GEOTRACES Program Evaluation

1. GEOTRACES Program Evaluation Bob Anderson GEOTRACES SSC Meeting Stellenbosch, South Africa 8 - 10 October 2013

2. GEOTRACES Program Evaluation Lessons learned from the evaluation of the U.S. Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program By SustainaMetrix An organization that evaluates universities, research institutions, non-governmental agencies, etc. Evaluation based in part on responses to a poll of the OCB community.

3. Assessment includes relationship to other programs

4. Flow chart: Phases of the program and steps to achieve goals of each phase

5. Polling provides demographics of those who feel part of the GEOTRACES community Location Position Seniority Discipline/ Profession

6. Polling assesses perceived effectiveness of the program in the following areas: Organizing and implementing community activities Logistical support for community planning activities Nurturing emerging new initiatives Community building Communicating with the media, public, policy makers Facilitating interdisciplinary linkages Scientific leadership Consensus building Valid points whether we are being assessed or simply aiming to serve our community.

7. Polling assesses perceived effectiveness of various media for communicating: Scientific publications Workshops Newsletter Science support Calendar Communicating with other programs Not my list - these are criteria used by SustainaMetrix.

8. Communicating with the public and policy makers: directly or via media No specific advice offered, but identified as important to consider.

9. Involving people from within our discipline How does the community learn about our events and activities? Is participation actively encouraged and facilitated? Are early career scientists involved? Once people interact with GEOTRACES do they wish to remain engaged with the program?

10. Involving people from outside our discipline How do people from other disciplines interact with GEOTRACES? What does GEOTRACES do to facilitate interaction by people from outside the program? Do our products reach the right disciplines?

11. Effectiveness of program leadership Is the program’s leadership effective? Are their responsibilities and expectations clearly defined? Does leadership communicate program goals, activities and opportunities to the broader community?

12. Future directions Does the program have a strategy to establish priorities for future directions? Is the community aware of the strategy? Does the community approve of the strategy? POINT: Ensure that GEOTRACES has a strategy and that we are following it.

13. Improvements Solicit input from the community on strategies to improve the program.

14. Mission Define in clear and simple terms a mission that is of recognized importance. A statement “written for someone who isn’t part of GEOTRACES, and who wants to know why they should be involved with the program.”

15. Questions to ask in defining Mission How do you describe GEOTRACES at cocktail parties? What makes GEOTRACES different from any other program? If GEOTRACES didn’t exist, what would be missing?