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Session Title: Collaboration: Necessary Method or Personal Value?
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Panel Session 609 to be held in Wekiwa 5 on Friday, Nov 13, 3:35 PM to 4:20 PM
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Sponsored by the Collaborative, Participatory & Empowerment Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Stephanie Townsend, Independent Consultant, stephanie.townsend@earthlink.net
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| Discussant(s):
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| Robin Miller, Michigan State University, mill1493@msu.edu
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| Abstract:
Collaboration has been posited as an important component of what many consider "good" evaluation practice. However, many questions remain. Among them is whether we should consider collaboration as essential to evaluation practice and, if so, what it looks like across contexts. This panel will initiate a discussion related to the who, how and why of collaborative approaches. Following an overview and synthesis of existing models of collaborative evaluation, the panel will explore the notion of what constitutes collaboration from multiple viewpoints. From the field, we explore paradoxes that arise when evaluators define what collaboration will entail and the challenges when it is viewed differently by their clients. From academe, we explore the implications for training and practice when collaboration is deemed a required competence. The intended goal is provide ongoing opportunities for dialogue to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of collaboration.
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Collaboration in the Field: Exploring Evaluator-Client Fit
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| Stephanie Townsend, Independent Consultant, stephanie.townsend@earthlink.net
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The first presenter will begin by providing a brief overview of the state of collaboration in evaluation, highlighting multiple perspectives and approaches and synthesizing them by identifying common definitional elements. Then, drawing from experience consulting with diverse organizations, she will explore how she has enacted collaboration in her work. This exploration will highlight paradoxes that have arisen from disparities between her value and definition of collaboration and the ways her clients envision collaboration.
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Collaboration in Academe: Defining Professional Competencies
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| Cheryl Poth, University of Alberta, cpoth@ualberta.ca
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The second presenter will extend the discussion into academe by examining how collaboration perspectives are enacted in research and graduate training. Having been involved in discussions related to the Canadian Evaluation Association's current efforts to establish certification requirements, she will explore the implications of collaborative aspects for training and defining professional competencies.
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