How to plan and manage an environmental

education program –AND evaluate its

success

Philip Cox, Plan:Net Limited (www.plannet.ca)

Alberta Council for Environmental Education (ACEE)

February 2nd Webinar

“open discussion”

Evaluation practice - five “must do’s”

1. For…field visits, group discussion, situational analysis, role playing, environmental games, field surveys, project work, debates & panels…Anchor evaluation to theory of change, to the extent that you have one…

• Logic model - pre-supposed• Experimental - emergent

• http://www.education.nic.in/cd50years/q/6j/AY/6JAY0301.htm •http://www.mcconnellfoundation.ca/assets/Media%20Library/Publications/A%20Developmental%20Evaluation%20Primer%20-%20EN.pdf

• http://www.plannet.ca/page4/page4.html

Evaluation practice - five “must do’s”

2. Engage stakeholders in evaluation design (purpose, approach, etc.)

• Who needs to know?• What do they need to learn?• How will they use the insight?

•http://web.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/10905198311Utilization_Focused_Evaluation.pdf

Evaluation practice - five “must do’s”

3. Used mixed methods of data collection• Online surveys (>35 choices)

• http://forum.researchinfo.com/showthread.php?870-Online-Survey-Sites

• Rubrics, Assessment Tools• http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html • http://meera.snre.umich.edu/ • https://projecteugene.org/cgi-bin/eugene • http://www.peecworks.org/PEEC/PEEC_Inst/S01795CC4-017A8614• http://www.sas2.net/ • http://www.cclexplorer.org/

• Progress Markers (embedded in indicators)• See Phil’s OM slides from October

• Evaluation Café’s• http://www.weitzenegger.de/cafe/index.htm • http://www.conversationcafe.org/

Evaluation practice - five “must do’s”

4. Validate findings before drawing conclusions• Stakeholder meetings to provide

feedback. “Focused Conversation” • http://www.plannersconference.com/pdf/sessions/Top%20Participatory

%20Facilitation%20LabExploring%20Focused%20Conversation115.pdf

Evaluation practice - five “must do’s”

5. Prepare evaluation presentation/report with user in mind• Delineating:

• Intent• Observation• Analysis• Conclusion• Recommendation

• http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/cee/career-carriere/workshops-ateliers/aawer-amrre-eng.asp