2009 Draft Environmental Evaluators Networking Forum Agenda

2009 Environmental Evaluators Networking Forum The Value of Environmental Evaluation Co-sponsored by: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Hosted by: The George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration

Monday, June 8, 2009 7:45 am

Sign-in: Registration; Continental Breakfast; Meet and Greet

8:30 am

Welcome: Overview of 2008 Forum, Outline of Day’s Schedule and Goals – Continental Ballroom Kathryn Newcomer, George Washington University George Grob, Center for Public Program Evaluation

9:00 am

Keynote Speakers – Continental Ballroom Marcia Mulkey, US EPA Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation (to be invited) Rowan Gould, Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Services Mark Shaffer, Program Director for the Environment, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

10:00 am

Featured Speaker – Continental Ballroom Debra Rog, President, American Evaluation Association (invited)

10:45 am

Break

11:00 am

Networking Session: Speedy Presentations and a Stroll About – Continental Ballroom A moderator will lead this session where 10-15 Forum participants will have 2 minutes to introduce themselves, the type of evaluation the do in their work, and demonstrate the value of evaluation in their organization or work in general. In the second half of this session, the audience will be encouraged to choose one of the presenters to join at a designated area in the Ballroom to continue the discussion and networking into lunch.

11:45 AM

Lunch (Catered)

1:00 pm

Concurrent Sessions: Using Evaluation in the Early Stages of Environmental Programs and Policies

1. Evaluation and Conservation Planning a. Andrew Knight, Stellenbosch University b. Devra Kleiman, Zoo-Logic, LCC 2.

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c. David Calihan, MSI-Inc. Integrating Evaluation into a Program’s Design a. Case Study of NFWF Keystone Initiatives i. Timothy Male, Dan Petit, and Tony Chatwin ii. Christina Kakoyannis b. Case Study of Moore Foundation’s Amazon Conservation Initiative i. Luis Solazano, Moore Foundation ii. Jared Hardner, Hardner & Gullison Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs a. Paul Ferraro, Georgia State University b. Lou Nadeau, Eastern Research Group The Vexing Problem of Scaling in Building Evaluation & Monitoring Initiatives a. Don Outen, Baltimore County

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2:15 pm

b. Guy Robertson, United States Forestry Service c. Hans Bruyninckx, Catholic University, Belgium Using Evaluations to Improve Programs a. Bruce McDowell, NAPA, An Early Evaluation of NOAA’s Habitat Matrix Program b. Debra Kemp, Abt Associates; Peter Caulkins, EPA; The Value of Process Evaluation: Risk Reduction Measures for Pesticide Products Could Be Implemented up to Four Years Sooner

Concurrent Sessions: Using Evaluation to Improve Mature Environmental Programs and Policies

1. Case Studies of the Use of Evaluation in Mid-Cycle of a Program: The Chesapeake Bay Small Watersheds Grant

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Program a. Users: Carin Bisland, EPA; Sally Duncan, USFS; Rick Takacs, NOAA; Amanda Bassow, NFWF; Evaluator: Andy Rowe b. Zena Aldridge, EPA, EPA’s National Enforcement Training Institute, A Case Study in How Evaluation Brought Change to the Environmental Enforcement Training Program at US EPA Evaluations for Decision-Making a. Kathy McLaughlin, National Forest Foundation b. Judy Braus, Audubon c. Connie Della-Piana, National Science Foundation (invited) Human Dimensions in Environmental Program Evaluation a. Ken Genskow, University of Wisconsin-Madison b. Tom Koontz and Craig Thomas, Ohio State University, What Effect does Public Participation have on Performance Management Systems? c. Charles Lee, EPA, Improving Environmental Justice Programs (invited) Data and Information: Access, Use and Finding Meaning a. Ed Washburn, GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) b. Jonathan Mawsdley (invited), Heinz Center, State of the Nation’s Ecosystems c. Representative from Data Basin (invited) Program and Policy Evaluation in State and Local Governments and Tribes a. Speakers: to be announced…

