aes24 International Evaluation Conference

Authors: John Gargani (Gargani + Co ),Julian King (Julian King & Associates, NZ)

In this participatory session, we pose the question, "How should evaluators innovate the practice of value-for-money assessment to meet the needs of an expanding set of actors that include governments, philanthropists, impact investors, social entrepreneurs, program designers, and Indigenous and First Nations communities?" We begin by framing value for money as an evaluative question about an economic problem. How well are we using resources, and are we using them well enough to justify their use? Then we suggest new methods intended to help innovate the practice of value for money based on our body of published and current research spanning over 10 years.
These include new methods that (1) produce "holistic" assessments of value for money, (2) reflect rather than hide multiple value perspectives even when values conflict, (3) estimate social benefit-cost ratios without monetizing benefits or costs, and (4) adjust monetary and nonmonetary value for risk using Bayesian methods. Along the way, we facilitate discussions with participants, asking them to consider if, how, and by whom these innovations should be pursued, and what other innovations may be needed. We provide participants with access to a collection of our published and draft papers, and invite them to comment and continue our discussion after the conference.

Authors: Mark Power (Murawin ),Carol Vale (Murawin, AU)

This presentation explores the paramount importance of culturally sensitive engagement methodologies in ensuring meaningful contributions from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to mission programs. Murawin, an Aboriginal-led consultancy, has developed a robust Indigenous Engagement Strategy Framework grounded in the principles of reciprocity, free, informed and prior consent, mutual understanding, accountability, power sharing, and respect for Indigenous knowledge systems. Our session aims to share insights into the necessity of prioritising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in engagement, co-design, and research, highlighting the significance of cultural competence in fostering mutual respect and understanding.
We will discuss three key messages: the imperative of deep knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in engagement practices; the success of co-design processes in facilitating genuine and respectful engagement; and the strategic partnership with CSIRO to enhance cultural competence and inclusivity in addressing Indigenous aspirations and challenges. These points underscore the critical role of acknowledging cultural interactions and ensuring cultural sensitivity in building strong, respectful productive relationships with Indigenous communities.
To achieve our session's objectives, we have designed an interactive format that blends informative presentations with the analysis of case studies, complemented by engaging intercultural discussions. This approach is intended to equip participants with actionable insights drawn from real-world examples of our collaborative ventures and co-designed projects. Through this comprehensive exploration, we aim to enrich participants' understanding of successful strategies for engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, ultimately contributing to the achievement of more inclusive and impactful outcomes in mission programs and beyond.

Authors: Laura Faulker (NSW Treasury)

This paper presents the key findings from research and engagement on how cost-benefit analysis (CBA) has been applied to First Nations initiatives to date. CBA is an important tool used by governments to help prioritise budget funding decisions. It assesses the potential impacts of an initiative - economic, social, environmental, and cultural - to determine whether it will deliver value for money.

The paper explores the methods in which the value of First Nations cultures has been incorporated into CBAs, along with the associated challenges and opportunities to improve current practice. The findings have informed the development of an investment framework for the design and evaluation of initiatives that affect First Nations people and communities. The framework focuses on the key principles for embedding First Nations perspectives and ensuring culturally informed evaluative thinking.

Authors: Kristy Hornby (Grosvenor)

There is a lot of interest in rapid M&E planning and rapid evaluations at present; partially borne out of rapid contexts in a COVID-19 policy context; and partially borne out of constricting appetites for time and money spent on evaluations. It is unlikely this trend will reverse in the short-term, so what do we do about it to acquit our responsibilities as evaluators, ethically and appropriately, in a rapid context? This session sets out a step by step approach to conducting a rapid evaluation, inviting attendees to follow along with their own program in mind, to come away from the session with a pathway for conducting their own rapid evaluation. The session uses a fictional case study as the construct to move the rapid evaluation approach forward, describing throughout the session how you can use literature reviews, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques, and report writing approaches innovatively to save you time while not compromising rigour.

We contend it is possible to do a rapid evaluation ethically and appropriately, but the backbone of doing so is good planning and execution. This session shares practical tips and approaches for doing so through each key phase of an evaluation, so attendees are well-equipped for their next rapid evaluation.

