REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Date: Thursday - Friday May 15-16, 2025

Location: Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, East Lansing, Michigan |  

Theme: Celebrating 30 years and shaping the next 30 years of Michigan Evaluation: Building evaluations that embrace innovation and honor diversity to achieve impact

Submission Deadline: February 7, 2025

The Michigan Association for Evaluation (MAE) is proud to celebrate 30 years of providing a platform for evaluation professionals to exchange knowledge and promote excellence in the field. The 2025 MAE conference invites a diverse group of stakeholders to join us in honoring the growth and evolution of the evaluation community. Together, we will explore innovative evaluative methods and processes that will shape the future of evaluation in Michigan for the next 30 years.

Last year, our conference theme focused on using systems-level approaches to break down silos, challenge traditional measures, and advocate for a more inclusive definition of success. This year, we aim to continue this conversation by showcasing work that highlights innovative methods for engaging diverse audiences and incorporating user-centered approaches to drive meaningful impact.

• Maximizing the Utility of Evaluation: Showcasing innovative evaluation practices that promote collecting learning about complex issues and their solutions. 
• Equity in Evaluation: Highlighting evaluation strategies that account for cultural context and systemic drivers of inequity. 
• Amplifying User Voices: Presenting evaluative work that centers the perspectives of end users and demonstrates how their insights and interests are integrated throughout the evaluation process.

The MAE 2025 conference would like to showcase work spanning various sectors, project areas, and experience levels. We welcome proposals from the non-profit and for-profit sectors, education, healthcare, government, health and human service, and other disciplines where evaluative techniques are applied. Examples of projects submitted in this RFP could include, but are not limited to, place-based evaluation projects, policy think tank initiatives, or projects that incorporate community participatory engagement practices. 

This conference offers three distinct avenues for you to contribute your insights and expertise:

1. Pre-Conference Workshop (Thursday, May 15th)

Are you passionate about evaluation and skilled in a specific area? We're looking for workshop presenters like you! Our pre-conference workshops are immersive half-day (3-4 hours) sessions meant to dive deep into evaluative tools and practices. You have the opportunity to lead one of these engaging sessions on Wednesday, May 15th, in East Lansing, Michigan. As a workshop leader, you'll not only share your expertise but also receive a $500 stipend for your valuable contribution.

2. Conference Sessions  (Friday, May 16th)

On May 16th, we invite you to share your expertise and insights in a conference break-out session, the cornerstone of the conference program, where in-depth explorations of evaluation topics are led by evaluation professionals, such as you.  

Session Types:

15-Minute IGNITE Sessions: Dynamic and succinct presentations lasting 15 minutes each, designed for practitioners and students of evaluation to share valuable tips and tricks they've discovered. 

1-Hour Breakout Sessions: Offering an in-depth exploration of evaluation topics with a focus on interactivity. We provide four different presentation formats to choose from: 

• Lecture: A didactic talk with audio-visual support, with Q&A concentrated at the end. 
• Workshop: A learning-based-hands-on presentation and discussion of an evaluation technique, method, or idea. 
• Demonstration: a step-by-step explanation of an evaluation technique or tool. 
• Case Study: A presentation using real-world examples to illustrate an evaluation technique or idea. 

To accommodate a range of experience levels, the 1-hour breakout sessions will include two options: Introductory and Intermediate/Advanced. 

Introductory: Content at the introductory level is designed to expose participants to and provide a basic orientation to evaluative practice related to the topic area. The intended audience for this level is individuals who are a) emerging or young evaluation professionals or b) experienced professionals in other disciplines who are new to the topic area or the field of evaluation.

Intermediate/Advanced: Content at this level is designed to delve deeply into or present fresh approaches to evaluative practice related to the topic area. The intended audience for this level is a) individuals who are intermediate or seasoned evaluation professionals or b) those who are seasoned professionals in other disciplines with working knowledge of the topic area and/or expertise in evaluation. 

Please indicate the intended level (introductory or intermediate/advanced) in your RFP submission.  Please note, in the submission, you will be asked to also provide the following: 

• Short biography (100 words or less) for each presenter
• Three specific objectives for your session
• Session description (500 words or less) 
• Experiences or credentials qualifying the presenters to lead the proposed session 

We look forward to receiving your proposals by February 7th and collaborating to make this conference a rich and diverse learning experience for all attendees. 

For questions, please contact MAEvaluate@gmail.com.

Please submit your proposals here.