None of this gets to the outcomes/change/impact of the work.
So I said yes before I could change my mind. Not because I thought that it would make brilliant dinner conversation -no- because I simply thought of the risk of getting caught without the answer. The risk is just too high. What if I miss that brilliant opportunity to align myself with an innovative partner or unusual champion.
2 POPUP RULES:
Given 30 seconds what do I need to say in the room of individuals hearing about the CEC for the first time?
I NARROWED IT TO THE BARE BONES.
It felt like a table of contents of a book but it was all I could fit into 25 seconds. So with 5 seconds to spare I added the how.
THE LEARNING
I learned a few things from this challenge: gratitude, the value of true mentorship and the gift of learning by doing.
I would consider myself a solid beginner in the evaluation world. I am so grateful for the folks who’ve so patiently mentored me over the past 9 years. They gently and respectfully steered me in the right direction encouraging me the entire time. They were brilliant models of curiosity, humility with barrels of humour. They collectively sparked the fire of proof in me, pulled me along until I could understand the why and encourage me to try harder. Thank you Gord Butler, Peggy Matchim, Liz Weaver and Mark Cabaj. They have taught me that without an outcomes focused evaluation plan I was not going to get the clarity I wanted. I was going to have to dig in, learn the language and tools and above all put the time in.
What gets measured gets managed. Peter Drucker