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Good planning is essential in designing a conference evaluation plan. This article provides key sources of information and elements to include, along with examples of data collection methods.
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CONFERENCE EVALUATIONPLANNING Good planning is essential ! (‘’fail to plan is plan to fail’’)
KEY SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO DESIGN A CONFERENCE EVALUATION PLAN • Conference objectives and expected outcomes • Conference information available to the public • Key documents disseminated to a restricted list of people involved in the conference planning & organization (e.g. concept notes, meeting reports, etc.) • Reports of & lessons learnt from previous conference evaluations • Consultations with as many stakeholders as possible, including committee members, conference organizers, etc.
KEY THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN DESIGNING A CONFERENCE EVALUATION PLAN
KEY ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE IN A CONFERENCE EVALUATION PLAN (cont.)
EXAMPLES OF METHODS TO COLLECT DATA • Face-to-face or phone individual interviews (structured & semi-structured) • Focus group interviews • Online surveys • Printed surveys • Structured observations of key sessions and conference areas • Review of conference programme and online resources • Review of statistical data on conference registration, scholarship recipients, abstracts, etc • Review of statistical data and evaluation findings from previous conference to allow comparison over time
EXAMPLES OF METHODS TO COLLECT DATA (cont.) • Use of rapporteurs to follow sessions addressing key topics. Their feedback can be also used to measure some indicators (e.g. number of sessions presenting new findings). • Analysis of the conference media coverage. • Review of posts and comments left by delegates and non-attendees on the conference blog, Facebook page and Twitter. • “Mystery shopper" approach to test registration or other conference services. • Instant polling/feedback at conference using SMS/phones, voting systems and smart devices.