UKES 2010

Well, it’s that time of year again … no, not another disappointing ‘barbeque’ summer, but the annual UKES Conference

With the effects of the financial crisis still being felt, and with a new coalition government in Number 10, many evaluators find themselves operating in a very different policy environment. In particular the rhetoric has changed from tackling the crisis (a central theme of last year’s conference looking at impact) to talk of austerity and cutting back the public sector, a major source of sponsorship for evaluation. While this environment offers tough challenges, it also presents opportunities – in particular in the development and promotion of new evaluation methodologies, relationships and approaches. More than ever there will be a need to assess what is of value, what has quality and in what circumstances evaluation can contribute to informed policy – making and debate.

keynote
speakers

Michael Blastland Journalist (BBC Radio 4’s More or Less; the Guardian) and Co-author of ‘The Numbers Game’ with Andrew Dilnot.

Professor Mark Hart Professor of Small Business and Entrepreneurship in the Economics and Strategy Group, Aston Business School.

Dr Jenny Hughes working half time for Pontydysgu on R&D into e-learning and delivering teacher training, half time as freelance evaluator of education aid programmes. Author of 'Project Managers' Guide to Evaluation'.

Professor Stephen Roper Director of the Centre for SMEs (CSME) and Professor of Enterprise, Warwick Business School

Professor Saville Kushner AcSS Professor of Public Evaluation, Director of the Unit for Evaluation and Public Value, University of West of England (UWE) and incoming UKES President

The themes of this year's conference therefore revolve around the added value which evaluation brings to the policy process and how these benefits can be maximised; the ongoing development and future of how evaluation is conducted; and the circumstances in which evaluation can effectively and efficiently demonstrate value for money		Format of Conference
		What do the following companies have in common: Tesco; Microsoft; Dyson; Hewlett Packard; and Wikipedia? They all started in an economic downturn. The current tough times can provide an opportunity for evaluators – singly or collaboratively - to show the value they bring to projects (indicating what works, and where quality is to be found). In addition, what about those programmes intervening with the most vulnerable members of society? How will the current downsizing of the public sector affect the charity, voluntary and non-for-profit sectors? The themes of this year’s conference therefore revolve around the added value which evaluation brings to the policy process and how these benefits can be maximised; the ongoing development and future of how evaluation is conducted; and the circumstances in which evaluation can effectively and efficiently demonstrate value for money. The call for presentations and workshops reflect these themes under the following headings:

		Theme 1: Innovative and collaborative evaluation methods
		With the new challenges faced by evaluators, there is a need to tailor our evaluation methods and approaches to ensure that we help people think through tough dilemmas in a cost effective but fair-to-all way. What new evaluation approaches are currently being used and how does the changed context affect relationships in evaluation? What new methodological responses appear to be showing promise and could be taken up more widely (e.g. Social Return on Investment [SROI])? How are the public and third sectors using technology to innovate in evaluation, for example developments in systems thinking? Is collaboration becoming more necessary? But how do you make this work effectively while retaining, where appropriate, the independence of evaluation? How, in this new context, do evaluators construct and negotiate their agendas?

		Theme 2: Methodological challenges due to reduced budgets
		How is the new austerity from government affecting the agendas of evaluation? Is evaluation a part of the ‘tough decision making’? How does evaluation respond to this concern with ‘fairness’? Are commissioners asking for different information from evaluations? Are evaluators being asked to do more for less? How have you adapted your methods to reflect this changing context?

		Theme 3: Better utilisation of currently existing data sets and sources
		In the vast majority of cases collecting primary data is the most costly aspect of any evaluation. Yet there is a huge amount of data which is collected as standard outside of the evaluation process – how do evaluators use secondary sources more effectively but still stay grounded in the real experience of social programmes? What are the challenges (theoretically, methodically and practically) in accessing and using secondary sources?

		Theme 4: The role of the ‘professional’ evaluator
		With the role of the evaluator changing, it is important that the UKES seize this opportunity to further highlight and emphasise the skills and competencies needed to undertake good evaluation. How can UKES help drive professional practice and standards? What about self-evaluation? With resources for external evaluation coming under increased scrutiny, is there a role for the UKES to lead on teaching organisations how to evaluate themselves? Yet, what are the pitfalls and safeguards of self-evaluation? What are the new ethical and data protection issues facing evaluators? What are the issues for training, professional development and good practice guidance?


		If you think that you have experience and ideas to address any of the above questions, we warmly invite you to propose a way of sharing them so as to enrich our discussions. The UKES conference offers an opportunity for members (from across government, academia, the voluntary and private sectors) to engage with the wider membership about the work they’re doing and to highlight promising new work, emerging best practice and innovation in all spheres of evaluation.

		Types of Presentation
		In order to ensure that the conference is as interactive and participatory as possible can you please tailor your presentation to meet one of the following types of delivery: Methods session: The focus of the session should be on delivering a masterclass on new evaluation approaches or detailing emerging "promising practice" methodologies. Exploratory session: The focus of the session should be on the speaker introducing and detailing a specific proposition, question or dilemma to which the attendees can respond. Case study session: The focus of the session should be to describe an evaluation process (such as a case study of an actual evaluation) and the resultant or expected outcomes, and then take questions and open a discussion with the attendees. Each parallel session will last 1½ hours and consist of two interactive ‘presentations’ within a particular theme (i.e. each ‘presentation’ will last approximately 45 minutes). In order to ensure that the sessions are as interactive as possible can you please ensure that the actual presentation element (i.e. standing-up and talking) does not last more than 20 minutes. This will allow at least half the session to be dedicated to group discussions and questions. In addition, we would be very interested in receiving submissions for a full 1½ hour session if the people involved are different (e.g. a single organisation could have two separate teams present on a related topic within a single session). The conference organisers will group papers on the basis of the information given in the abstract, with particular attention paid to the participatory / interactive element of the brief. Abstracts should not exceed 300 words. In order to reflect the interactive nature of the sessions, all accepted abstracts will be placed on Posterous. This material will subsequently be updated before, during and after the conference to reflect the outcomes of the various sessions.

		Posters
		Conference participants may submit a poster for display at the conference, outlining an evaluation project or case study which falls under one of the key themes detailed above. Posters will be displayed in a dedicated space at the conference venue. If you would like to submit a poster, please provide an abstract with a brief overview of your evaluation (max 150 words).

		Alternative Formats
		The conference organisers are open to suggestions for alternative formats of sessions and presentation, especially if they are interactive and participatory. Please submit an abstract describing your proposed session and its relevance to the conference theme.

		Abstract Submission
		Please submit your abstracts by completing the on-line form. In particular can you please specify the following when submitting your abstract: Which theme your presentation falls within A brief description of the ‘presentation’ Presenter(s); details of presenter(s) Who is the target audience for the session? The closing date for receipt of abstracts is Friday 13 August 2010.