2021
Dr. Alaina Roach-O’Keefe, PhD
Corporate Human Resources Planning Consultant
My background …
I am the Corporate Human Resources Planning Consultant with the Prince Edward Island Government’s Public Service Commission (PSC). I serve as an FPT (federal/ provincial/ territorial) Lead for HR, and am responsible for strategic business HR planning and reporting for the PSC and employee engagement (surveying and initiatives). I am also responsible for learning and development and leadership development for all civil service employees.
My background includes a Bachelor of Science with an Honours in Psychology; a Bachelor of Education Specializing in the Early Years; a Masters in Applied Health Research; a PhD in Education, and a certificate in Change Management. I have been with provincial government for 12 years and have worked in with the Departments of Education and Lifelong Learning, Economic Growth Tourism and Culture, Health and Wellness as well as Health PEI. I also enjoy teaching and researching part time as an assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario, and a sessional lecturer at both University of New Brunswick and University of Prince Edward Island.
What drew me to evaluation…
People pay attention to evaluation because it’s used for decision making. It’s about sharing what you learn to continuously improve. It provides information that can help improve programs and services and being someone who works in the public service – this is really important! What also really drew me to evaluation is that it provides accountability to both leadership and the public; and involves people (stakeholders) in the process. I was drawn to evaluation because it provided me with the evidence it takes to make decisions. Furthermore, I believe that evaluation has a strong public service element: evaluation results in evidence to develop effective policies for the public.
Evaluations I have been involved with recently…
As the Corporate Human Resources Planning Consultant with the Public Service Commission, I am responsible for learning and development and leadership development for all Civil Service employees, and with that comes evaluation and monitoring for programs and workshops that are provided to employees. I collect a lot of data from a variety of sources (surveys, interviews, annual needs assessments) that contribute to ongoing, continuous improvement. I am also responsible for our annual reporting and business human resources planning. There is a great deal of monitoring and evaluation that contributes to both of these as well. As well, previous to this role, I have been involved in many health evaluations that were funded by Health Canada.
What I like most about evaluation…
I was a researcher first, before I began evaluating (and let’s be clear they are very distinct!). What I like about both research and evaluation is that there are systematic processes that are followed for each. I love logic models and the planning process in evaluation (which should not be overlooked!). It’s like a puzzle: figuring out what all the pieces are and how they fit together to answer the question you have. I love how evaluation can bring such clarity to and simplicity to often complex questions. What also drew me to evaluation was the fact that it is more stakeholder focused then researcher focused. Finally, I am drawn to evaluation because it is focused on stakeholders, people and communicating what has been learned.
Ways that I think evaluation can benefit society…
The benefit of evaluation is that it is used to improve programs and services, it helps prioritize resources funded by public dollars, and it can also be used to identify gaps and also effectiveness of certain programs. Again, it is focused on stakeholders – the public – and helps communicate how public dollars are spent. It is also a benefit to society in that it provides leaders with evidence to use in their decision making – which can build public trust (regardless of the government of the day).
My advice for a new evaluator…
My advice to a new evaluator: ask lots of questions; don’t overlook the planning process, join the CES chapter in your province, network with seasoned mentors so you can learn and ask questions, and engage in as much additional learning as you can! Try to complete university courses in evaluation and as many CES workshops as you can.