Copy from the following announcement was written by staff at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. It has been re-published here with permission.

About the workshop:

As a part of their Expanding the Bench strategy, the Annie E. Casey Foundation will be hosting a one day pre-conference workshop on Results Based Accountability at this year’s American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference. While all are encouraged to apply to attend, preference will be given to historically underrepresented groups**.

Internationally renowned author and speaker, Mark Friedman, will present a full day pre-conference professional development workshop at AEA Conference 2015 on his talk-to-action methods for improving quality of life for customers and communities. Mr. Friedman is author of Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough, a book used by government and non-profit agencies in over 40 states and countries around the world, including the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Chile, New Zealand and Australia. The London Guardian called his work “Simple, common sense and jargon free.” The New York Times referred to it as “one of the few serious attempts to bring sanity to the budget process.” Using clear plain language, the framework presents step-by-step methods for states, cities, and communities to turn around quality of life conditions (e.g. health, safety, clean environment, and children ready for school) and step-by-step methods for agencies to improve services for their customers.

Friedman’s professional development workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 10th, 2015 from 8:00am to 4:00pm at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ Gleacher Center, just a short 7 minute walk from the AEA 2015 conference hotel in Chicago, Illinois. There is no cost to participants for this workshop, with registration fees and meals sponsored by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. 

Click this link to RSVP for the professional development workshop. There is limited space for 100 participants on a first come, first served basis. A confirmation email with further event details will be sent to all registrants after the application deadline.

For more information contact Ilana Yamin at iyamin@aecf.org.

About Expanding the Bench:

Expanding the Bench is a core strategy of the Research, Evaluation, and Learning (REAL) Unit at The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Expanding the Bench seeks to train professionals of color in the Results Based Accountability approach, so that they may improve performance management, increase the quality and efficiency of their work, and improve the impact that they make on the communities in which they serve. Higher-quality and more effective programs, agencies, and service systems will ultimately lead to a better quality of life for urban residents and communities.

**Please note that Expanding the Bench prioritizes outreach and professional development opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. Underrepresented refers to those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the field of research and evaluation relative to their numbers in the general population, such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and other socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Members of historically underrepresented groups will be given priority to attend the workshop session, but others with an interest in infusing race equity and inclusion in their evaluation work are encouraged to apply.