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  • When Theory Follows Program: Developing an Ex-Post Theory of Change

Event Details

When Theory Follows Program: Developing an Ex-Post Theory of Change

  • Thu, October 18, 2018
  • 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
  • Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Neighborhood Library, WTD Meeting Room
  • 51 registrants

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Please join us for our next brownbag -- When Theory Follows Program: Developing an Ex-Post Theory of Change -- led by Patricia Shaffer, Deputy Director of the National Endowment for the Arts' Office of Research & Analysis. This brown bag will be held on Thursday, October 18th from 12:00 to 1:30 PM at the Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Neighborhood Library (1630, 7th Street NW, WTD Meeting Room)

While the development of program theory is preferable during the initial design of an intervention, it’s not uncommon to develop an ex-post theory for existing programs as part of evaluation planning. There is some benefit to this approach, in that prior evaluations and research, ongoing monitoring, and program reports offer evidence to support program theory. Stakeholders – including funders, program staff, participants, field experts – can validate program theory but also offer interpretations of program theory driven in part by personal or organizational interests. Grounding ex-post theories of change in evidence while articulating a shared view of program theory across stakeholder groups is a unique evaluation challenge. This presentation uses several case examples to discuss mixed method approaches for developing ex-post theories of change, including literature review, analysis of implementation data, informant interviews, focus group discussions, case studies, and surveys.


Presenter

Patricia Moore Shaffer is Deputy Director of the National Endowment for the Arts' Office of Research & Analysis in Washington, DC. Prior to joining the NEA, Dr. Shaffer served as Evaluation Manager for NASA's Office of Education and is the former Vice President for Research and Development for the Educational Policy Institute. She also leads the Shaffer Evaluation Group, a woman-owned small business specializing in the evaluation of educational initiatives in STEM, English/language arts, arts education, counseling/guidance, and informal education for school districts, higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and museums. Dr. Shaffer earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership at the College of William & Mary and a M.A. in Curriculum Studies at the University of Toronto. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association, American Evaluation Association, and the Washington Evaluators. Dr. Shaffer also serves as the Communications Chair for the Washington Evaluators.

 

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