Tag Archives: conference tips

Sustainability at #EvalC17 by Kim Walker

As evaluators, we aim to create positive and lasting benefits from our conference – not only for the Canadian Evaluation Society and our 2017 conference participants, but also for the businesses, people and places we encounter along the way.

The Sustainability Sub-Committee has been working with other members of the CES 2017 Conference Planning Committee to maximize our contributions toward environmental benefits, social development and green economy initiatives throughout our conference site and off-site activities. Continue reading →

Networking at the CES Conference by Harry Cummings, President, Canadian Evaluation Society

In my long career as an evaluator I have found networking to be the most rewarding way to expand my evaluation contacts and knowledge. And the ultimate networking opportunity for Canadian evaluation work is the CES annual conference. This year we’ll be meeting in the beautiful city of Vancouver. Continue reading →

Why I Love Pre-conference Workshops! by Beth Snow

Over the years, I’ve learned that evaluation pre-conference workshops are a great way to advance my skills. I’ve participated and led workshops at different evaluation conferences and through these experiences, I’ve met many new colleagues who have shared tips, successes, and failures that have all been very valuable to me. I’ve learned about – and tried out – new tools and ideas that I’ve been able to apply to my evaluation practice. Continue reading →

Three Quickie Tips to Rock Your CES2017 Presentation by Kylie Hutchinson

There’s been a quiet revolution in conference presentations over the past ten years, and it’s all in the name of learning and knowledge translation. Gone are the days of banging out a deck of slides using a canned Power Point template or one covered with an organization’s logo and a list of six bullet points per slide. Nowadays, savvy presenters are putting a more thought and innovation into their presentations in order to better engage audiences and communicate their key messages. Many millennials seem to understand this new era of communication and design intuitively, while many of us from other generations are still learning.

Don’t let your great content get lost in a lacklustre presentation! Here are three quickie tips to rock your CES2017 presentation. Continue reading →

Inspiration from Marrakesh by Sarah Farina

The well-organized and visionary Francophone evaluation network (RFE) conference in Marrakesh was an inspiration for me as Co-Chair of this year’s Canadian Evaluation Society Conference.  I had the good fortune to connect with the President of host organization Moroccan Evaluation Association, Jamal Ramdane, Jean-Marie Loncle from the Francophone evaluation network, and Program Coordinator Mouna el Ghormli from the Moroccan Evaluation Association, who gracefully shared their insights on organizing a successful conference with me.  Continue reading →

Get Social at CES Vancouver by Danielle Simpson

There are many academic reasons to attend CES Vancouver but the social activities will guarantee to be a highlight of your trip. Whether it is taking in the sights and sounds of beautiful Vancouver, chatting with a new acquaintance at morning exercises, or catching up with old colleagues at the evaluator dinners, this conference has something for everyone. Continue reading →

Sharing and Connecting: Innovation at CES 2017 by Brian Hoessler

It’s most definitely fall in Saskatoon – nights dip below freezing, the trees have shed most of their leaves, and it’s only a matter of time before the snow hits1. Another sign of fall? Upcoming due dates to submit presentations for conferences, including the Canadian Evaluation Society’s 2017 conference in Vancouver.

Earlier this year, I wrote about the conference and its theme of Facing Forward: Innovation, Action, and Reflection. Today, I’d like to focus on Innovation – but instead of looking at innovation in evaluation, let’s talk innovation in conferences. My experiences at evaluation conferences (both in Canada and south of the border) have been overwhelmingly positive: at the same time, I’m aware that these events can be criticized for not being the most effective use of time and resources. Indeed, there are numerous ways today that we can learn from others without having to leave the comfort of home – including blogs such as this one! As a result, it’s a legitimate question to ask whether it’s worth spending hundreds of dollars (if not thousands, when you account for travel and accommodations) to make the trip. Continue reading →

CES 2017: Facing Forward

How are evaluators responding to the new and emerging demands of a changing world?

We are in the midst of an era with revolutionary changes in the way we work. Technology, social media, economic challenges, globalization and a wide range of emerging trends is changing the way we think and act in our profession and how we solve problems.

The theme for next year’s conference is: Facing Forward: Innovation, Action, and Reflection.

Together, we’ll explore how we, as evaluators, are thinking about our work and how we are meeting the challenges of a growing discipline operating in a rapidly changing society.

We invite you to join us in Facing Forward by reflecting on your work, and sharing your ideas and experiences. This space is dedicated to reflection on the CES 2017 theme.

Share, Learn and Collaborate at CES 2017 in Vancouver

We are working hard to organize a dynamic and engaging CES 2017 Conference in Vancouver. CESBCY members voted in June 2014 to host the conference, and since that time, we’ve been working with CES National to create a meaningful event that brings together evaluators in diverse roles to share, learn and collaborate. We’ve passed a few important milestones:

  • Selecting the scenic Westin Bayshore as the venue, with a layout that supports maximum networking
  • Setting up an incredible conference planning team with our talented volunteers
  • Testing innovative ways to support learning and networking at one-day conferences: CESBCY 2014 Health Evaluation Conference: Evaluation as a Learning Process and CESBCY 2015 Evaluation Conference: Collaboration, Contribution and Collective Impact
  • Creating a conference budget and workplan
  • Engaging volunteers via volunteerspot

We thank the team of CES 2015 in Montreal and CES 2016 in St. John’s, who have provided valuable guidance. Our incredible team of volunteers is made up of experienced and new evaluators from throughout BC and Yukon as well as national CES members located throughout the globe. We have received invaluable advice and insights from our colleagues at AEA. All in all, this experience is bringing out the best in our profession and we thank everyone who is working with us to make CES 2017 a great success.

Keep an eye out here for more updates!