| Session Title: Practicing Systemic Methods for Evaluation of Food Systems |
| Skill-Building Workshop 776 to be held in Mencken Room on Saturday, November 10, 12:10 PM to 1:40 PM |
| Sponsored by the Systems in Evaluation TIG |
| Chair(s): |
| Glenda Eoyang, Human Systems Dynamics Institute, geoyang@hsdinstitute.org |
| Presenter(s): |
| Ken Meter, Crossroads Resource Center, kmeter@crcworks.org |
| Abstract: Inner-city children, consumers, and farmers alike are impacted by global forces that are very difficult to understand from local points of view. Yet these broader issues deeply affect local contexts. Many evaluators are not trained to understand the complexity of food systems, though this realm is vital to community health and welfare. As in any evaluation setting, a multitude of issues interact. Participants with diverse points of view may carry diverse self-interests. The presenters work closely with complex systems including local foods initiatives. Using lessons learned in this field work, this workshop offers you both research insights and practical tools. These can be applied in more bounded settings as well. This presentation/experiential session will cover the following topics: - Complex dynamics in local and national food system work - Conceptual approaches to complexity - Identifying linked indicators that distill complex issues into concise measures. |