2024 conference presentations are being delivered face-to-face in Melbourne, Australia. The following presentation formats apply to conference presentation proposals. Applicants are asked to choose the most suitable format in making their submission.
1. Short Paper
Total session duration: 25 minutes (presentation: maximum 15 minutes)
Format: A formal presentation with time for two or three questions from the audience at the end of the session.
Objective: To generate the audience’s interest in your work, without covering all details or explaining in full.
Content: A short paper typically covers: i) one innovative or interesting project with learnings for theory or practice; or ii) an idea / approach of interest to others working in evaluation. Short papers are concise and targeted, designed to present findings efficiently within a limited space of time. Presenters must skilfully select content, emphasising core findings, methodology, and significance while ensuring clarity is not compromised.
2. Long Paper
Total session duration: 50 minutes (presentation: maximum 30 minutes)
Format: A formal presentation (lecture) usually given by one person, with up to 10 minutes for questions from the audience at the end.
Objective: To provide the audience with engaging and more in-depth information and insights, using targeted and skilfully selected content, on the topic presented. More in-depth information may cover core findings, methodology and significance.
Content: The session may focus on:
- an issue facing the field of evaluation, or
- an emerging methodology, or
- a critique of an evaluation methodology, or
- approaches to working with specific stakeholder groups or in specific contexts.
Tip: If you have multiple experts on the same topic and the value of the presentation would come from conversations between these experts, please submit a panel session instead
3. Panel
Total session duration: 50 minutes (panel maximum 35 minutes)
Format: The panel may involve: i) up to three panellists (plus a moderator) who come from different perspectives (e.g. commissioners, community members, evaluators, others) exploring a topic or theme; or ii) two experts, ideally with different perspectives and experiences, ‘in conversation’ with one another around a particular topic or theme. The remaining 15 minutes is for questions from the audience.
Objective: To provide multiple perspectives from panellists who share their knowledge, insights and trends guided by a moderator.
Content: The format may cover:
- weaving together innovative ideas; or
- debating a topic; or
- exploring concepts or critically reflecting from multiple perspectives, or
- evaluators, program managers and service users reflecting on learnings from practice.
- Panel abstracts can include names and organisations of presenters
4. Hands-on Session
Total session duration: 50 minutes
Format: Learning sessions are all about the facilitator creating space for attendees’ participation and have an ‘interactive’ and/or ‘skill-building’ focus. World café, campfire sessions, micro-workshops are examples of learning session formats. As a guide, presenters should aim to speak for no more than 15 minutes in total across the session, with the rest devoted to the attendees’ active learning.
Objective: To rapidly build knowledge and/or skills through fostering attendees’ engagement in rich discussions with each other or trialling a specific skill, concept or tool. Please consider that about half of the attendees are likely to be emerging evaluators, and this is a key target group for 'foundational’ learning/practice sessions.
Content: Guided by a clearly described learning objective or outcome, these sessions have an explicit focus on attendees engaging with targeted content or each other, with minimal reliance on lecture-style presentation. The focus may be on:
- Demonstrating a targeted concept and tool and providing attendees a chance to practice them
- Introducing a topic and facilitating small group discussions and feedback.
Presenters must be mindful of the short amount of time to provide an introduction and set-up the interactive or learning processes and the need to be targeted and clear.
5. Ignite Session
Total session duration: 6 minutes (presentation maximum time: 5 minutes)
Format: Ignite presentations use 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. The result is a short and informative presentation, with no Q&A. For examples of the format see http://www.ignitetalks.io/.
Objective: To provide audience with rapid-fire sharp insights into work, that garners their attention and interest in learning more.
Content: Ignite presentations cover up to three points strongly related to a central idea that every slide and every sentence supports. Ignite sessions may focus on:
- telling the story of an evaluation or
- introducing a tool or technique
6. Big Room Session (new in 2024)
Total session duration: 45, 60 or 90 minutes (with maximum presentation time depending on session type proposed)
Format: Big Room Sessions are a new offering in 2024. These will take place in the large theatre which is used for plenary keynote sessions. We are open to suggestions for different structures or formats, noting that as it is a theatre with a stage there is no scope for workshop-style activities that require open space or movement of seats. Attendees will be seated lecture style. We welcome ideas for different ways to make the use of this space and the options for different lengths of time for sessions.
Objective: To utilise the space, attract a large audience and generate discussion on topics or themes that are of wide appeal to the conference audience.
Content: There is no fixed requirement in terms of content – we are open to innovative ideas or suggestions. Due to the size of the space, you should propose ideas for content that will appeal widely, but also be suitable for lengths of time that are longer than some other formats. You may cover a variety of themes – our intent is not to limit ideas or proposals – this is a chance to propose something different. As part of your submission, you should note the duration of the session as well.
Note: The Big Room Session proposals will be reviewed by the conference committee against the review criteria.
