International Buddy Program

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Introduction

As the world’s oldest Volunteer Organization for Professional Evaluators (VOPE), and as the first VOPE to institute a professional designation program, the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) has a longstanding commitment to international collaboration to advance evaluation standards, theory, and capacity. The International Year of Evaluation 2015 is a unique opportunity for the CES to adopt a new way to welcome international evaluators at our annual conference in Montreal (Quebec) on May 24-27, 2015.

The International Buddy Program (IBP)

Building on successful IBP programs hosted at the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and European Evaluation Society (EES) conferences, CES is proud to launch its first-ever International Buddy Program (IBP). CES would like to thank the AEA and EES, who generously shared their IBP documents and experiences as a basis for building the CES IBP.

CES IBP Purpose:

Canada-based and international participants volunteering to the International Buddy Program will be matched on the basis of common interests. IBP is intended to achieve the following:

  • IBP participants from outside Canada, especially those who are CES-conference “first-timers,” will feel comfortable and well oriented.
  • IBP participants from outside Canada will gain a better understanding of evaluation practice in Canada by exchanging with a Canada-based peer;
  • Canada-based IBP participants will learn more about the evaluation practice in another country by exchanging with an international peer;
  • The IBP will facilitate networking among all IBP participants at conference social events.

The IBP is simple:

Upon registration for CES 2015, Canada-based evaluators and international evaluators are invited to fill out the online IBP Enrollment form by clicking on this link: fluidsurveys.com/s/InternationalBuddyProgram/

The buddy relationship will consist of three phases:

  1. Before the conference: Based on your background and professional interests, the IBP coordinators will match international visitors with Canada-based evaluators. In early May, IBP participants will be introduced to their “buddy” by email, so that they can correspond a few weeks before the conference starts. Buddies may also wish to exchange information through LinkedIn, by joining the CES 2015 LinkedIn group. Although we will close the online IBP registration on May 18, conference participants interested in enrolling in the IBP may sign up onsite at the registration desk.
  2. During the conference: Once the conference starts, the IBP coordinators will provide opportunities to those enrolled in the IBP to interact not only with their own buddies but also with other pairs of buddies. Similarly, the Canada-based evaluator and the international participant will seek opportunities to spend some time together during the conference (e.g., during lunch breaks or other CES-sponsored receptions). The Canada-based evaluator will also assist the international participant with any questions about the conference sessions and logistics.
  3. After the conference: The goal is that evaluators enrolled in the IBP program fully benefit from the conference by establishing an enjoyable and productive professional link with evaluators coming from other countries.

 Disclaimer:

  • The CES is only responsible for pairing individuals with similar professional interests. The IBP is an informal opportunity to enhance your experience at the CES Annual Conference, and it should be an enjoyable experience for both the international visitor and the Canada-based evaluator. Therefore, IBP participants should not expect mentoring, career guidance or introductions to specific scholars in the course of the conference.
  • In addition, the CES is not responsible for any issues arising between paired individuals.

We look forward to seeing you in Montreal, Canada from May 24th to 27th.

If you have any questions, please contact Andrealisa Belzer (abelzer@eastlink.ca), Mariane Arsenault (marsenault@universalia.com) or Marie Gervais (marie.gervais@fmed.ulaval.ca).