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Join us to celebrate the release of the 5th edition of Utilization-Focused Evaluation (Sage). This is the first intergenerational edition of U-FE, co-authored by Michael Quinn Patton and Charmagne E. Campbell-Patton. Hear from the authors and special guests about the book and how it seeks to contribute to a more sustainable, equitable society. Click here to register.

Several members of the Blue Marble Evaluation network will be presenting at the K12 TIG Business Meeting at the American Evaluation Association Conference:  When primary and secondary students perform poorly on international tests such as PISA, education policymakers often consider “borrowing” or emulating policies from more successful nations. Blue Marble Evaluation calls us to apply the GLOCAL principle to evaluations by integrating interconnections across different levels (local, national, global). Focusing on the issue of context when it comes to policy borrowing in the field of…

Several members of the BME network will be presenting the following session at the American Evaluation Conference:  All over the world schools serve indigenous populations and/or immigrants from other cultures. How do we create and evaluate education systems that are responsive to diverse cultural backgrounds? How do we balance accountability measures such as standardized tests with a focus on culturally responsive practice that fosters student well-being? Each nation’s worldview affects the way public education systems are structured and evaluated, and many nations are trying to figure out…

The great acceleration of human activities over the past 10, 50, 100 years has changed the very nature of life support for all species who live together on this big “blue marble” we call planet Earth. As we navigate into the Anthropocene, with system-wide turbulence emerging all around us, we recognize the dire need for transformative change towards more just, equitable and regenerative futures. The first Nobel Prize Summit was held this year focusing on this dramatic challenge and concluded that “emerging technologies, social innovations, broader shifts in cultural repertoires, as well as a…

Instructor: Michael Quinn Patton, PhD Description: The field of evaluation already has a rich variety of contrasting models, competing purposes, alternatives methods, and divergent techniques that can be applied to projects and organizational innovations that vary in scope, comprehensiveness, and complexity.  The challenge, then, is to match evaluation to the nature of the initiative being evaluated. This means that we need to have options beyond the traditional approaches (e.g., the linear logic models, experimental designs, pre-post tests) when faced with systems change dynamics and…

Culturally Responsive Evaluation & Assessment Annual Conference Symposium Chair A. Rafael Johnson (Inspire to Change, United States of America) Presentations   Principles-Driven Responsive Philanthropy: Building Bridges Across Communities for Peace, Prosperity, and the Planet Nora Murphy Johnson, A. Rafael Johnson, Mark Guy, Mary Dalsin Inspire to Change, GHR Towards a Theory of Transformative Change A. Rafael Johnson, Nora Murphy Johnson, Sandra J. Agustín Inspire to Change Blue Marble Evaluation: Glocally Responsive to Culture and Context Charmagne Campbell-Patton Blue Marble…

The book “Evaluation in the SDGs era: A dynamics for value extraction and social/individual transformation” (tentative title; written in Japanese) is going to be published from Tsukuba-Shobo in December 2021. Prior to publication, we would like to reconsider about evaluation in the SDGs era with Dr. Michael Patton, who contributed a chapter with a full of message for Japanese readers. In this so-called SDGs era, when the social conditions are dynamically and unexpectedly changing, the concept of evaluation itself needs to be reconsidered. Don’t we try to measure a dynamic reality by a static…

Developmental Evaluation is directly connected to Blue Marble Evaluation.  In this hand-ons course, we'll explore this powerful technique for helping social innovators – especially those working in complex or uncertain environments – learn and adapt their design as it is being developed. This newly-developed course is your chance to learn from thought-leaders in this emerging field, who will not only help de-mystify exactly what Developmental Evaluation is and how it can create value and impact for your initiative, they'll provide you with a step-by-step process and practical tools that you…

Canadian Evaluation Society Workshop Intermediate level — English For evaluators both internal and external working directly/indirectly for/or with the social innovators in the public/not-for-profit sector who find themselves dealing with problems, trying out strategies, and striving to achieve goals that emerge from their engagement with the change process. BME is a global initiative focused on training the next generation of evaluators, urging us to know and face the realities of the Anthropocene & act accordingly. Various levels of governments in countries such as Canada are by far…

This month, we will be reading Chapter 12 in Blue Marble Evaluation: Premises & Principles, which introduces the principle of Skin in the Game. We invite you to join the online discussion here and to join us on November 20th at 6pm UTC for a discussion with Michael and other BME members.  You can find links to the first eleven chapter discussions if you missed them on the Book Club discussion forum. Note - this forum is for BME members only. We encourage you to join the network and then join the conversation!