Hi Bill...
Yes I am going to the national peer conference. It is at the end of April, here in Toronto.
I hear you loud and clear regarding evaluation/management team. My director does have background in health research and we are now getting to the stage of getting some attention on how peer support is emergent social change within the health field of clinical/medical model.
Myself and the other lead "Team Awesome" , have explored some preliminary methodologies, evaluation & governance that will fit;
Constellation Governance Model What is it?
The Constellation Model of Collaborative Governance is a complexity-inspired framework designed to 'hold' collaborations within dynamic systems. It supports multi-organization partnerships and networks within complex systems. The Constellation Model is a strategy for pursuing social change in a dynamic universe and there is a transferable 'essence' of the model when it needs to be adapted.
Theory U What is it?
Learning, Leadership, Innovation, Transformational Change
Strategic planning towards sustainability requires engaging in profound change, an inner shift in peoples values, aspirations and behaviors guided by their mental models, as well as an outer shift in processes, strategies and practices.
Theory of Change What is it?
A theory of change (TOC) is the product of a series of critical-thinking exercises that provides a comprehensive picture of the early- and intermediate-term changes in a given community that are needed to reach a long-term goal articulated by the stakeholders. It is a tool for developing solutions to complex social problems by conducting “backwards mapping” to identify the preconditions necessary to achieve that goal.
Developmental Evaluation Model What is it?
Developmental Evaluation supports innovation development to guide adaptation to emergent and dynamic realities in complex environments. Innovations can take the form of organizational changes, policy reforms, and system interventions.
Now we are working with a consultant who specializes in emergent work. We only have her short term but she is helping us to land the initial outcome measurements and indicators which would be relevant to build on for evaluation.
Your are correct...there is a lot of info out there but it is everywhere and different interpretations. Not a "one size fits all" . Even the last full literature review was way back in 2009.
Lots to explore....
Here is a word cloud I created with input from our paid peers....(because you know me and my passion for colour and visuals)
