The State of Evaluation in Alberta

On April 10, 2015, program evaluators, funders, and managers met for “The Naked Truth – The State of Evaluation in Alberta”. Planned and presented jointly by the local Canadian Evaluation Society chapter and Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions, the gathering asked:

• “Where is Evaluation in Alberta at?” and
• “How do we move it forward?”

The session was extremely well-attended by evaluation stakeholders from all sectors. The high levels of energy in the room showed that much is happening in the evaluation landscape in Alberta, but that much remains to be done around advocacy, including better communication, networking, and the promotion of evaluation use.

Below I summarise key points and opportunities for SROI practitioners andsocial impact analysts:

Key points:

1. A lot of evaluation is taking place in Alberta in all sectors, but it is not always recognized as evaluation.
2. The number of graduates with evaluation skills is growing, and with that growth there is a rising need for evaluation internship opportunities.
3. There is also a growing number of evaluation networks and communities of practice in Alberta, but they are generally not linked or even aware of one another.
4. There is a continued need for intermediate to advanced level evaluation-related professional development opportunities in Alberta.

Opportunities:

1. There is a continued need to advocate for evaluation, through compelling communication about the need for and value of evaluation, including SROI and other social impact analysis methodologies. The International Year of Evaluation, is an excellent opportunity to add your voice to a concerted global advocacy effort.
2. Organizations who practice and use evaluation could strengthen their own capacity and that of the field by setting up evaluation-focused internshipsfor evaluation students and recent graduates.
3. Communities of practice and networks related to evaluation, like the SROI Canada Network, should explore opportunities for collaboration.
4. SROI and social impact analysis practitioners and thought leaders in Alberta should consider collaborating and presenting intermediate to advanced level professional development opportunities for evaluation practitioners.

How will you participate, advocate or otherwise build evaluation capacity and uptake? What is your view of the 'Naked Truth' - or the state of Evaluation in your province?