Using Evaluation Results for Multiple Purposes: Possibilities, Consternations and Strategies

During this session, faculty and staff from the Archway Partnership, J.W.Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, Small Business Development Center, and Carl Vinson Institute of Government will share their experiences with and vision for using evaluation and impact data to achieve UGA and PSO priorities. This session will provide attendees with an opportunity to hear PSO colleagues share thoughts on the multiple uses of evaluation and impact data to support organizational goals beyond continuous improvement. Learn how your peers around PSO are leveraging evaluation and impact data to promote personal and organizational priorities.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn how your colleagues are using evaluation and impact data for fundraising, scholarship, grant-getting, marketing and faculty promotion
• Identify the best practices for applying evaluation and impact data to organizational priorities and goals

Target Audience: PSO faculty and staff who are interested in learning about various approaches to achieving PSO and UGA priority goals, and those who are using evaluation methods, approaches and techniques for continuous improvement and to better understand impact

Format: Panel with moderator

Presenters:

Theresa Wright, associate director, Carl Vinson Institute of Government (moderator)

Theresa leads the PSO Assessment and Evaluation Initiative and directs the Institute of Government’s Survey Research and Evaluation Support division. The Survey Research and Evaluation Support group provides systematic quantitative and qualitative data collection, research and evaluation services for government and agency programs on an individual, agency, and system-wide scale. Theresa has more than 25 years of experience providing consulting, technical assistance, research and evaluation services to state agencies, local governments, and the higher education, justice, health care and child and family policy communities.

Sam Perren, operations coordinator, Archway Partnership

Sam was appointed operations coordinator in the Archway Partnership state office in January 2023. He has been with Archway since 2017 and has served as the Archway professional in Pulaski, Colquitt and McDuffie counties. He heads Archway’s evaluation and grant-writing teams, coordinates the UGA Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty, and manages Archway’s efforts for Burke, Colquitt and McDuffie counties in addition to several liaison roles with UGA schools and colleges.

David Tanner, associate director, Carl Vinson Institute of Government

David helps governments address some of the state’s most pressing issues such as workforce development, economic development, and improving decision-making through data analytics. David oversees the Institute of Government’s local government, human resource management, planning and environmental services, data analytics, state services, and workforce and economic analysis units. Before joining the institute, David served as deputy director at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, where he worked with three different governors to address key budget and policy issues for more than 12 years.

Kiel Norris, associate director for continuing education, UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel

Kiel has more than 18 years of higher education experience specializing in administration and strategic planning for noncredit continuing education programming. Kiel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in history, a master’s degree in business administration from Columbus State University and is currently pursuing a PhD in public administration from Valdosta State University.

Nipuna Ambanpola, research and public service manager, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development

Nipuna is a social-impact entrepreneur and consults at the intersection of data, policy and social impact. He brings a wealth of knowledge in technology-for-good, data science, youth advocacy and strategic planning gained through his involvement in working with organizations such as the United Nations, Humanitarian Affairs Asia, International Research & Exchange Board, Rotary International and United Way as a young professional and advocate. Nipuna first joined the Fanning Institute in 2019 as a graduate assistant and supported a variety of youth and adult leadership programs, strategic planning initiatives, and diversity and equity programs. Nipuna is a Think-Cell Certified Professional and certified as an Artificial Intelligence Design Thinking Practitioner (IBM).

Mandula Thrimanne, research analyst, Small Business Development Center

Mandula holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from the University of London, under the academic direction of the London School of Economics, where he graduated with first-class honors in 2020. During his undergraduate studies, he worked as an intern at a prominent research division within one of Sri Lanka’s leading investment banks. In this role, he provided valuable assistance in preparing equity and macroeconomic outlook research reports, as well as contributing to daily stockbroker and investor briefings. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, Mandula joined Stax, a strategy consulting firm headquartered in Boston. As a data analyst, he delivered analytics services during commercial due processes for many private equity firms across the United States. After working at Stax, Mandula enrolled in the Terry College of Business, where he earned his master’s degree in business analytics.