MESI: Pre-Session Workshop

Introduction to Program Evaluation

March 3 and 4, 2008

Pre-session summary

Are you a relative newcomer to the field of evaluation? Do you want to brush up on your evaluation skills? This special 2 day workshop will cover the basics of program evaluation.

What you will learn: What is evaluation?

• Come to understand how evaluation is defined and basic evaluation terms.
• Come to know a bit about the writers and theorists in the field of evaluation.
• Come to understand that great program evaluation begins with developing great questions and how program logic models and outcomes can be useful tools.
• Come to explore the strengths and weaknesses of various evaluation methods such as: questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, focus group interviews, observation, testing, and review of existing records.

What others have said

“The workshop broadened my vision and scope . . . I learned that evaluation is a continuous process, not just statistics . . . She showed us how to use the information for organizational learning and improved services to our clients.”

“Dr. Stockdill . . . has changed our collective view of evaluation from that of status-quo to the realization that it can be a potent vehicle for program enhancement.”

“Stacey’s course book is really great. It provides the information succinctly . . . the content is first-rate.”

“Stacey’s approach is clear . . . Handouts will be invaluable, especially the father away we get from this training.”

About the presenter

Stacey Hueftle Stockdill, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of EnSearch, Inc., a specialized evaluation firm assisting individuals working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs, projects and materials. She is a 1997 recipient of the American Evaluation Association’s Myrdal Award for contributions to the professional practice of evaluation.

For more information, contact Ann Mavis at mavis001@umn.edu or 612-624-1489.

Sponsored by the Department of Educational Policy and Administration, The Evaluation Group at the Institute on Community Integration, and the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement