Call for 2003 Conference Evaluation Team
DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS: APRIL 1, 2003  

THE EVALUATION TEAM HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR 2003

The American Evaluation Association is soliciting proposals to evaluate the 2003 conference in Reno/Sparks, Nevada  This call is open only to students studying evaluation in a university setting. AEA’s Professional Development Committee will review each proposal and submit a recommendation to the Board of Directors for final selection. Evaluating the annual conference is seen as a professional development opportunity for students who wish to engage in a mentoring and apprenticeship experience.  The results of previous years’ evaluations have been used to improve many aspects of the annual conference.  

Click here to review the results from the 2001 and 2002 conference evaluations.

This year’s evaluation will focus on:

1.       Overall conference satisfaction plus a special emphasis on the Presidential Strand and Plenary sessions.

2.       Participant and facilitator satisfaction with pre and post conference Professional Development Workshops.

3.       Reasons why participants return to the annual conference.

4.       Conference program materials.

The Evaluation Team in collaboration with the AEA Professional Development Committee will develop the evaluation questions and data collection methods that address these areas.

Evaluation Team Requirements:

• A group of 4 to 5 graduate students working with one faculty advisor (this may be in conjunction with an independent study, field experience, or internship where credit is given).  The faculty advisor is expected to play an active role in guiding the students’ work on the evaluation’s design, development, and implementation.

• Ability to work with the Professional Development Committee who will review and provide feedback throughout the evaluation’s design and implementation.

• An evaluation plan outlining the evaluation’s purpose, key questions, data collection methods, analyses, roles and responsibilities, budget, and timeline.

• Ability to meet deadlines for completing various evaluation tasks.

• Knowledge and skills in mixed-method designs.

• Preference will be given to teams with members who have attended an AEA conference and/or are AEA members.

Timeline:

• April 1: All responses to this request are due in the AEA office

• May 1:  Award is made – Submit proposal for IRB approval if required

• June 15: Draft evaluation plan due to Professional Development Comm. who then provides feedback by July 1

• July 15:  Final draft of evaluation plan due

• August 15:  Draft of data collection instruments due to Professional Development Committee for feedback

• September 15:  Final draft of data collection instruments due

• November 5-10: Conduct data collection at conference in Reno, Nevada

• January 5, 2004: Draft copy of evaluation report due to Professional Development Committee and AEA office

• January 30, 2004: Final evaluation report due to the AEA office

Available Support:

• Up to $5000 for reimbursable costs (e.g., transportation, lodging, duplication, incentives, postage, meals)

• Conference registration for 4-5 students and one faculty member

• Access to the previous three years’ evaluation reports and lead evaluators

• An option to write up the results and submit for possible publication in the American Journal of Evaluation

The Submission Process: 

Electronic submissions are encouraged via email at office@eval.org . Landmailed submissions should be sent to: AEA, 16 Sconticut Neck Rd #290, Fairhaven MA 02719. All materials must arrive by the April 1, 2003 deadline to be considered. Each team should submit the following as a package (when submitting electronically, it is preferred that these are sent as a single file whenever possible)::

1.     Current vita and conference attendance history for each team member plus one for the faculty advisor.

2.     Statement of interest, not to exceed 3 pages, identifying the team’s a) composition, b) experience integrating quantitative and qualitative data, c) experience conducting evaluations, and d) reasons for wanting to conduct the 2003 conference evaluation.

If you have questions about the conference evaluation, please contact
Hallie Preskill at hpreskil@unm.edu or via phone at (505) 277-6015