Welcome to the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»ÒBlog
Developing the next generation ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»ÒStrategic Priorities
by John Stoney, ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»ÒPresident
I was a policy and program wonk before I became an evaluation tragic. One of the things that excited me about remaining on the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»ÒBoard and taking up the President role was that one of the first tasks would be developing our next set of Strategic Priorities for the period 2019–2022.
The ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òis in good shape. This I think reflects a number of dynamics, one of which is previous Boards – together with the broader ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òleadership teams and members – developing a set of Priorities that have served us well. They have provided a sound foundation and framework to guide all the work that has occurred in the last three years. This has enabled the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òto prosper. (I would also suggest that the other dynamics are hard work, commitment, vision and a generosity of time from the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òoffice team, successive Conference Convenors and Organising Committees, the various Board Committees, Board members and our general membership).
By a number of metrics, things look good organisationally. As I type, we are on the cusp of having 1,000 members. Our finances are very healthy. We have a highly successful (and expanding) workshop program and have had a succession of successful (both financially and reputationally) conferences. As an organisation, in the last year, we have launched our first , engaged in some key Australian Government review processes and looked to practically implement recommendations from the Pathways to Professionalisation Report, as well as exploring various ways to enhance member value.
Having said that, inevitably the world around us is dynamic, providing both potential challenges and opportunities. The task for those of us with stewardship responsibilities for the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Ò(and, by association, the broader profession) is to navigate our way through and be adaptive during the next 3–5 years in a way that ensures the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òremains in a good place, in good shape and – most importantly – continues to meet the needs of its members.
For that reason, it's important to hear from members and obtain your feedback on what you think the next Strategic Priorities should encompass in terms of goals and priorities under each of the proposed domains.
To that end, a Consultation Paper has been developed and sent to members. As you'll see, the Board and its various Committees sense that the next set of Priorities are an evolution of the current ones. In some instances, the proposed goals and priorities remain consistent; in others, they have changed to reflect developments under the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»ÒStrategic Priorities 2016-2019, plus the current and emerging context.
I would encourage as many ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òmembers as possible to provide their feedback, and to also consider what they may like to actively contribute to in terms of the key roles, activities and potential projects that will be undertaken to implement our next generation of priorities.
If you’re an ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òmember and haven't received (or have misplaced) your email invite, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Look forward to hearing from you,
John
John Stoney
An internal Australian Government evaluation practitioner by day and the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»ÒPresident at all other times, John has been on the ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»ÒBoard since 2016. He has had responsibility for the Influence domain supported by the membership of the Advocacy and Alliances Committee. When not at work or undertaking ÖØ¿Ú50¶È»Òduties, he takes any opportunity he can to discuss matters of evaluation theory, practice and use with fellow travellers (both evaluative and non-evaluative) over a cup of coffee (and maybe a donut).