Charlie Tulloch (Policy Performance Pty Ltd)Ask any evaluator how they ended up in this field, and most will say that they fell into it. Right in the deep end. This can be overwhelming, with theoretical, methodological, logistical and ethical challenges to consider. This presentation will provide an introductory overview of the evaluation field, adapted from evaluation capability building materials prepared and delivered within a large professional services firm. It will explore various definitions of evaluation , outline the rationale for undertaking evaluations, outline the role of evaluation across the government policy cycle, detail the most suitable types of evaluation, and step through practical considerations relating to planning, conducting and reporting on evaluation findings. It will draw on the AES Evaluators Professional Learning Competency Framework to identify the skills that new evaluators should seek to build as they develop. By the end of this session, those attending the conference to learn the basics will have a better understanding about their development path, and the contribution they can make to extending their own practice = building personal capital.
