The Nova Scotia Chapter of the Canadian Evaluation Society invites you to join us for our “Essential Skills Series”, a four-day workshop, presented by several of our credentialed evaluators.

 

The Essential Skills Series is training developed by the Canadian Evaluation Society to provide a basic understanding of the main models, tools and practices associated with the profession of evaluation. No prior experience required!

 

This four day training for beginners and novices provides an opportunity to learn about the field of evaluation from credentialed evaluators currently working in a variety of Nova Scotian settings.

 

Topics include:

 

• Foundations of evaluation
• Describing what will be evaluated
• Determining evaluation questions
• Indicators and measures
• Evaluation research methods & design
• Data collection, management and analysis
• Synthesizing and communicating findings
• Challenges such as ethics, project management, building capacity for evaluation, roles for evaluators and more!

 

For a detailed list of topics click here.

 

Date: October 21- 22 and November 12-13, 2015

 

Time: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm , registration starts at 8:30 am on October 21st.

 

Location: Horizon Room, 17th Floor, Maritime Centre, 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax

 

Cost:

CES Member: $500
Non Member: $700

 

Please register online at cesns.ca/store

 

Your presenters:

 

Rob Assels has been involved in social science research since 1991. He holds a BA in Psychology from Concordia University. Rob holds the CE designation from the CES and the CMRP designation from the Market Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA).  He is Vice President at R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. He opened the firm’s office in Toronto in 2007 and its Halifax office in 2012.  He is the former President of the MRIA’s Atlantic Chapter and is currently Treasurer of the CES Nova Scotia Chapter.  Rob is also a member of the Community Health Board for Pictou County West.  His experience with data collection includes general population studies as well as projects that have focused on unique and difficult to research populations such as the cognitively impaired, prison inmates, homeless youth and First Nation communities.

 

Nancy Carter is Director of REAL Evaluation Services at the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. Nancy’s work provides guidance and advice to catalyze evaluation initiatives for Nova Scotia’s health system. Previously, she worked as an evaluation and research consultant in Atlantic Canada. Her theoretical knowledge gained through formal education combined with practical experience as a consultant and evaluation advisor, has given Nancy considerable expertise in applied social science research methods as well as evaluation-specific processes and tools. Particular areas of interest in evaluation include evaluation theory, evaluation culture, and building evaluation capacity.

 

Anne Gillies (M.A. Ed) has provided independent evaluation consulting services for monitoring and evaluation of international development programming since 1992, specializing in performance assessment of health, education, community/social development and institutional capacity development initiatives. From 1999 to 2005, Anne was a full-time staff consultant and project team leader with Universalia Management Group (Ottawa) and since 2006 has been a freelance consultant based in Ottawa and Halifax. She has participated in and led thematic, program and project evaluations. She specializes in the design and implementation of qualitative evaluation methods, and she has managed teams of consultants for on-going performance monitoring assignments, interim and final evaluations, and various types of performance assessments using participatory approaches. Anne has designed and delivered evaluation and results-based management training, as well as provided evaluation coaching, mentoring and institutional capacity building for government partners and community-based organizations both in Canada and overseas.

 

Cari Patterson co-founded Horizons Community Development Associates Inc in 2002.  She has a Master’s Degree in Community Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and has worked in health promotion and community development for nearly 25 years. Cari’s training and experience has enabled her to work with a range of groups and organizations on a wide range of initiatives, including community based participatory action research and evaluation, and organizing for social change from an experience-based perspective.

She has developed and conducted dozens of community-wellness-focused evaluations and research projects with a diverse range of populations, including First Nations and Aboriginal communities, rural youth, women in crisis, seniors, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, and survivors of the mental health system.

 

Karen Pyra founded Pyra Management Consulting Services in 2001 after a career in health policy with the Nova Scotia government.  She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Dalhousie University and has worked in health policy and program development and evaluation for 25 years.  She is also currently the Director of Health Policy and IT Strategy for Doctors Nova Scotia.  Karen has designed and implemented a wide variety of evaluations, ranging from very small program evaluations to evaluations of large, complex national programs.  She has worked for organizations of varying size as well, including non-profit organizations, health authorities, provincial and federal governments, federal/provincial/territorial initiatives and international development agencies with initiatives in Russia, Ukraine and Georgia.