- Live captions will be used throughout the event, displayed via the projector system.
- Participants will receive handouts and worksheets in both print and digital form. Printed slides are available upon request.
Please let us know about any other accommodations that would make your participation more successful.
The Fetzer Center is located at 2251 Business Court, Kalamazoo, MI. Free parking is available for Fetzer Center guests and is located in front of the Fetzer Center in Parking Lot 72F. This lot has ample handicap-accessible parking.
No permit is required for non-WMU participants. If you have a WMU student parking pass, you should park in the student parking lot to avoid being ticketed.
The Fetzer Center has a lactation space (Room 2050) that is located on the same floor as the retreat.