PREPARING TO COMPETE

Advice from Past Participants

Participants in past competitions created this slide show to help teams prepare for the event.*

Here are some of the key points from the show.

  • Read the guidelines for preparing a submission.

  • Practice working together on a case. You might use one from past world competitions or a national competition. Have the practice presentation critiqued by your coach or another experienced evaluator.

  • Decide in advance the software that will be used for preparing your submission. Agree on the fonts, colours and layout. Design a logo for the team to give your presentation a unique look.

  • Some teams have found it useful to decide in advance which members will lead the work on various aspects of the submission.

  • Establish a tentative schedule for competition day. For example, consider the approximate amount of time you will spend on reading the case, conducting research, preparing your submission, and editing it before uploading.

  • Above all, respect each other. Listen to each other. Appreciate each other. Enjoy working together as a team.

Advice from WECC Advisors and Organizers

  • Read the “Tasks” section in the case document very carefully and respond to each task. You cannot score points for tasks that you have not addressed.

  • Your team should act as professional evaluation consultants communicating with a potential client, not as students writing an exam on evaluation theory. In a proposal to an organization, a consulting company will try to demonstrate that they understand the organization and can provide a service that will help improve its effectiveness.

  • Just as there is no formal expectation for references in a consulting company’s bid for an evaluation contract, there is no expectation for references in a WECC submission. However, if the team believes that a reference is essential, feel free to use any type: a statistical report, a video or blog, a program evaluation report, a journal article, a newspaper column, grey literature , et cetera. However, be sure that the reference is directly relevant to the case and provide a link so that the reader can investigate it if they wish.

  • Be cautious when using content produced by artificial intelligence (AI). Indiscreet use of AI can weaken a submission. More detailed advice on using AI is provided here.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    * This slideshow was inspired by a video created by two former WECC participants in 2021.