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Session Title: Starting and Succeeding as an Independent Evaluation Consultant
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Panel Session 538 to be held in Panzacola Section F2 on Friday, Nov 13, 1:40 PM to 3:10 PM
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Sponsored by the Independent Consulting TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Amy Germuth, EvalWorks LLC, agermuth@mindspring.com
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| Abstract:
Independent Consultants will share their professional insights on starting and maintaining an Independent Evaluation Consulting business. Panelists will describe ways of building and maintaining client relationships and share their expertise related to initial business set-up and lessons they have learned. Discussions will include the pros and cons of having an independent consulting business, the various types of business structures, methods of contracting and fee setting, as well as the personal decisions that impact on having your own business. They will examine some consequences of evaluation in the context of conducting independent consulting in diverse settings. The session will include ample time for audience members to pose specific questions to the panelists.
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Moving (and Shaking): From Employee to Consultant
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| Jennifer Williams, J E Williams and Associates LLC, jew722@zoomtown.com
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Dr. Jennifer E. Williams is President and Lead Consultant of J. E. Williams and Associates, an adjunct professor, licensed counselor, and Independent Consultant. She has extensive experience conducting education, social and market research and program evaluation. She will share her experience of moving from being an employee to a consultant and the impact it has had on her both personally and professionally.
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Staying Afloat in Turbulent Waters
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| Kathleen Haynie, Kathleen Haynie Consulting, kchaynie@stanfordalumni.org
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Dr. Kathy Haynie has directed Kathleen Haynie Consulting (specializing in educational evaluation) since 2002. In this time of slashed budgets and constrained funding opportunities, many of us fear our viability as independent consultants in the evaluation field. Dr. Haynie will discuss her challenges and strategies during this economic downturn - how she continued to expand her company, as well as her core value to clients during this time. She will discuss topics such as smart risk-taking, professional growth, proposal writing, and identifying your "widget".
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Getting Started: What Questions Do I Need to Ask and Answer Along the Way
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| Judah Viola, National-Louis University, judah.viola@nl.edu
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Dr. Judah J. Viola is an assistant professor of community psychology at National-Louis University in Chicago. He has been working part-time as an independent evaluation consultant for the past six years while maintain his ties to academia. He consults with a variety of school systems, museums, and small non-profits in the mid-west. He recently (published in June 2009) wrote, "Consulting and evaluation with community based organizations: Tools and strategies to start & build a practice". His presentation will focus on what questions new consultants need to ask and answer for themselves before they start their businesses.
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Sharing the Fun
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| Amy Germuth, EvalWorks LLC, agermuth@mindspring.com
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Dr. Amy Germuth, one of four co-founders of Compass Consulting Group, LLC will discuss starting an independent evaluation consulting firm. Since being founded in 2003, Compass Consulting Group has grown by one additional person and tripled in revenue. They have moved from the local/state sphere to conducting program evaluations at the national level and working with such groups as the US Education Department, Westat, the Pew Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Her presentation will focus on her experience sharing a business with three others, including potential issues, benefits, and decisions to consider, a well as ways in which as a group they were better able to grow their business.
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Traveling and Working: International Evaluation Consulting - One Woman's Perspective
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| Tristi Nichols, Manitou Inc, tnichols@manitouinc.com
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Dr. Tristi Nichols is a program evaluator and owner of a sole proprietorship consulting business. Her work focuses primarily on international issues, which provides a unique lens through which to view independent consulting. Her reflections about consulting, international travel, the types of decisions she makes, and their impacts on her professionally and personally as a wife and mother will be of interest to novice, veteran, or aspiring independent consultants.
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Reflections From 30 Years of Evaluation Experience
| Mary Ann Scheirer, Scheirer Consulting, maryann@scheirerconsulting.org
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Dr. Mary Ann Scheirer has been an evaluator for three decades, working in a variety of settings including higher education, government agencies, large consulting firms, and now, independent consulting. Her presentation will focus on how and why she moved into independent consulting and lessons learned form this move. She will provide a contrasting perspective as her move came after many years of service in multiple organizations.
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