Six 3-hour sessions. The professional learning sessions taught by local university faculty and/or seasoned evaluators. The sessions will focus on further developing participants’ knowledge of the field, explore multiple conceptual frameworks, and examine the  social and political contexts that shape evaluation practice. Participants will also sharpen their skills in using evaluation to support their organizations and promote justice and equity. 

The first session will be held in person from 9 AM to 12 PM. Sessions 2 through 6 will be held virtually from 9 AM to 12 PM.

Following the evaluation training workshop series, participants who wish to earn an evaluation certification will need to complete an evaluation project that is of interest to them and/or their organizations.  Participants will work one-on-one with a seasoned evaluator for two months to guide them through this process. Participants must attend five of the six 3-hour evaluation learning sessions to be eligible for project-based coaching. Participants will then need to deliver their final presentations at the graduation ceremony. Participants will receive their program certificates after delivering their final evaluation project presentations and program reflections.

The application is open to evaluators of color who reflect the full scope of the Chicago region’s diversity including but not limited to individuals who identify as: African American/Black; Latina/o/x/e; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian American; Middle Eastern or North African; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and/or multi-racial (ALANA). In addition, applicants must be individuals who are providing evaluation and data support to their organizations, but have not received formal evaluation training, or have only received minimal training.

Applicants must be sponsored by their organization. Each participant must identify a sponsor in a supervisory role at their organization to ensure that the participant and their evaluation work is supported by the organization. This means that a supervisor at their organization must agree to provide the participant time to prepare for and attend all 6 workshops. For anyone engaging in the coaching component, the supervisor must also provide time and support for the participant to engage with the evaluation coach to address a project within their organization.  Supporting evaluation work with guided coaching requires organizations to give consent for the participant to use data and other information related to an existing evaluation project in order to expand the participant’s learning.  This also means that the organization consents for the coach to access the project data and any relevant information in order to support the participant. 

Applicants must be able to attend five of the six evaluation workshop sessions and complete all preparation for all six sessions (approximately two hours of preparation/week) in order to complete the program and be eligible for coaching support.  Coaching sessions are focused on providing guidance on the evaluation project.  Participants must meet with their coaches on a weekly basis and demonstrate progress on their project.  Participants who complete the requirements will be eligible to earn the Pathways Initiative Evaluation Certificate.

Participants who opt into coaching must commit to completing an evaluation project. Coaching sessions will be used to help guide the participant’s project. Attendance at weekly coaching sessions is part of the Pathways Program requirements.

Applicants interested in one-on-one coaching support must identify a current evaluation project that they would like to work on throughout the program engagement. It is not required that participants develop a new project to participate in the program, but may identify an existing well-defined evaluation project. The project may be at any point in the evaluation cycle and does not need to be completed before the end of the program, as the participants may focus on a particular portion of the evaluation project as their requirement for participation.  As part of your description of the evaluation project being proposed, applicants must include detailed information for each of the following components: 

• Project description

• Problem being addressed by the project

• Population served/targeted

• Design

• Approach

• Data collection methods

• Data analysis plan

• Timeline. 

You also need to provide a description of your goals for this project and what assistance or challenges you anticipate being addressed with your coach. Participants will apply the culturally responsive evaluation practices learned through the workshop series and their coaching sessions to further the goals of their organization.