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TIGS help me navigate and prioritize sessions I attend at the annual conference

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thinking about the complexity and systemic factors that impact the evaluation, impacts related to the whole system

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thinking about the complexity and systemic factors that impact the evaluation, impacts related to the whole system

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looking beyond the scope of a specific program/project but the full ecosystem it exists within 

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looking beyond the scope of a specific program/project but the full ecosystem it exists within 

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It really should be "evaluation of systems", since I see it as efforts to measure the many dimensions of systems change

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A complex systems-informed alternative to traditional, Newtonian evaluation approaches

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Approaching evaluation with a lens of components, relationships, interconnections, complexity

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Holistic view; consideration of interactions with the systems; consideration of system constraints; -- how these considerations play into evaluation and evaluative thinking

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systematic inclusion of program components in its context

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Understanding complex and complicated processes and how they affect others

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Core belief that system level approaches lead to the changes we want to see/sustain in society

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Learning about other sectors of inquiry from diverse evaluators

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More systematic and holistic perspectives that involve and response to all stakeholders and relevant systems.

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I see systems as a lens. At times we evaluate systems, at other times we may evaluate programs or collaborations with an understanding of complexity etc.

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Particularly through the reading groups during the pandemic

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Opportunity for networking

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Opportunity to think together (eg through a journal club)

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Seeing the range of people who are interested/consider their work as related to systems

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Meetings/Events throughout the year to provide connection points beyond the annual AEA conference

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I like regular communication. It does not need to be daily, but some regular exchange.

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Meeting and working with peers.

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I really liked our TIG meet up in Feb.

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Working together with people, such as on proposal selection for the conference.

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Seeing the same faces in sessions and events

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It does not happen super often, but webinars are greater opportunity to share ideas.

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Opportunities to discuss and interact with other members (journal club, informal discussion around some topic, etc.)

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I would like to see more opportunities for technical discussions, either prompted by presentations or articles (journal club).

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Is there some way to get a better understanding on the current membership, what they work on and what questions or problems they have.

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AEA was a way to collect other SETIG presentations, pick up and read publications and books - learn what is cutting edge in the field

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It’s bigger than just evaluating systems. It’s also using a systems perspective to guide design and implementation of evaluations, whether those are for large systems or programs. All human endeavors are enacted within complex adaptive systems. Systems in evaluation is a way of thinking about the situations we evaluate that captures the systemic elements present and helps situations better understand, not just what they have or have not achieved, but also how and why observed outcomes and impacts happened.

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TIGs provide a community within the broader membership for those with similar interests to connect and belong.

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In many ways, due as much to the pandemic and to how the annual meeting is structured, we have lost the tighter sense of community and connection we once had. Virtual events are good and help us connect during the year. But we no longer know who we are in an interpersonal, face to face manner. Without a business meeting during the conference, there is less opportunity to get to know each other socially or to connect through fun (The Big TIG Prize, for example. Loss of support monies from AEA play a definite role in this. Perhaps we could do a small TIG get together that is virtual and structured like a unconference with several short rounds of breakouts on topics that are generated at the start by participants. People move to different topical breakouts each round and get an opportunity to meet each other on a more personal basis.

It would also be nice if we could have an off-site social of some sort during the conference. Even a bar get-together where everyone pays their own way would be fun. Portland is especially important to the Systems TIG because, the last time we were in Portland (2006) was when we held our first program for the TIG. It was also when the authors of the systems in evaluation anthology edited by Bob Williams and Iraj Imam came together to work and shape the volume. Might be nice to commemorate that in some way.