The fourth (and last) in the series of lunchtime dialogues on the Dynamics of Evaluation.

Date: 2nd December 2015
A panel discussion

UPDATE: Podcast available

Key question: Would a clearer appreciation of dynamics – and politics – of communication help ensure that evaluation findings are better used?

This lunchtime event is the fourth of four dialogues in the Dynamics of Evaluation series, contributing to our celebration of 2015 International Year of Evaluation. Each event is taking a different perspective on challenges that can arise when undertaking an evaluation, either for evaluators, or those being evaluated, and how these might be addressed.

In this session, we bring together a number of different perspectives on how to tackle the challenging issue of how to communicate evaluation findings in way that ensures that, firstly, they are heard and understood, and secondly, they can contribute to supporting meaningful change in the systems, programmes or policies which have been evaluated.

The session will begin with a number of short presentations by a several evaluators and consultants who have been struggling with these challenges for a number of years. Some of these will pick up on topics discussed in earlier lunch time events – use of reflective practice, taking a system psychodynamic approach, and handling complexity and their implications for communicating evaluation findings.

Topics explored will include:

• How can we communicate evaluation results that may be complex and messy?  How can we communicate challenging or negative findings?
• What are the politics of communication? (Within the evaluation team, or between the evaluator and client)
• Can complex ideas really be communicated simply without a serious loss of meaning?
• Can visual approaches communicate more effectively than words?
• How can we best communicate challenging insights from system psychodynamics? How can these insights be communicated in an accessible way?

There will then be an experiential opportunity for us all to explore the challenges that have arisen for each of us in our own work around the communication of evaluation results – whether as an evaluator, a communications manager, a policy-maker, a commissioner of evaluation, or someone who had been ‘evaluated’.

Outcomes from these events will be shared on our website, and will also contribute to the design of a future professional development offer for evaluators on the ‘Dynamics of Evaluation’.

Panel chair: Dione Hills

If you would like to attend this talk please send an email to talks@tavinstitute.org with your name, the talk date and title.

Every third Wednesday at the Tavistock Institute, staff, associates, trustees and partners have come together for these informal talks. Their intention is the provision of a space of debate and reflection between Tavistock staff, those who are or have been collaborating with us and other interested researchers and practitioners

You are welcome to bring your own lunch.

For more information on upcoming and previous talks, how to book or get more involved go to the dedicated Food for Thought webpages.