1. AEA Conference November 12, 2009
Rumbles from the North
AEA Conference
November 12, 2009

2. AEA Conference November 12, 2009
Rumbles from the North
The CES professional designations project
AEA Conference
November 12, 2009

3. Presenter François Dumaine President Canadian Evaluation Society
Phone:
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4.
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5. Goals of the presentation
Provide contextual information relating to the professional designations project
Describe the vision behind the project
Discuss some of the challenges that lie ahead
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6. The Canadian context
The mismatch factor
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7. The Canadian context
Over the past 30 years, provincial authorities have strengthen their lead in key policy areas:
Education
Health services
Social services
Public safety
Settlement programs for new immigrants
Yet, very few provinces embrace program evaluation has a systemic tool to support policy-making.
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8. The Canadian context The federal government:
Great efforts on the program evaluation front…
The federal government tabled its first federal policy on program evaluation in It tabled its most recent one in April 2009.
Too bad about the weakened policy role!
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9. The Canadian context
Recent report from the Auditor General of Canada:
“The shortage of experienced program evaluators in the federal government is a long-standing concern.”
“(…) deputy heads of departments identified the shortage of qualified evaluators as contributing to the inconsistent quality of evaluations.”
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10. The Canadian context
Among non-profit organisations, evaluations remain the privilege of the few.
Evaluations tend to remain driven by funders’ requirements.
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11. Limited access to formal education in evaluation
Practically all current practitioner have none or limited formal education in program evaluation.
This is about to change… but this is the object of another presentation!
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12. Reshaping that context
The goals:
Achieving a greater integration of program evaluation in provincial governments
Providing greater access to formal education in program evaluation
Enhancing the skills and knowledge of current evaluators
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13. Reshaping that context
An issue that goes beyond CES, but…
What can CES do?
Launch the professional designations program
Provide support to the Consortium of Universities
Ensure strong presence at the provincial level (role of Chapters)
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14. Professional designations
CES’ professional designation program triggered a process that aims to better define program evaluation and its associated requirements.
By issuing the professional designation known as “Credentialed Evaluator”, CES calls on Canadian evaluators to participate in a process that is bound to evolve.
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15. Professional designations
The project has already succeeded in establishing foundational pieces:
Guidelines for ethical standards
Program Evaluation Standards (Joint Committee)
Competencies:
Reflective Management
Technical Interpersonal
Situational
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16. Professional designations
A professional designation as Credentialed Evaluator will attest that its holder “has provided evidence of education and experience to be competent”.
Two core components:
Education: graduates studies or equivalent
Experience: minimum of two years
Alignment of both (education and experience) with each competency areas
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17. Professional designations
Renewal on a three-year basis.
The holder must demonstrate that he or she has completed 40 hours of professional development over the three-year period.
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18. Will it fly?
The program is sound. Not perfect, but certainly a strong base to work from.
The success of this initiatives now rests on the extent to which Canadian evaluators will embrace it.
Only time will tell, but the outlook is positive.
By embracing the program, Canadian evaluators will allow it grow, evolve and mature.
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19. What could emerge from this
The program could strengthen the new federal evaluation policy.
It could bring clarity to provincial and non-profit initiatives relating to program evaluation.
It could play a highly complementary role to the work of the Consortium of Universities
Overtime, it could better prepare evaluators to face diversity.
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20. In concluding…
At this particular junction, CES was probably the best positioned to trigger this process.
The project will be evaluated.
Other designations may emerge over time.
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21. In concluding…
“Any new path needs a brave soul to engage in it, not fully aware of what to expect, but confident of where it’s leading.”
- CES update, September 2009
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