Systems Design Quest
Date & Time:
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to
Room Number:
C1-100
The session title uses the word “Quest” with the following meaning: “A long search for something that is difficult to find, or an attempt to achieve something difficult.” A quest is a journey not an end state.
Think of a quest as a journey up a mountain where people are on different paths. The paths may diverge and converge along the way. The questers may have different intentions, interests. Some are climbing to get an arial view of a fuller landscape, enrich their perspective. Some may be journeying to learn new climbing and perception skills, some may want to get only far enough to see a different peak and how they might climb it. Some might be made to leave their homes and urge to find remedies to the problems of the communities they leave behind. And on it goes.
In the challenges of today’s environmental crises, complexities, and uncertainties, our panelists are each on a quest concerning systems designs. The intention is not to find the “best” path but rather to present to the audience a variety of challenges, evaluative questions and reflection exercises to choose from.
A systems design quest is both personal and professional. Systems thinking involves deep reflection, openness to changing how we have focused thus far and being willing to learn something fundamentally different than what we had been doing and thinking. Designing is a pro-engagement stand. It means we want to be present, learn and act together.
The International Evaluation Academy (IEAc) is dedicated to transforming, influencing, and professionalizing[1] the evaluation discipline worldwide. Thus, we are each asking ourselves three questions:
How has systems thinking transformed my perspective?
How can it be influential to design evaluative thinking in our times?
How can my experience (quest) be contributing to the profession of evaluation?
[1] transforming (T), influencing (I), and professionalizing (P) - TIP of the mountain
Moderator(s)
Beverly Parsons
International Evaluation Academy (IEAc)
Vice President
Beverly Parsons (PhD) is committed to fostering health and well-being for people and planet as evidenced in two recent co-authored publications—Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future and Paradigm-Based Evaluation for Eco-Just Systems Transformation. During her 40 + years in the evaluation and strategic planning fields, Beverly has worked with governors, legislators, local communities, philanthropy, universities, and businesses in support of environmental sustainability, social justice, economic well-being, and community development. Beverly is Executive Director of InSites. She is currently on the board of the International Evaluation Academy and was President of the American Evaluation Association in 2014.
Weronika Felcis
International Evaluation Academy (IEAc)
Vice President and founding Member
Weronika Felcis is vice-President and founding Member of the International Evaluation Academy. She served two terms as Secretary of the IOCE Executive Committee, she served on the Eval-Partners Executive Committee and is a past Board member of the European Evaluation Society. Weronika holds an MA in Sociology and is a graduate of Interdisciplinary Studies “Society Environment Technology” at the Jagiellonian University. She was an exchange student at Warwick University in Social Research in 2008/2009 and a scholarship recipient of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation in the Centre for Social Innovation and Research “Shipyard”. In 2014, she joined the Polish Evaluation Society of which she later became President. She was a Program Director of the first Polish Evaluation Congress which brought together evaluations from different sectors and fields. She is devoted to building networks and enabling the evaluation environment in Europe, especially in the CEE region. She coordinated the Network of Evaluation Societies in Europe (NESE) in 2016-2018. Realizing the pressures of living in the Anthropocene and 6th Mass extinction era, she introduces the theme of system thinking and regenerative living into her evaluation advocacy and lives in an intentional community based on permaculture principles she co-developed in Latvia.
Presenter(s)
Cristina Magro
International Evaluation Academy (IEAc)
Independent evaluator
Cristina Magro's first career was as a Linguistics Professor at Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. She has also been an Associate Professor, Visiting Scholar and researcher at academic institutions in Brazil and abroad. As a Senior Education Expert Consultant, Cristina worked as evaluator of school materials. She was advisor for the Vice-Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and the Minister of Education in Timor-Leste for the World Bank and UNICEF. She worked for the Brazilian Ministry of Education evaluating tertiary education institutions and the Observatory of Education. She devoted more than 25 years to research in systems thinking and teaching. She is the former Secretary-General for IDEAS and currently a member of International Research Group for Policy and Program Evaluation (INTEVAL), the International Evaluation Academy Council (IEAc), and is on the editorial boards of the Brazilian Journal of Evaluation (RBAVAL) and the Asia Pacific Journal of Evaluation. Cristina holds a PhD in language sciences from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP – Brazil), is an IPDET graduate and is certified in Institutional Assessment by the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture. She has published books, book chapters and papers either alone or in partnership.
Jos Vaessen
World Bank Independent Evaluation Group
Advisor
Jos Vaessen (PhD) has been with the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group since 2016. Between 2016 and 2022 he led IEG’s Methods Advisory Function. Since 2021 he has taken on a leading role with the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI). Jos has been working in evaluation research since 1998. He has conducted and led evaluations for multilateral and bilateral development organizations in a range of policy fields such as agriculture, environment, science, education, health and others. He has delivered numerous trainings and talks on evaluation practices and systems across the globe. Jos has authored several internationally peer reviewed publications, including three books. His most recent book is titled Evaluation of International Development Interventions: An Overview of Approaches and Methods.
Scott Chaplowe
IEAc Board Member and Independent Evaluator
Independent Evaluator
Scott G. Chaplowe is an evaluation and strategy specialist with over 25 years’ experience working with civic, public, and private organizations seeking sustainable solutions for social and environmental challenges. Trained as a geographer, his work stresses complex systems analysis and organizational capacity development. Scott has authored publications, delivered professional development training, and actively participates in forums at the crossroads of evaluation, sustainable development, and transformational change. He is currently working with the Climate Investment Funds as well as the German Institute for Development Evaluation on strategy and guidance for the design and evaluation of transformational interventions. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the International Evaluation Academy, the American Evaluation Association's International Working Group, and EvalSDGs
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