3:30

Break

3:45 pm

Plenary: Economic Recovery and Environmental Goals: Opportunities for Evaluation With global economic crisis, new leadership and renewed commitments to achieving environmental outcomes in the United States and abroad, what is the role and value of evaluation and how can we improve its value? Evaluators and evaluation consumers will give their perspective on the value of evaluation in addressing new priorities and achieving new goals. Speakers: to be announced…

4:45 pm

Day 1 Summary and Reflections

5:00 pm

Adjourn

5:15 pm

Catered Reception: TBD

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Tuesday, June 9, 2009 7:45 am

Sign-in: Registration; Continental Breakfast; Meet and Greet

8:45 am

Day 2 Introduction Matt Birnbaum, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Katherine Dawes, US Environmental Protection Agency

9:00 am

Featured Presentation: Exceptionalism in Environmental Evaluation: Are We Really That Different? Leader - Mikael Hildén, Finnish Environment Institute Discussant - George Grob, Center for Public Program Evaluation

9:45 am

Plenary: Creating Common Standards in the Environmental Community: Learning from Nonprofits. 1. Conservation Partnership Members: a. Richard Margoluis, Foundations of Success b. Tim Reed, The Nature Conservancy c. Tess Present, National Audubon Society 2. Discussants a. Stephanie Shipman, US Government Accountability Office b. Susan Goodwin, US Department of Interior (Invited)

10:45 am

Break

11:00 am

Concurrent Sessions: Building the Capacity and Culture for Evaluation 1. Repositories of Projects and Evaluations: A Foundation for Evidence-based Decisions a. Andrew Pullin, University of Bangor, Centre for Conservation Evidence b. Gina LaRocco, Defenders of Wildlife, Conservation Registry 2. Effective Communication of Evaluation Results and Learning a. Shelly Robertson, Robertson Consulting Group 3. Applicability of the Utilzation-Focused Evaluation Approach: Case Studies from Environmental Education a. Lisa Flowers, Boone & Crockett Club b. Annelise Carleton-Hug, Trillium Associations 4. Building Decision Makers’ Capacity to Use Evaluations a. Elizabeth O’Neil, World Wildlife Fund International

12:00 pm

Lunch (Catered)

1:15 pm

Networking and Capacity Building Session: Evaluator’s Café in the Continental Ballroom In sort of “evaluation speed dating,” Forum participants will have three 30-minute sessions to visit three different ‘stations,’ to network and collaborate and learn from colleagues about a variety of topics from the perspective of different organizations and disciplines. While the topics at many ‘stations’ will be geared toward capacity building for environmental evaluators, some stations may focus on the design, development and distribution of EEN products and services. 1. 2. 3.

Evaluator’s Institute Logic Models Miradi 4. Taxonomy of Environmental Evaluations 5. Using Web 2.0 6. Evaluator’s Toolbox 7. Repository of Evaluations 8. MEERA 9. Evaluation Conundrums 10. The Value of Environmental Evaluation 11. Evaluation Successes…and Failures 12. American Evaluation Association

Special Working Group Sessions • EEN Products and Services • In a facilitated session, participants will plan the design and development of EEN products. • Objectives o Define products, their purpose and audiences o Identify tasks o Identify necessary resources o Establish a timeline for product design and development o Establish workgroups

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Open Session, 1:15-2:45

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2:45 pm

Break

3:00 pm

Plenary: Synthesis Throughout the two days and as attendees in all sessions, EEN support staff will document findings, suggestions, ideas and recommendations regarding the value of environmental evaluation. During this session, users of evaluation and evaluators will discuss this information, focusing on the overarching themes from the Forum and their impact on the future value and role of environmental evaluation.

Speakers: to be announced… 4:00 pm

Closing Session The Way Forward: EEN’s Role in Advancing the Value of Environmental Evaluation We will conclude the Forum with a summary of the discussions, learning, and products that emerged over the two days. We will present and discuss a strategy and actions for strengthening the EEN through both more systematic and productive collaboration between its members as well as the development of products and services that will support the advancement of the field of environmental evaluation

Wrap up, Announcements 4:30 pm

Adjourn and Celebrate!

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