Effective Reporting Strategies for Evaluators

Description: The use and usefulness of evaluation work is highly affected by the effectiveness of reporting strategies and tools. Care in crafting both the style and substance of findings and recommendations is critical to ensure that stakeholders pay attention to the message. Skill in presenting sufficient information -- yet not overwhelming the audience -- is essential to raise the likelihood that potential users of the information will be convinced with both the relevance and the validity of the data. This course will provide guidance and practical tips on reporting evaluation findings. Attention will be given to the selection of appropriate reporting strategies/formats for different audiences and to the preparation of: effective executive summaries; clear anlaytical summaries of quantitative and qualitative data; user-friendly tables and figures; discussion of limitations to measurement validity, generalizability; causal inferences, statistical conclusion validity, and data reliability; and useful recommendations. Text: selection decision in process. Text provided as part of course fee: Torres et al., Evaluation Strategies for Communicating and Reporting (2nd Ed., Sage, 2005).

Instructor: Dr. Kathryn Newcomer, Director, School of Public Policy and Public Administration, The George Washington University, Washington, DC. She has also held teaching positions at University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Denver, Grinnell College, University of Iowa, and the National Chengchi University, Taiwan. Teaching/Research interests: public program evaluation and performance measurement, research design and applied statistics, public policy analysis. Among her books is Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation, Co-Editor (Jossey-Bass, 2nd Ed. 2004) She is published in many journals, e.g., American Journal of Evaluation, American Review of Public Administration, Policy Studies Journal, Evaluation & Program Planning, Law and Policy Quarterly, Urban Affairs Quarterly, Policy Studies Review, Public Administration Review; has conducted research for many organizations including U.S. Departments of State, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and General Services Administration; and American Speech-Hearing-Language Association, National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration; delivered papers at many professional association meetings including: AEA, NASPAA, ASPA, NAPA. Selected professional committee assignments: Washington Evaluators, President; NAPA, Cmte on Government Performance; NASPAA Diversity Committee. and Standards Committee; Midwest Pol Sci Assoc Committee on Status of Women; Women's Caucus for Political Science, Treasurer. Consulted with international organizations, e.g., in Egypt, Brazil, England, Italy, Taiwan. Developed training programs for U.S. Departments of State, Agriculture, Interior, Health & Human Services, General Accounting Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Personnel Management, Federal Emergency Management Administration, Naval Audit Service. Honors include Fullbright Fellowship, Fullbright Award for Bilateral Curriculum Development, Peter Vaill Award for Excellence in Education; Distinguished Public Service Award from the American Society for Public Administration; Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Certificate:  CEP IC.d

Fee: $425