2009

Program Summaries

Discussion Topic:  The Federal Stimulus Bill - What Does It Mean for Florida, Will It Save the Budget, and What Does It Require Agencies To Do?

The first brown bag lunch session for 2009 was held on Tuesday, April 21, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. at The Comedy Club in Tallahassee, Florida.  Don Winsted, Federal Stimulus "Czar" and Melinda Miguel, Chief Inspector General (both from the Executive Office of the Governor) shared their thoughts.   For more information, please contact Kathy McGuire at the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.  Our thanks to all who attended!

Discussion Topic:  The Joys and Challenges of Consulting

The second SEA program was held as a social gathering on Thursday, June 11, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at a private residence.  Independent evaluation consultants shared their professional insights on starting and maintaining an Independent Evaluation Consulting business. Panelists described ways of building and maintaining client relationships and shared their expertise related to initial business set-up and lessons they have learned.  The discussion included the pros and cons of having an independent consulting business, the various types of business structures, methods of contracting and fee setting, as well as the personal decisions that impact on having your own business. The session ended with audience members posing specific questions to the panelists.

We want to thank Dr. Connie Bergquist of Evaluation Systems Design, Inc. and Kaye Kendrick of Kaye Kendrick Enterprises, LLC for sharing their expertise, and to Dr. Betty Serow for moderating the discussion. Our thanks to all who attended!

Discussion Topic:  Emerging Issues in Criminal Justice

The third program was a roundtable discussion held on Wednesday, August 5, from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m..  Colleagues from the Legislature, Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), and state agencies gathered to deliberate on key policy issues in the criminal justice field.   We want to thank Rashada Houston, Chief Legislative Analyst at OPPAGA, for coordinating the event.  Our thanks to all who attended!

Discussion Topic:  The Next Phase of the Influenza Pandemic

The fourth program was presented by the Inspectors General (TAIG), SEA, The American Society of Public Administrators (ASPA), and the Certified Public Managers (CPM) on Monday, August 10th.  Scott McPherson, heard on Fox News and Florida Public Broadcasting, discussed how to prepare your family and agency for the "second wave" of the influenza pandemic expected this fall.  Scott McPherson is Chairman of the Florida CIO Council Pandemic Preparedness Committee and certified in pandemic preparedness and community response by the University of Albany (SUNY).  We thank Mr. McPherson for his presentation and for all who attended the event!

Discussion Topic:  Linking Program Costs and Effects:  Integrating Cost Effectiveness Analysis in Program Evaluation

The fifth program was a brown bag lunch discussion led by Dr. Tammy Kolbe, an Assistant Professor of Education Policy in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at Florida State University, on Thursday, August 20, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in the Governor's Conference Room (The Capitol).  We thank Dr. Kolbe for her insights and for all who participated in the discussion!

Discussion Topic:  Get Your Message Out!  Advice from Media Experts

The sixth program was a  panel discussion of media experts, including Gary Fineout, freelance reporter published by the New York Times and Miami Herald and author of the political news blog The Fine Print; Bob Brooks, Emmy award-winning broadcaster and producer for The Florida Channel and WFSU-TV; and James VanLandingham, Senior Account Executive with Ron Sachs Communications, Florida's top public affairs PR firm.  This lively discussion took place on Monday, September 21, 11:45 - 1:00 p.m. at the Amtrack Station on Railroad Avenue.  We thank our panelists for an excellent discussion!

Discussion Topic:  Positive Psychology

The seventh program's guest speaker was Dr. Ivor Groves and took place on Tuesday, November 3, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in a conference room on the 17th floor of the Turlington Building.  Dr. Groves has 40 years experience as a practitioner, administrator, and evaluator of public human services programs.  In his talk, he addressed the key foundational concepts of positive psychology.  He presented key empirical findings related to identifying and using strengths, the power of gratitude, the benefits of optimism and positive thinking, and emotions on health and well-being.  He also discussed the potential benefits for individuals, organizations and communities as well as possible applications in evaluation.  We thank Dr. Groves for his excellent presentation and to all who attended!

Future SEA Brown-Bag Lunches

We are asking members of SEA to volunteer to facilitate the discussion and identify their preferred location.  The methods and measurement topics can relate to a project at your place of employment or a topic of interest you would just like to share and discuss with others.  SEA will announce the topic, the facilitator, and the location at least 2 weeks prior to each session.  There might be a short technical reference shared prior to the session and follow-up among those who have a heightened interest after the session. 

If you would like to volunteer for one of the brown bag sessions, OR if you have any recommendations for future workshops (including topics or presenters), please don't hesitate to contact Program Committee Co-Chairs Dr. Constance Bergquist (esdi@talstar.com) or Dr. Tamara Bertrand Jones (tbertrand@admin.fsu.edu).  Thank you!