Dr Zuleyka Zevallos

Organisational readiness to adopt implementation: if you expect people to collect data for your evaluation, remove another responsibility from their plate. - Aaron Lyon Education panel #GEIS2018

Case study: one school found better outcomes for Aboriginal students when educators engaged their parents outside of clinical institutional context of the classrooms (which made them uncomfortable). - Jenny Donovan Education panel #GEIS2018

Policy design and implementation panel: Policymakers have limited time & attention - the way researchers approach them needs to adapt. DFAT has published outcomes of 60 evaluations in past 2yrs. However few decision-makers will read or refer to them. - Peter Versegi #GEIS2018

Policy design cont.: Researchers don't set up interventions in a way to easily evaluate them and collect data from the start. - Peter Versegi #GEIS2018

Policy design cont. Political cycle impacts decision-makers' attention. It's hard work for line agencies to convince central government & funding agencies to invest in programs & evaluations. - Deidre Mulkerin #GEIS2018

Policy cont. For practitioners to engage policymakers, the research needs to be 'digestable & doable.' That is, presented in plain English, with practical outcomes spelled out. 'I don't have time for research that's just interesting.' - Deidre Mulkerin #GEIS2018

Policy design cont. Evaluations and good programs need funding! To engage policymakers, research must show ability to implement on the ground. Ie. improving practice for local councils and early childhood educators. Longitudinal data are a bonus. - Susan McDonald #GEIS2018

Mr Argiri Alisandratos referred to the national apology to victims of institutional sexual abuse, which happened today. Researchers who wish to engage policymakers need to demonstrate they understand the policy context of the day. #GEIS2018

Knowledge translation panel: Rebecca Armstrong discussed AIFS approach, which includes multiple products for each research report, designed for different stakeholder audiences, from Ministerial briefs, to animation for kids. #GEIS2018

Knowledge translation cont. Dr David Ameyaw discussed a pan-African approach to environmental policy. Data or information might be quoted by politicians in speeches or media, but if info is not used, it's not going to support evidence-based policy making. #GEIS2018

M Sadan and Zeenat Ishmail each discussed two seperate national and regional evaluation approaches for South African Government. Lots of work to convince different stakeholders but monitoring and evaluation became widely adopted in each case. #GEIS2018