The Future of EEN

2012 EEN Forum

Led by Kara Crohn and Matt Keene

Future of EEN
By Kara Crohn and Matt Keene

Morning Session
• Explanation of how EEN works and purpose of NOAAs involvement.
• The “Future of EEN” was interpreted by the group as ‘Expansion’ of EEN
• The absence of evaluation in int’l development projects. In Africa doing conservation and development together. Very little proper evaluation and no adaptive management. Most biodiversity hotspots not in US. Would like to make sure that next year’s EEN has more involvement of intl orgs in DC like USAID, There is less int’l presence this year at EEN Forum…is this a problem or is it what we want? Not big interest in Congo from the world but they have the rainforest that must be protected. What is the aim of EEN wrto developing countries and expanding EEN?
• Host country nationals are engaging in the conversation with and in addition to Donor institutions. In first few years the donor institutions were at EEN but not nationals involved in the projects. Everyone feels they are at the beginning of their work in evaluation and don’t know how…Even the most advanced organizations and countries do not feel they are that much farther ahead than those just starting. Better evaluation must occur at the institutions that are funding and bringing evaluation in Congo before better eval happens in Congo…How can EEN help with this?
• There are policies and resources applied to evaluation but its not being used and applied correctly
• Rodney Hopson says wants AEA to support and contribute to the discuss of EEN in the future. AEA has not been very clear about its focus on the environment and sustainability. Based on the EEN Mexico event last week, the Mexican evaluation association is coming to AEA. Rodney says that between Wed and Sat AEA presidential suite is doing a meet and greet with int’l’s and the president of the Mexican Evaluation Association should join for that discussion. Does AEA need another theme night in the prez suite. Are there other nights open for another theme? Challenge for AEA is not that don’t want to collaborate with all of the different eval groups, but deciding who and how do we partner/collaborate? What should the relationship be?
• EEN participants like EEN for a couple intangible reasons: EEN introduces the potential to improve, that you’re not alone and that others are out there to help and doing the same thing; also people feel they are getting left behind. While other organizations, countries, regions, communities improve at evaluation, others feel left behind. EEN/AEA coordinate to work with new groups coming to EEN and need guidance
• EEN needs to connect with International program for evaluation – blding eval capacity for developing economies. They have money and the provide training for fee. Perhaps there is opportunity for involving the environment. Perhaps EEN should host trainings at this org’s events in Canada. Participants from developing contries can be paid for. EEN may be able to do some training.
• EEN is giving me a broader view of what’s happening in environmental evaluation. I (Ingrid) wrote article about need for local rural higher education.
• CMP – biodiversity representing
• What happens next year? What do we want to accomplish and how do we do it should determine what happens (forum, datapalooza). What’s the purpose of the network and so what do we want to do next year? Who are the partners? And Can we combine the two formats of unconference and more traditional – a hybrid

2nd Session
• Coordination across all EEN roles and its organizational structure; an EEN wide work group
• Special projects (1. Repository of Evaluation reports, surveys, tools very critical 2. Expansion to international audiences, EEN networks, evaluation networks, and approaching organizations in other sectors 3. Governance structure; are we going to grow potentially evolve; a value statement, values harmonic with AEA value statement 4. Post Unconference networks and sharing 5. Identity as evaluators)

• Who will organize next year’s EEN?
• Intro from 1st session
• Project – Grey lit database – Andy and Jessica Hardy introduced idea. Need a place to put it…FOS done work on this early on…Nigel too. Env TIG at AEA? Matt Keene working on Architecture of Environmental Evaluation. EEN website. Coordinate with EEN Europe as they have started a similar conversation.
• Expansion of EEN – to other countries and to int’l and conservation communities not currently represented at EEN. More international involvement. Connect to the national and the int’l institutions that work in those countries. Connect with World parks congress? Convention of Biodiversity. Arrange EEN strand at other conferences – SCB, environmental education. SCB in Baltimore. Could have an EEN event strand at SCB (Andrew Pullin). Kara Crohn at Energy conferences.
• Does EEN want to grow, same, independent? Values statement? Board? Liability insurance? Governance structure? By-laws? Finances?
• Gaps between human and ecological systems and intersections relevant to Evaluation – need a statement or guide that orgs could use to interpret GAO and OMB guidelines. Discussion around evaluation relevant to gaps between ecological and social systems
• How do groups proceed? Mailing lists, email lists, linkedin groups, listserve, next steps…how do groups proceed? Better method of online discussion? Themes, workgroups, membership lists…EEN Website special projects page?
• Wrestling with who we are may make clear what we are not….this may lead to need for some sort of governance structure and who will take the lead
• Are we still happy with the name? Environmental has lots of different meanings.
• Other project – Datapalooza – is this a project that all can engage in;
• Other Project – EEN – EU, US coordination on benchmarking around certain environmental issues

Post a Comment