188 - Growing an Evaluation Team in a University Environment

Abstract Information: All the best stories start with a problem or a dilemma. Situated in an under-resourced area of Appalachia, many local nonprofit and public organizations depend on grant funding to implement and expand programming. In the late 90s, a public service center realized that their communities, schools and organizations lack the capacity to pursue diverse funding strategies because they had no internal capacity or external resources to meet the evaluation requirements of various state, federal and philanthropic funding opportunities. Sitting within a university within the region, the center was a trusted entity with a history of community engagement and development. This is the story of how the evaluation team developed, both in response to the needs of the communities served and the growing awareness of how important it is to “tell your story”. The American Evaluation Association and in particular, the annual conference are an important part of this story. Through AEA, the team learned from experts, such as Patton, Weiss, Newcomer, Evergreen and Fetterman. Adventures along the way include developing expertise in a variety of evaluation approaches, solid skills in mixed methods, commitment to building capacity of local organizations, managing university bureaucracy and delivering useful high-quality results. In this session, we will talk about building a team, developing a values approach, working with organizations, funders and stakeholders, using evaluation to build organizational capacity within the region, the challenges and benefits of being a part of a university.

Relevance Statement: This is an opportunity to reflect on our growth as an evaluation team and the growth and changes within the field of evaluation over the past twenty-five years. Within an academic setting, evaluation is often seen as the step-child to “real research”. Developing an approach to evaluation that emphasizes rigor and utilization is key. This presentation will explore how we incorporated various methodologies and strategies, focused on using mixed methods so we could both provide the “proof” (data) and “tell the story” (articulating the why). We will also discuss the importance of continuing to develop and refine skills and approaches. Over the years, we have brought back new learnings from AEA, such as ripple effect mapping, social network analysis, participatory evaluation, designing evaluations to better reflect issues of diversity and inclusion and most recently, Social Return on Investment. Additionally, we will discuss the importance of sharing results in meaningful and consumable ways, moving from the fairly academic narrative reports of our humble beginnings to more visual and consumable ways of providing and presenting our work. We will also open discussions about the challenges and benefits of residing within an university, including strategies for recruiting and retaining personnel, working with university’s grants and research structures, navigating Institutional Review Boards and accessing various content expertise in the academy.