EVALUATION 2005 CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

The Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) and the American Evaluation Association (AEA) are jointly sponsoring a conference to be held from Wednesday-Saturday October 24 through October 30, 2005 at The Sheraton Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Half-, one-, and two-day professional development workshops will precede and follow the conference itself on Monday-Wednesday, October 24-26, and Sunday, October 30, 2005. 

The 2005 CES/AEA Joint Conference welcomes evaluation practitioners, academics, and students from across North America and around the world to learn from each other in a supportive atmosphere. We anticipate attendance in excess of 2200 delegates and welcome attendees who are just beginning their careers as well as seasoned experts. Evaluation 2005 will replace the 2005 annual conferences of both CES and AEA. We look forward to attracting delegates from around the globe for this exceptional international event. 

The Conference is broken into thematic strands including two high-profile strands, one focusing on the conference theme of "Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries", the other focusing on issues of special relevance to the Canadian evaluation community. Regular proposals, including those from Canadian representatives, have been submitted to one of 34 strands sponsored by AEA’s Topical Interest Groups (TIGs). French-language proposals have been submitted to a French-language strand or to the aforementioned Canadian Strand for review. Each of these strand types has different review and selection processes and will contribute varying numbers of sessions to the overall program of over 450 conference sessions. 

What else would you like to learn about the conference?

• More about the Conference Theme: Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries

• More about the Canadian Strand

• More about the Topical Interest Group Strands

• More about the French-language Strand

• Invitation Messages from AEA and CES Leaders

• Draft Conference Schedule and Keynotes

• **NEW** Information on Ethics Related Sessions

• Return to the main conference page to learn about Workshops, Registration, Travel, etc.

We look forward to seeing you in Toronto!.

THE CONFERENCE THEME and THEMATIC STRAND

We live in a world of boundaries and borders – geographic borders, disciplinary boundaries, and intellectual territoriality. Competing models, professional jargon and alternative frameworks sometimes divide us – as do perspectives, contexts, cultures, politics, values, and experiences. These differences also provide opportunities for cross-fertilization and possibilities for thinking about evaluation in new ways as we share diverse experiences and perspectives.

Boundaries and borders are human constructions. They can be and often are functional. While they sometimes create barriers to mutual understanding and communication, crossing borders and boundaries can offer opportunities for new syntheses, hybrid creations and creative partnerships. In the interest of the further development of the evaluation profession and international collaboration, the theme for the 2005 Joint CES/AEA Evaluation Conference in Toronto is: Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries.

The conference theme will be highlighted in a strand of specific thematic sessions as well as incorporated into the content of many sessions spread throughout the conference.

THE CANADIAN STRAND

Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries provides an excellent backdrop for discussion, dialogue and deliberation about issues and questions of particular interest to evaluation in the Canadian context. To that end, one Canadian Strand session has been scheduled in each of the conference concurrent session time slots. These high-profile sessions are reserved for theme-based exchanges of relevance to evaluation in the Canadian context.

THE TOPICAL INTEREST GROUP STRANDS

Thirty-five Topical Interest Groups (TIGs) participated in proposal reviews and developed topically-based strands for the conference. TIGs are sub-groups of AEA comprised of people with a common interest in an area of evaluation theory, practice, or the profession. CES representatives participated in the TIG review process.

Questions about the TIGs may be directed to the AEA office (info@eval.org) or the leadership for the particular TIG. A list of the TIGs and leaders may be found at http://www.eval.org/TIGs/tig.html.

THE FRENCH-LANGUAGE STRAND

Evaluation 2005 is a dual-language conference. The French-language sessions selected for the program have been combined to form a French-language strand woven throughout the conference or incorporated into the Canadian Strand. Most French-language sessions will have simultaneous translation available into English.

INVITATION MESSAGES FROM AEA and CES LEADERS

Message from Sharon F. Rallis, AEA President

Welcome to the CES/AEA 2005 Conference. On behalf of the AEA Board of Directors, I extend our heartfelt welcome to the annual conference, this year co-hosted and planned in collaboration with the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES). The theme of this conference, Crossing Borders; Crossing Boundaries, recognizes much more than the geographic border between our countries. In addition to raising multiple conceptualizations of the terms border and boundary, the theme also marks the international growth and development of evaluation. Presenters represent more than forty nations of the world.

