CES National is a Canada-wide, non-profit, bilingual association dedicated to the advancement of evaluation theory and practice. CES has 11 regional chapters across Canada and over 1900 members. Our members come from all levels of government, and the private, educational and non-profit sectors. CES Ontario is a chapter of CES National.
Evaluation Cafe Ontario is for informal networking and knowledge sharing events for Evaluators and those interested in evaluation within Ontario. It’s a chance to meet new people, share ideas, and build a sense of community among evaluators. Evaluation Cafe is community driven, and works by members coming forward to share learning and best practice or organize/facilitate discussions on issues/challenges/solutions. If you’d like to share or discuss something with our evaluation community, let us know, and we’ll make it happen.
Currently, we have one community organizing local events in Toronto. Events are held both in person and online. Information about all events can be found on the Evaluation Cafe Groups.io page. Anyone who is interested in the field of evaluation is welcome to join the online group and attend any of the events.
The Ontario Chapter of Canadian Evaluation Society sponsors the meet-ups by providing funds for this Groups.io subscription and for some snacks/space fees.
The Common Approach is an initiative that is working toward better impact measurement through the establishment and development of a flexible framework for impact measurement in Canada. The Common Approach encompasses four standards that are community-driven. These four standards are: 1. The Common Framework of flexible social and environmental indicators; 2. the Common Form of common core organizational and financial information asked by funders; 3. The Common Impact Data Standard that makes it easier to exchange and analyze impact data; and 4. the Common Foundations which are the five essential practices of impact measurement.
The Common Foundations are five essential practices of impact measurement which are a minimum standard for impact measurement in Canada. These five essential practices are: 1. Plan your intended change; 2. Use performance measures; 3. Collect useful information; 4. Gauge performance and impact; and 5. Report on results. These five essential practices are common to most impact measurement tools and framework and are based on a global consensus of essential practices for impact measurement.
Common Foundations resources include:
1. The official document explaining the five essential practices (also available in French)
2. The self-assessment (to assess to what extent an organization is implementing these practices)
3. Free introductory video series
Other resources that might be of interest:
The Common Impact Data Standard explainer document. This document explains the data standard and its usefulness for impact data.