To consolidate the learning, attendees will be provided a framework to come away from the session with a high level plan of how to conduct their own rapid evaluation, to increase their chance of success.

Authors: Eleanor Kerdo (Attorney Generals Department ),Claudia Oke (Attorney Generals Department, AU),Michael Amon (Attorney Generals Department, AU),Anthony Alindogan (Attorney Generals Department, AU)

To embed a culture of evaluation across the Australian Public Service (Commonwealth of Australia, 2021), we must first have an accurate understanding of the current state of evaluation capability and priorities across Commonwealth agencies. This paper shares tools on how to build an effective measurement framework for evaluation culture, and discusses how to use these for evaluation capability uplift.
We explore quantitative and qualitative methods to gather and analyse data to measure an organisation's readiness to change its culture towards evaluation. This includes assessing staff attitudes towards evaluation, the level of opportunity for staff to conduct and use evaluation, and confidence in their knowledge of evaluation.
We discuss the development of a staff evaluation culture survey based on Preskill & Boyle's ROLE and how behavioural insight tools can be utilised to boost engagement. The paper discusses the utility of holding focus groups with senior leaders to understand authorising environments for evaluation and key leverage points. Also discussed, are challenges and innovative solutions that were encountered throughout the assessment process.
This paper will be valuable for those who work in, or with, any government agency with an interest in evaluation capacity building and driving an evaluation culture within organisations. This paper explains each stage of measurement design, data analysis and results, and discussing opportunities for action.
1 Preskill, H., & Boyle, S. (2008). A Multidisciplinary Model of Evaluation Capacity Building. American Journal of Evaluation, 29(4), 443-459. ://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1098214008324182

2 Michie S, Atkins L, West R. (2014) The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Guide to Designing Interventions. London: Silverback Publishing. www.behaviourchangewheel.com.

3 Lahey, R. (2009). A Framework for Developing an Effective Monitoring and Evaluation System in the Public Sector: Key considerations from International Experience. Framework for developing an effective ME system in the public sector (studylib.net)

Authors: Jake Clark (Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre), Jenny Booth (Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre, AU), Sharon Smith (Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre, AU), Nick Phillis (Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre, AU)

Join our Monitoring and Evaluation team on an exciting journey as we delve into the untapped potential of output data in evaluation and how to reach beyond the 'low-hanging fruit'.

Notwithstanding to the importance of evaluating outcomes to measure program success, monitoring implementation and reach of initiatives is fundamental to good program management and evaluation. Output data on activity reach, target groups and participants often hold hidden gems of potential that are frequently overlooked. In this presentation we shine a spotlight on its significance and actionable tips to elevate monitoring data.

Our objective is to make this exploration enjoyable and enlightening, especially for foundational to intermediate level evaluators. We offer practical and universally applicable strategies for making the most of output data on to enhance program insights.

KEY MESSAGES

Using existing tools and tapping into open-source data sets you can create powerful visualisations and draw deeper inferences about your program reach and participants.

I. Understanding equity and inclusion
• A better understanding of who is and isn't involved in your initiative.
• Looking for patterns using socio-demographic variables.
• Benchmarking your initiative against relevant population data.

II. Connecting outputs to outcomes
• Analysing participant characteristics and program journey to illuminate differences in outcomes.
• Uncover program and policy questions that need further exploration.

Design of the Session: Drawing tangible examples from the education and informal learning STEM sector, we bridge the gap between theory and practice. Real-world strategies are shared to encourage active participation along with useful resource links.

Authors: Stephanie White (Victoria Department of Education )

Evaluators can fail in many ways. The consequences of these failures can be relatively contained or wide ranging within the evaluation and can also flow on to program operations. But failure is a part of life and can be a useful catalyst for professional growth. What happens when you find yourself failing and can see the risks ahead? How do you keep going?

The session focuses on the experiences of an emerging evaluator who failed while leading a large-scale education evaluation. When some elements of the evaluation became untenable, they struggled to find the right path forward and could foresee the risks materialising if the situation wasn’t addressed. On the other side of it, they reflect on how they drew on tools in every evaluator’s toolkit to start remedying their previous inaction and missteps to get the evaluation back on track…and improve their practice along the way!

This session is relevant to any evaluator who grapples with the messiness of expectations and reality in their practice.