Eval with Elizabeth

Musings about learning, evaluation, strategy, and data visualization.

Evaluation Trends: Lessons from Eval16
Evaluation Trends: Lessons from Eval16

I spend a lot of time thinking about how to best meet the needs of my clients. One of the ways to do this is by keeping up with innovations in the field of evaluation and other related fields. So naturally one of the questions I had been asking myself during...

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Thinking Like an Evaluator: 2016 Election Edition
Thinking Like an Evaluator: 2016 Election Edition

As a public health social worker, I became interested in the field of evaluation because I saw an opportunity to use data to inform programs and policies. Not surprisingly, I geek out over elections, making sure to do my research on each candidate and their...

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Low Cost, High Impact Dashboards: Part 2
Low Cost, High Impact Dashboards: Part 2

This blog post is a collaboration between Elizabeth Grim and Laura Sundstrom (posted on both of our sites), based on our presentation at the 2016 American Evaluation Association conference in Atlanta, GA. The presentation, entitled “Low Cost, High Impact: How to...

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Low Cost, High Impact Dashboards: Part 1
Low Cost, High Impact Dashboards: Part 1

This blog post is a collaboration between Elizabeth Grim and Laura Sundstrom (posted on both of our sites), based on our presentation at the 2016 American Evaluation Association conference in Atlanta, GA. The presentation, entitled “Low Cost, High Impact: How to...

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The What, Why, and How of Data Visualization
The What, Why, and How of Data Visualization

What is data visualization? Data visualization is a way of representing information visually, often through the use charts, images, and maps. The goal of data visualization is to inform and communicate information so it should come as no surprise that simplicity is...

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Hi, I’m a program evaluator
Hi, I’m a program evaluator

The most popular question at social events seems to be some variation of “what do you do for a living?” In my experience, the topics I’ve focused on thus far in my career can shut down a dinner party conversation faster than you can ask what’s on the menu. Here’s a...

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The Power of Pie
The Power of Pie

If there’s one thing I know for sure after working in different sectors it’s that food brings people together. I mean, have you ever seen your colleagues react as fast to a non-emergency email as when it says ‘extra food in the kitchen, help yourself’? Suddenly the...

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Crossing the Communication Chasm
Crossing the Communication Chasm

Communication and evaluation are everyday activities. We evaluate what the weather is like, how our day went, if our work presentation was effective, and we share that information with others in our life. But when the stakes get higher and we add more data into the...

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Happy National (Evaluation) Book Lovers Day
Happy National (Evaluation) Book Lovers Day

Books have always been a place of refuge for me. They take me on new adventures, challenge my thought process, and expand my knowledge base. There's something uniquely powerful about cracking open a new book and...

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