Professional Development Workshops

This page provides an overview of information related to submitting professional development workshops as well as a portal for accessing the submission forms. Proposals are due via the online submission forms by midnight Eastern time on March 11, 2005.

Please do not use the application procedures described herein if you wish to present a workshop during the conference itself. Use this only for workshops that precede and follow the conference.

IMPORTANT BACKGROUND: One unique feature of Evaluation 2005 is the focused learning that will take place during professional development workshops. These workshops offer evaluators at all phases of their careers an opportunity to take a look at a topic or skill-set of interest under the tutelage of an expert facilitator. Attendees pay a separate registration fee allowing workshop presenters to receive a stipend. The vast majority of workshops are identified through the open submission process described below. A few workshops are offered through special invitation to fill a specific need not met by the open process or to try out new formats. In particular, sessions offered on Monday, November 3, of this year will be offered by invited speakers, refining a two-day format begun at the AEA conference in 2002.

Professional development workshops will be scheduled on Monday, October 24 and Tuesday, October 25, 2005 between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm (full day sessions only), on Wednesday, October 26, between 8:00 am and 11:00 am and 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm (both full and half day sessions), as well as on Sunday, October 30, between 9:00 am and 12:00 noon (half day sessions only).

These workshops differ from the ones offered during the conference itself in at least three ways: 1) each is longer and thus provides a more in-depth exploration of a skill or area of knowledge, 2) presenters are paid for their time and are expected to have significant experience both presenting and in the subject area, and 3) attendees pay separately for these workshops and are given the opportunity to evaluate the experience.

THE REVIEW PROCESS: Professional development workshop proposals will be competitively reviewed by a committee overseen by AEA and comprised of both US and Canadian representatives. Since space for these workshops is quite limited, we cannot accept all that apply. Therefore, in your proposal, we strongly recommend that you address all of the criteria listed below. A two step process will be used during peer-review:

Step One: Each proposal will first be reviewed on its own merit using the following criteria.

ü The adequacy of the workshop description, including its goals,

ü The salience of the topic given current trends in evaluation,

ü The utility of the outcomes for those registering for the session,

ü The fit between the topic and the teaching/learning strategies outlined in the proposal,

ü The demonstrated expertise of the presenter,

ü The effort of previous presenters to use participant evaluation data to shape their current submission, and

ü The identification of prerequisite knowledge and skill required for intermediate and advanced sessions.

Step Two: Each proposal will then be reviewed on the basis of how well it contributes to the overall quality of the workshop program. To attend to the diverse needs of conference attendees the committee:

ü Seeks a reasonable balance across workshop levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced),

ü Seeks a broad and balanced representation across the spectrum of evaluation theory and practice, and

ü Considers workshops and presenters that will have broad appeal.

Those submitting a proposal will be notified of its status by June 1, 2005.

PAYMENT: We will pay US$500, or the Canadian equivalent, per half-day session and US$1000, or the Canadian equivalent, per full-day session for all professional development workshops presented at Evaluation 2005. All workshops will be held regardless of the number of registrants and all workshop presenters will be paid regardless of the number of registrants. In addition, we will reimburse up to US$3 per attendee for materials' expenses based on receipts submitted by the presenter. Some presenters choose to donate their presentation honorarium to one of the travel awards funds and these donations help those who might otherwise not be able to attend to go to future annual conferences.

REGISTRATION: AEA and CES will handle all registration for the professional development workshops as part of conference registration. We will update you periodically regarding your current enrollment. For sessions that have not yet filled, as many as 20% of the attendees are likely to register on site. All attendees must pay for the session -- presenters may not extend complimentary invitations to attendees.

SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL: There are three steps to submitting a proposal:

Review the Submission Form: Read through and print out for your reference the online proposal submission form. Be sure that you have available to you the required contact information as specified on the form. Click here to to the submission form.
Develop Objectives and Workshop Description: Write your objectives and workshop description in a word processor, checking carefully for spelling and grammar errors. These will serve as the basis for the promotion materials for accepted sessions.
Complete the Submission Form: Fill out each required item and cut-and-paste your objectives and description from your word processor into the appropriate boxes. Check each box at the end and click on the SUBMIT button. Click here to to the submission form.

The American Evaluation Association is charged with overseeing the peer review process and we are here to answer your questions. Questions in English should be directed to Susan or Heidi in the AEA office via email at info@eval.org or via phone at (888) 232-2275 or (508) 748-3326 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Eastern time Monday through Friday. Questions in French should be directed to the Canadian Evaluation Society office via email at secretariat@evaluationcanada.ca or via phone at (613) 725-2526.