Many prevention practitioners have their own experience in conducting evaluations, but evaluation is one area where it often makes sense to bring in outside expertise. Working with an evaluator can save you considerable time and effort, as well as increase your probability of success. In fact, the assistance of an evaluator attuned to and practiced in the art and science of theory-based evaluation is often the key to getting evaluation results that are useful and credible. This session will explore reasons to involve an evaluator early on in your strategic planning process, pros and cons of working with internal vs. external evaluators, places to find expert evaluator whose skills match your programmatic needs, and tips for working well with your evaluator and minimizing evaluation costs.

Learning Objectives:           

• Describe the rationale for working with outside evaluators
• List places to find expert evaluators
• Assess a potential evaluator’s qualifications
• Identify characteristics of an effective working relationship with an evaluator

Jess Goldberg is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over a decade, Jess has specialized in building capacity to improve behavioral health at the national, state, regional and local levels. Her areas of expertise include preventing youth substance use; promoting cross-sector collaborations; addressing health disparities; strategic planning, logic model development, and sustainability planning. Jess holds an MSW and MPH from Boston University, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist.

Shai Fuxman is a behavioral health expert and senior research scientist, has extensive experience in social and emotional learning (SEL), school-based trauma-informed care, and substance misuse prevention. He also has expertise in program evaluation, cultural competence, and quantitative and qualitative research. Shai holds an MEd and EdD in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University.

Certificates: Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training.