Cost-Inclusive Evaluation: Why, What, How?

Led by the Washington Evaluators, February 8, 11:00am - 12:00pm ET

‘‘Everyone talks about costs . . . but nobody evaluates them!’’ Actually, that paraphrasing of Mark Twain’s witticism is no longer entirely true. Due perhaps to an overwrought concern about lack of expertise in measuring costs, combined with a strong preference to evaluate outcomes that are more socially and politically acceptable than crass ‘‘cash,’’ evaluation has devoted overwhelmingly more articles, pages, courses, and workshops to measuring and improving outcomes than to measuring, let alone improving, costs. This, however, has begun to change. I suggest that we are now entering the age of cost-inclusive evaluation (CIE).

Now, in the second decade of the 21st Century, there are numerous ways to include costs in formative as well as summative evaluations to improve use of those evaluations in planning, advocacy, and philanthropy. Building on Henry Levin's ingredients model from the 1970s that conceptualized costs not as price but as the types, amounts, and monetary values of resources consumed by a program, today's many forms of cost-inclusive evaluation (CIE) also consider program activities, for more formative evaluation, nonmonetary outcomes such as Quality-Adjusted Life Years Gained, and societal-level impacts on future expenditures and future incomes for individual program clients as well as for society at large.

This webinar by Dr. Brian Yates explores a model-based contemporary taxonomy of CIEs, provides up-to-date examples of each, and suggests which forms of CIE can best for which program, for which purpose. This talk also notes strategies for recognizing and reducing racial, gender, and age discrimination in CIE.

If you have questions about this event, please email programs@washingtonevaluators.org.

Please join the Washington Evaluators for our monthly meeting. Members and non-members are welcome. Please note that Board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month.

Location: Online. Zoom link will be sent to those who register. 

Time: 6:30-8:00 pm ET

Agenda: 

1. Welcome and Agenda Review 
2. Governance:
   • Approval of last month's meeting minutes (Secretary)
   • Review of monthly financials (Treasurer)
3. General Announcements
4. President's Report
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Committee Updates:
   • Program
   • Community Engagement (Mentor Minutes, EWB, Scholarships)
   • Communications 
   • Membership
7. Board Action Items (if any)
   

For questions about this event, please email president@washingtonevaluators.org.

Words Matter: Adopting Inclusive and Non-Violent Language

Led by the Washington Evaluators, February 24, 12:00 - 1:00pm ET

Respect for people is a foundational guiding principle in the field of evaluation. We strive to promote equity and honor the dignity and wellbeing of individuals and groups. As such, we are trained to create surveys and tools with inclusive response options, select images for our materials and reports that reflect the diversity of program participants and cultures, and engage partners in culturally responsive and collaborative ways.

But what about the words and phrases we use in our meetings and reports? What is the language we are using saying about the values we hold, both individually and collectively?

Elizabeth Grim will focus this presentation on how we can adopt inclusive and non-violent language in our work as evaluators. Using real world examples, the talk will begin with common phrases and suggested alternatives. The presentation will include opportunities for attendees to provide examples, alternatives, and questions from their work. Attendees will leave with tangible examples of how to incorporate inclusive and non-violent language in their meetings, materials, and reports.

If you have questions about this event, please email programs@washingtonevaluators.org.

Please join the Washington Evaluators for our monthly meeting. Members and non-members are welcome. Please note that Board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month.

Location: Online. Zoom link will be sent to those who register. 

Time: 6:30-8:00 pm ET

Agenda: 

1. Welcome and Agenda Review 
2. Governance:
   • Approval of last month's meeting minutes (Secretary)
   • Review of monthly financials (Treasurer)
3. General Announcements
4. President's Report
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Committee Updates:
   • Program
   • Community Engagement (Mentor Minutes, EWB, Scholarships)
   • Communications 
   • Membership
7. Board Action Items (if any)
   

For questions about this event, please email president@washingtonevaluators.org.

Meet, Dine, & Connect with our 2022 WE President!

Led by the Washington Evaluators, March 31, 5:00-6:00pm ET

Back by popular demand! Bring your own dinner and join us for a virtual networking dinner to meet our 2022 WE President, Esther Nolton! During this dinner, participants will have the opportunity to meet fellow evaluators, discuss the state of the profession, and offer suggestions for improving the larger WE community and the field of evaluation.

This event will have a particular focus on what it means to do no harm in evaluation and will feature Stephen Porter, Evaluation Strategy Advisor at World Bank Group, as a special guest!

This event is open and free for WE members. If you have questions about this event, please email programs@washingtonevaluators.org.

Please join the Washington Evaluators for our monthly meeting. Members and non-members are welcome. Please note that Board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month.

Location: Online. Zoom link will be sent to those who register. 

Time: 6:30-8:00 pm ET

Agenda: 

1. Welcome and Agenda Review 
2. Governance:
   • Approval of last month's meeting minutes (Secretary)
   • Review of monthly financials (Treasurer)
3. General Announcements
4. President's Report
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Committee Updates:
   • Program
   • Community Engagement (Mentor Minutes, EWB, Scholarships)
   • Communications 
   • Membership
7. Board Action Items (if any)
   

For questions about this event, please email president@washingtonevaluators.org.

Please join the Washington Evaluators for our monthly meeting. Members and non-members are welcome. Please note that Board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month.

Location: Online. Zoom link will be sent to those who register. 

Time: 6:30-8:00 pm ET

Agenda: 

1. Welcome and Agenda Review 
2. Governance:
   • Approval of last month's meeting minutes (Secretary)
   • Review of monthly financials (Treasurer)
3. General Announcements
4. President's Report
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Committee Updates:
   • Program
   • Community Engagement (Mentor Minutes, EWB, Scholarships)
   • Communications 
   • Membership
7. Board Action Items (if any)
   

For questions about this event, please email president@washingtonevaluators.org.