AEA 2009 Orlando FL Day 2 - Afternoon

Unfortunately I cut out of the first workshop a bit early through no fault of the facilitators; I lost all the time I had planned to edit & post about the morning sessions in an insanely long line for lunch. I plan to remedy this tomorrow by brown bagging it from the grocery store!

How To Do Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis
by Boru Douthwaite and Sophie Alvarez

Abstract: In this workshop, participants will be introduced to Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis (PIPA) and develop impact pathways for their own program. PIPA is a practical planning and evaluation approach fast being adopted for use with complex programs in the water and food sectors (see http://impactpathways.pbwiki.com). PIPA begins with a participatory workshop where stakeholders make explicit their assumptions about how their program will achieve impact. Participants construct problem trees, carry out a visioning exercise and draw network maps to help them clarify their program theory in the form of 'impact pathways'. Impact pathways describe which actors need to change to achieve the program vision, what are those changes and which strategies are needed to make them happen. PIPA goes beyond the traditional use of logic models and logframes by engaging stakeholders in a structured participatory process, promoting learning and providing a framework for 'action research' on processes of change.

Next up were some interesting applications of a Key Evaluation Checklist (KEC) in the role of strategic planning management (apparently the term 'strategic planning' is used more often in the corporate world and 'strategic management' for academia) that I'm looking forward to exploring more when I return since I was part of an environmental scan for strategic planning (even though I'm an academic) & want to learn more about it.

Enhancing the Strategic Management Process Through the Use of Evaluation Measures
(Chair Michael Scriven unable to attend, Michelle Woodhouse-Jackson & Nadini Persaud presenting)

Abstract: Research has shown that companies (both for profit and non-profit) that engage in formal strategic planning tend to be more successful than companies that do not. Therefore, the strategic management process should be an integral part of every company or organization. Strategy evaluation is identified as one of the three phases of this process; however, the evaluative nature of this process has limitations which could be revamped using principles from evaluation methodology. This multi-paper session will focus on the evaluative nature of the strategic management process, with special emphasis on the widely-used Fred David strategic model, and will also highlight the similarities and differences between this model and the KEC (Key Evaluation checklist), a practical tool which can be used to conduct evaluations. The session will end with suggestions on how evaluation methods could potentially improve the strategic management process.

I'll cover the third session tomorrow morning in a post of its own, I'm still thinking about our great group discussion afterward that continued past the ending time until we were kicked out of our meeting room!