Independent Consulting
monique liston, PhD
Chief Strategist and Joyful Militant
UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, United States
Sojourner White, MSW (she/her/hers)
Director of Evaluation & Learning
UBUNTU Research & Evaluation, LLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Location: White River Ballroom E
Abstract Information: Failure is a fact of life. Even the most well-seasoned evaluators experience failure. However, we could gain a lot by making intentional space for practitioners to share failure as an act of vulnerability, relationship-building, and capacity-building. Our independent consulting organization instituted a bi-monthly fail lab for consultants to talk about failures as they occur in the organization. While many know that failure happens, many people do not have enough practice sharing failures with others. This birds of a feather gathering will use our Fail Lab model for others to share and learn about evaluation failures together.
Relevance Statement: Birds of a Feather Gatherings are unique opportunities to talk to other practitioners and that is rare opportunity considering the daily demand of our work schedules. This opportunity is essentially an informal skill building opportunity to models a practice that we should all have a chance to practice no matter the skill-level, access to professional development or academic attainment. This offering is quiet resistance to access often denied for those coming to a conference and cannot afford to attend pre-conference offerings.