Thanks to the program co-chairs, Michael Patton and Brad Cousins, and to the conference co-chairs, Jean King and Arnold Love, you have a plethora of opportunities from which to select: panels, papers, plenaries, posters, receptions, general meetings – as well as innumerable informal and serendipitous gatherings. Their imagination, perseverance, coordination, and organization have made this all happen. Our location, the Sheraton Centre Hotel, offers many and varied spaces to connect with new acquaintances or catch up with old friends.

While the first CES and AEA joint conference occurred a decade ago, our collaboration extends even further back. In fact, I recently found a paper I presented at one of the first annual conferences I attended as a fledgling evaluator; the conference was also in Toronto, Evaluation ’85, a Joint Meeting of the Canadian Evaluation Society, the Evaluation Network, and Evaluation Research Society. (In 1986, the latter two associations joined as AEA.) Now, twenty years later, I am deeply honored to be co-presiding in Toronto at this event that celebrates the on-going border-crossing of our two professional associations, and I look forward to joining Carl Doucette, CES National President, in various conference events.

The city of Toronto is an especially appropriate location for this conference. It ranks as the city with the most ethnically and culturally diverse population in the world. A walk down the streets or across the many parks or through the underground PATH walkway, all accessible from the hotel, will reveal the people, shops, restaurants of the city. I encourage you to take a break from conference sessions to enjoy some of the city’s offerings. I offer my appreciation to the Local Arrangements Committee and the CES Ontario Chapter for their efforts to facilitate a wonderful visit.

I hope that your experience at the conference will be both professionally and personally meaningful and rewarding. May you engage in dialogue and gain insights that inform your evaluations so that they may in turn contribute to social betterment and to the global evaluation-community’s body of knowledge. And don’t forget to eat well.  Let the border and boundary-crossing begin!

Message from Carl Doucette, CES President

On behalf of the National Council of the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES), it is my pleasure to welcome you to this joint CES/AEA 2005 Conference.

This is the second joint conference that CES has had the opportunity of co-hosting with the American Evaluation Association (AEA) with the first one being in 1995 in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The first joint conference is considered by many evaluation practitioners and academics to have played a very significant role in the international development of evaluation. I am confident that the 2005 Joint Conference will also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of evaluation both in North America and internationally.  This conference also contributes significantly to the vision of CES as a leader in Canada in the field of evaluation and a major contributor in the global evaluation community.

The conference theme of cultural and cross-cultural influences on evaluation is particularly relevant within the context of our global society and internationalization in the field of evaluation.  CES is pleased that this conference is taking place in Toronto, a city known and respected internationally for its rich cultural diversity.

I would like to thank the conference co-chairs, Dr. Arnold Love and Dr. Jean King and their dedicated committee members for organizing a conference that incorporates the conference theme in a very dynamic manner. Thanks also to Jim Cullen, Canadian program co-chair (francophone), who looked after the interests of our French-language colleagues. This conference will provide delegates with many opportunities and venues to learn, to share and to network with colleagues and fellow delegates.

I would also like to thank the CES Ontario Chapter and in particular the Local Arrangements Committee for their work in planning and implementing all of the activities related to hosting the conference.

I look forward to joining Sharon Rallis, AEA President in many activities and events throughout the conference proceedings. The supportive and close relationship between CES and AEA is clearly evident through our willingness and ability to work in partnership in the planning of this joint conference.

My wish is that this joint conference will provide delegates with a very beneficial professional experience and a deeper understanding of the cultural and cross cultural influences on evaluation. It is my hope that delegates will use the knowledge and insights gained during the conference to improve the human condition in our global society.  

Message from Jean King, AEA Conference Co-Chair

Message from Arnold Love, CES Conference Co-Chair

On behalf of the CES Ontario Chapter and its Local Arrangements Committee team, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all Conference delegates, especially our colleagues and friends from AEA and our many guests from around the world. Toronto is renowned for its ethnic diversity, fine restaurants, and charming neighbourhoods.  The Sheraton Centre is located right in the heart of Toronto's entertainment district, affording convenient opportunities to network, relax and enjoy a meal together. If you have a question about Toronto or if we can help you in some way, just ask. Welcome to Toronto!

Draft Conference Schedule

AEA Ethics Committee List of Ethics Related Sessions

The AEA Ethics Committee has compiled a list of ethics related sessions taking place at Evaluation 2005 in an effort to provide attendees with a sampling of the wide variety of  sessions available on ethical issues. To view the list please Click Here.

Questions in English or about AEA?

  Please email the AEA office at info@eval.org or  call us at (888) 232-2275 or (508) 748-3326
Questions in French or about CES?

Please email the CES office at secretariat@evaluationcanada.ca or call us at (613) 725-2526