Let's get this party started! Using data parties to craft effective evaluation stories

Engaging others to interpret and create a shared understanding of data can be challenging, but when accomplished can increase relevance of evaluation and motivate those involved to action. One way to cultivate engagement during evaluation activities is through data parties, which are meetings that allow for collaborative review, analysis, or interpretation. During these data parties, evaluators and participants (e.g., intended users and partners) can use their respective knowledge, experience, and perspectives to guide the findings and develop recommendations integral to effective evaluation stories. Activities and tools evaluators choose to use in data parties should facilitate participants’ ability to engage with the data and with one another. In this session, we share insights gained from conducting data parties for evaluation of multiple public health fellowship programs managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Workforce Development. We highlight data placemats and visuals for analysis and interpretation, as effective tools to support participatory and productive data parties. Attendees will learn about data parties, how to develop high-quality data placemats, and practice-guided facilitation tips to foster and maximize participation. Attendees can apply these principles to their own data parties and use participant perspectives to guide their evolving evaluation story. After this session, attendees will have a strengthened ability to help data party participants have a direct voice in evaluations, and new tools to add to their practice.