About the Presentation: Collaborative Evaluation
Dr. Rita O’Sullivan will introduce collaborative evaluation as an approach in the context of other evaluation options and then contrast it with other stakeholder-based approaches (i.e., Empowerment, Participatory, and Utilization-Focused).  She will share specific collaborative evaluation strategies and then using an example show how collaborative evaluation can promote capacity building.

Rita will engage participants in a discussion of the merits and disadvantages of collaborative evaluation. Her presentation will last approximately 25 minutes followed by engaged discussion and Q&A with the audience.

About the Presenter: Dr. Rita O’Sullivan
Dr. Rita O’Sullivan is Associate Professor of Evaluation and Assessment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she teaches graduate courses in Educational Program Evaluation, Case Study Methods, Research Design, Measurement, and Statistics.  She also is Director of Evaluation, Assessment, and Policy Connections (EvAP), a unit she founded within the UNC School of Education that conducts local, state, national, and international evaluations.  Dr. O’Sullivan specializes in developing collaborative evaluation techniques that enhance evaluation capacity and utilization among educators and public service providers.  She has successfully used collaborative evaluation approaches with museum, education, community development, and family support programs in North Carolina, non-profit organizations in the southeastern states, as well as national program initiatives in education and community development.  She authored Practicing Evaluation:  A Collaborative Approach (Sage, 2004) and is senior author of Programs for At-Risk Student: A Guide to Evaluation (Corwin Press, 1993). Dr. O’Sullivan has traveled to Kazakhstan, Russia, Brazil, Guinea, Southern Sudan, Uganda, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Thailand, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to make presentations and conduct evaluation trainings.  In addition to her scholarly contributions to the field of evaluation via articles and presentations, Dr. O’Sullivan served as Director of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Graduate Education Diversity Internship Program (2010-12) and AEA Secretary/Treasurer from 1992-1997. In 2001 she was presented the first lifetime Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina Association for Research in Education, and in 2002 received the Ingle Service award from the American Evaluation Association.