85 - Strategies for Senior Managers: Enhancing Organizational Performance through Continuous Work Evaluation

Abstract Information: The American Evaluation Association (AEA) urges its members across various settings to prioritize and professionalize advanced evaluation practices within their organizations, thereby strengthening the evaluation culture within their respective settings. The lack of engagement from new and emerging evaluators, coupled with inadequate or irregular refresher training in evaluation, poses a threat to diversity, sustainability, and the progression of evaluation methodologies.
While many senior leaders, such as Directors, Chief of Party, and Country Managers, express their desire to foster an evaluation culture within their organizations, they often struggle with integrating evaluation components into their organizational missions and determining what aspects to evaluate in their routine work and supervision. Effective leadership of an organization, department, or program necessitates a deep understanding of progress towards intended goals and objectives. Senior managers must continually assess the effectiveness of their efforts to ensure alignment across all staff levels and receive timely feedback for both successes and areas requiring improvement.
Interestingly, some senior managers conduct evaluations without realizing they are doing so. How can the AEA conference bridge this knowledge gap? This roundtable discussion aims to provide strategies and best practices for senior managers to understand the critical components to assess when receiving and reviewing reports, conducting field supervision, and preparing feedback sessions or reports with staff, thereby amplifying their voices.
This discussion will also serve as a platform for senior leaders and evaluators at all career stages to exchange new ideas, practices, and innovative approaches to evaluation. Key enablers for building a sustainable evaluation culture within organizations, such as visionary leadership, adequate resources, evaluation policies, staff readiness for learning and change, supportive supervision, and constructive feedback, will be highlighted.

It is believed that through participation in this session, leaders will acquire the necessary evaluation skills and knowledge to reinforce and sustain evaluation practices within their organizations. Additionally, as a senior leader, identifying, engaging, and understanding stakeholders' needs is fundamental to influencing evaluation practices and garnering buy-in within the organization. During the session, the importance of honesty and transparency in work will be demonstrated, illustrating how these qualities helped ensure the integrity of evaluation work and fostered sustainable collaboration with stakeholders.
Furthermore, principles such as respect for people, systematic inquiry, competence, and equity are crucial when dealing with stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes. Participation in the AEA conference will provide an opportunity to network with other senior evaluators, learn from their experiences, and embrace diversity, ultimately impacting career growth.