Canadian Evaluation Society - Ontario Chapter

Eval Café: Engaging Marginalized Communities in Evaluation
2025-02-28 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Presenter: Janet Murray, MA, CE – Resources for Results Evaluators
Co-Presenters: Mary Kay MacVicar and Monica Forrester, Harm Reduction Team – Street Health, Toronto.
During this session, we will reflect on our experience evaluating the four-year Community Harm Reduction Response Teams (CHRRT) initiative and other projects funded by the Substance Use and Addictions Program of Health Canada (2018-2023).
We will offer insights into how to ground project evaluations in participatory, community-based processes and collaborative partnerships.
Key discussion points will include:
• How a knowledge mobilization approach shapes project evaluation strategy and implementation.
• Practical strategies for engaging marginalized communities in learning and evaluation, including both successes and challenges.
• The impact of community engagement on the quality of outcomes evaluation and evaluation products.
Event link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86087237039?pwd=[REDACTED]

CES-Ontario / C2025 Watch Party
2025-07-03 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
CES has made select content from the 2025 conference available to chapters, and CES Ontario has asked Evaluation Cafe Ontario to host its conference watch party.
Come join us over lunch to watch the session “Let’s Have a Data Party! Stories of Collaborative Learning and Change”, presented by Jakub Nemec, Paula Richardson. Afterwards, we’ll break into small groups for discussion and networking.
An RSVP is requested. Please click here to RSVP.

Eval Café: Quantifying Qualitative Data
2025-08-07 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Hemingway’s, 142 Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
You’re invited to join us for an informal Evaluation Café meetup over drinks and conversation at Hemingway’s! This month’s topic: Quantifying Qualitative Data.

As evaluators, we’re often asked to put numbers to stories—whether it’s coding themes from interviews, summarizing open-ended survey responses, or making sense of focus group notes. But when does counting help, and when does it risk oversimplifying?
We’ll explore practical ways to quantify qualitative data, discuss when it adds value (and when it doesn’t), and share tips from our own practice.

Bring your stories, questions, and maybe a notebook.
Open to evaluators, researchers, and curious minds at any stage in their career. More details and add the event to your calendar using the following link: Evaluation Cafe Toronto Meetup: Quantifying Qualitative Data

Eval Café: Games & Mingling Night
2025-11-20 17:30 - 20:30 UTC | The Dylan Bar, 1276 Danforth Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M4J 1M6, Canada
Join us for a relaxed, social Evaluation Café where we’ll mix purposeful networking with a couple of light, laughter-friendly games to help folks connect across projects, sectors, and roles. Expect easy icebreakers (think Human Bingo / Speed-Friending energy), evaluator-adjacent shenanigans, and plenty of time to chat.
What to expect

5:30–5:50 Check-in, grab a bite, casual intros

5:50–6:25 Game #1: quick mixer to meet new people

6:25–6:55 Game #2: small-group fun (zero prep required)

6:55–7:30+ Open networking

Food & drinks: Light snacks provided; drinks available for purchase at the bar.
Who should come: Evaluators, researchers, data/strategy folks, students, and anyone evaluation-curious.
Vibe: Friendly, low-stakes, come-as-you-are.

Eval Café: Evaluation Trivia
2026-01-07 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
To start the new year, let’s have a bit of fun together. Join us for some trivia about evaluation and your peers!

Evaluation Cafe Ontario online events are an opportunity for us to network and learn from our colleagues across the province. Anyone can join whether from Ontario or not, but presenters/facilitators will always be from Ontario.

We have a continuous open call for topics, activities, discussions, etc. Whatever you want to share, do, discussion with peers from across Ontario, you let us know, and we make it happen.

To RSVP, join the CES Ontario Groups.io group and RSVP online.
