Masterclass Sessions

Please note that these are concurrent sessions. No pre-registration is required.

Sustainable Livelihoods Framework: A Strengths-based Approach to Evaluation

Facilitators: Mary Ferguson and Vibhuti Mehra

Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) is an approach to working with individuals and communities to address the effects of social and economic exclusion, and to support them in developing assets and livelihood strategies which will enable them to move out of poverty towards resilience. This approach is concerned first and foremost with people and is founded on a belief that a holistic set of personal assets is required to achieve positive livelihood outcomes: basic needs, social connections, money, positive identity, skills and knowledge, and health. SL approaches promote a holistic, strengths-based methodology to making a realistic assessment of the assets people do have, and finding ways of nurturing and combining these assets to build social and economic engagement while creating positive livelihood outcomes.

Sustainable Livelihoods has been used in evaluations in a number of ways. Asset mapping combines both qualitative and quantitative data collection, and can be used to document and measure changes in a participant’s life over time. The Vulnerability Context helps evaluators identify big-picture assets and barriers that programs and organizations need to consider as they work with participants. The Stages of Livelihood Development helps support program/service design, and inform program changes and recommendations. Conditions and Capacity are a key consideration for evaluators as they measure program-related changes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will understand and internalize the holistic Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and its key concepts
2. Participants will understand how the SL framework can be utilized for evaluations at the individual, program, organizational and community levels

Credentialed Evaluator (CE) Competencies:

2.1 Clarifying the purpose and scope of the evaluation
2.4 Framing evaluation tools and questions
2.5 Developing evaluation designs
2.9 Using findings to answer evaluation questions and, where appropriate, to develop recommendations.
2.10 Producing complete and balanced evaluation reporting to support decision-making and learning.

Beyond Satisfaction: Using the Success Case Method to Evaluate and Improve Learning Initiatives

Facilitators: Dr. Daniela Schröter & Allison Prieur

Brinkerhoff’s (2003) Success Case Method (SCM) offers a practical and systematic approach to evaluating the impact of organizational interventions. By focusing on strengths and leveraging systematic steps, SCM helps organizations identify what is working, why it works, and how programs can be improved. This expert tutorial introduces participants to the foundational principles and practical applications of SCM, with a focus on:

• Planning targeted SCM studies.
• Developing an impact model aligned with organizational goals.
• Identifying and selecting potential success cases.
• Conducting in-depth interviews and documenting findings.
• Effectively communicating results and actionable recommendations to audiences.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to assess the suitability of SCM for their evaluation needs
2. Participants can use practical steps to implement the SCM

Credentialed Evaluator (CE) Competencies:

3.4 Promotes and facilitates usefulness of the evaluation process and results.
3.6 Engages in reciprocal processes in which evaluation knowledge and expertise are shared between the evaluator and stakeholders to enhance evaluation capacity for all.
5.3 Demonstrates effective, appropriate and respectful verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Performance Measurement: From Theory to Practice to Transformation

Facilitator: Jennifer Connoly

As the healthcare landscape in Ontario and across Canada increasingly focuses on value-based care and the integration of technology, evaluators must be equipped to assess the economic impact of new innovations. This workshop will provide practitioners, researchers, and students with a foundational understanding of health economic evaluations and the confidence to apply these methods in their work.Drawing on extensive experience from our company (having conducted over 40 economic evaluations in Canada and the UK)this session will demystify the process of assessing value-for-money.

Using a case study on an AI-powered tool for skin cancer diagnosis, participants will learn how to move from a theoretical concept to a tangible evaluation that can inform policy and funding decisions.

We will explore how to frame an evaluation using the Quintuple Aims framework, which aligns with the priorities of major Canadian health organizations, and how to navigate the practical challenges of data collection and analysis in a real-world setting.

Using this case study, we will guide participants through the four key stages of an economic evaluation:

1.Mapping out the “business as usual” pathway and the proposed improvement.
2.Developing a logic model to map potential benefits and costs.
3.Discussing mixed-method approaches to data collection and information gathering.
4.Summarizing and communicating findings effectively to stakeholders.

The workshop will incorporate interactive elements, such as polls and a Q&A sessionat the end, to engage participants and ensure a comprehensive understanding of the material.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will understand the core principles of health economic evaluation and its relevance in a learning health system.
2. Participants will learn to apply a step-by-step framework to design and conduct a cost-consequence analysis of a healthcare innovation.
3. Participants will know how to develop a logic model that maps the inputs, impacts, and benefits of a new program or technology.
4. Participants can identify appropriate qualitative and quantitative data sources to inform an economic evaluation.
5. Participants can communicate the findings of an economic evaluation to diverse stakeholders in a clear and impactful way

Credentialed Evaluator (CE) Competencies:

1.6 Uses appropriate evaluation methods.
1.7 Identifies data requirements, sources, sampling and data collection tools.
1.8 Collects, analyzes and interprets data using appropriate methods.
3.4 Promotes and facilitates usefulness of the evaluation process and results.