International Attendees

The Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) and the American Evaluation Association (AEA) welcome attendees from around the world to our joint CES/AEA Evaluation Conference to be held October 24-30, 2005 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This page is designed to help international attendees learn more about CES's and AEA's international outreach, available resources, and ways to make the most of the conference experience. Click on any of the topics below to go directly to more information.

• Letters of Invitation
• International Travel Awards
• International and Cross-cultural Evaluation Topical Interest Group (ICCE TIG)
• Nametag Ribbons
• Registration
• Questions

For many people, letters of invitation help smooth the visa process and we wish to support international attendees in their efforts to secure the needed travel documentation. However, in order to receive a letter of invitation, the conference organizers must have some assurance that you intend to attend the conference if your travel request is granted. Letters will be issued to those meeting any ONE of the following criteria:

• You have been a member of CES or AEA since prior to 12/31/2004
• You are scheduled to present at the annual conference
• You have completed and paid for 2005 conference registration
• You have won an AEA international travel award
• You can provide evidence of your work or study in the field of evaluation

If you require a letter of invitation in order to attend the annual conference, please email the following information to Kathy Jones in the CES office at kathy.jones@thewillowgroup.com.

• An indication of which of the five criteria above you meet, including documentation of your work or study in the field of evaluation if you meet only criteria #5
• The full address that should appear on the letter
• The name and title of the person to whom the letter should be addressed
• Whether you prefer that the letter be mailed or faxed (and provide a fax number if the latter is preferred)
• Any other information that you believe is needed in order to process your request for a letter or to develop the letter of invitation (sample in Microsoft Word).

Letters of invitation will be either faxed or mailed via the Canadian Postal Service using standard international delivery. Due to the costs involved, CES cannot send letters of invitation via courier or express mail services. We strongly encourage you to make your request at the earliest date possible. Requests received after October 7 may not be able to be honored. Letters of invitation are sent within three working days of receipt of all requested information. If you have questions about obtaining a letter of invitation, please direct them to Kathy Jones in the CES office via email at kathy.jones@thewillowgroup.com or via phone at 613-725-2526.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS: MARCH 11, 2005

We are pleased to invite professional evaluators living and practicing in developing countries to submit applications for travel subsidies to attend the 2005 CES/AEA Annual Conference. Funds are raised through generous donations to a silent auction held annually. This year 5 travel subsidies of approximately $1,200 each will be awarded. The subsidies may cover actual travel costs, food, the cost of shared accommodations, and the costs of conference registration. In addition to the cash subsidy, each travel award recipient may enroll in a one-day or two half-day professional development workshops at no charge. All awards are paid out at the conference as reimbursement of expenses. Winners will be announced by July 1, 2005 and will be expected to make a presentation at the conference (in English) based on their proposal.

The Submission Process: Begin by reviewing the proposal submission guidelines online at http://eval.org/eval2005/05.language.htm. You may submit a proposal to make any type of presentation focusing on any evaluation topic. To apply for the travel award, 1. submit the proposal itself online by the March 11, 2005 deadline using the regular conference proposal submission guidelines, and 2. send an email (and direct questions) to Thomaz Chianca at thomaz.chianca@wmich.edu containing the following materials: a) a cover letter, of no more than two pages, indicating your unique evaluation experience that could be shared with evaluators in similar/different settings and how you expect this opportunity to enhance your work in evaluation in your home country, b) a budget indicating your expected travel expenses, and c) three letters of support, one of which must come from, and document your membership in, your local evaluation association, if one exists. Proposals should be in English. Letters of support may be in a different language but English, Spanish or French are preferred. In the body of your email, include your full contact information and work affiliation. Submit your online proposal and emailed supporting material by March 11, 2005. The criteria for awarding travel subsidies will be a combination of need, potential to contribute to the evaluation profession, and adequate proficiency in English to give a successful presentation—potential award winners may be interviewed by one of the International and Cross-Cultural TIG Co-Chairs as part of the selection process.

The International and Cross-cultural Topical Interest Group focuses on knowledge and information sharing about evaluation in the areas of:

• International settings, policies and programs, with emphasis on developing countries
• Economic, social, and human development programs and projects
• Cross-cultural programs and projects.

At the conference, the ICCE TIG sponsors a strand of sessions focusing on their areas of interest. Under each session listed in the program, you can find its TIG sponsor. This is a great way to narrow down selections during the timeslots when you have over 20 sessions from which to choose! The full program will be posted online in September. The full list of TIGs may be found at http://eval.org/tigs.html.

When you check in at the conference registration desk, you will receive your hardcopy program and nametag that indicates the country from which you hail. The nametag serves as a wonderful networking tool throughout the conference. Having your country shown on your nametag is sure to start up conversation about evaluation, and life, in your part of the world.

All attendees and presenters must pay for registration at CES/AEA Evaluation Conference 2005. Registration begins on July 1 and more information will be available at that time including online registration forms for those with access to a credit card as well as downloadable registration forms for those paying by check or credit card. We recommend that you browse through the rest of this site, especially our frequently asked questions pages, and the information page for the hotel.

Please address questions about registration, letters of invitation, and logistics to Kathy Jones in the CES office at kathy.jones@thewillowgroup.com.

To register for the Conference, access the Registration page.
You may also download the complete registration pamphlet in PDF format.

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