Evaluation

IYA2009 is an excellent opportunity to increase public understanding and awareness of astronomy. But will they achieve their objectives? What lessons will we learn?


Task Group (tentative)

  • Mariana Barrosa (IAU/IYA2009 & ESA/ESO ePOD, DE)(Co-Chair)
  • Pedro Russo (IAU/IYA2009 & ESA/ESO ePOD, DE) (Co-Chair)
  • Lars Lindberg Christensen (ESA/ESO ePOD & IAU/IYA2009, DE)
  • Mike Simmons (Astronomers without Borders, USA)
  • Robert Hill (Northern Ireland Space Office, UK)
  • Steve Owens (UK IYA2009 Coordinator)
  • Andrew Fraknoi (Foothill College/ASP)
  • Rui Brito Fonseca (CIES-ISCTE, Portugal)


Brief Description
All over the world, professional, amateur and enthusiast astronomers will work hard to bring to the public  all sorts of activities, events, exhibitions, shows, contests, websites, observations and other ways of promoting science in general and astronomy in particular.

But how well will they do in achieving their objectives? What will they really accomplish with all their time and effort? What lessons will be learnt? What was done well and what could have been done better?

If you are involved in preparing these activities, this task group will hopefully help you answer some of these questions and prepare an easy and thorough evaluation of your events.


Objectives
To evaluate the results of IYA2009 according to the pre-established objectives, as well as the impact of the IYA2009 on the public, media, institutions and scientific community.


Deliverables

  • Evaluation Guide to SPoCs and Task Group Chairs.
  • Develop a global evaluation strategy for the IYA2009 initiative.
  • Support and advice the different IYA2009 projects in terms of evaluation.
  • Establish a partnership(s) with one or more Universities in order to set up a centralised data coordination and analysis centre, in the framework of a Social Sciences PhD.
  • Process and interpret the data collected by the IYA2009 Secretariat based in the evaluation reports of the several projects.
  • Produce, revise and approve the final IYA2009 Evaluation Report.


Timeline

2008
 May

  • Evaluation strategy for the IYA2009.

September

  • CAPjournal Article: Astronomy Communication Evaluation Guide, a survival kit.
  • IYA2009 Evaluation Guide for SPoCs and Task Goup Chairs (based on the CAPjournal article).

2008 - 2009

  • Data gathering.

2010
January – April

  • Data processing and analysis.
  • IYA2009 Evaluation report revision process.

April

  • IYA2009 Evaluation Report.
Organisational Associates:
ESO AAS INSU CAS STRW NOVA STFC SCNAT SPA NRC MEC CNES DLR ESA JAXA NAOJ APL PS ESF ISRO ICRAN NLSI NOT U Cluster NASAEAS ASI NRAO CEA  KASI EAE SPA AUI CROSCI


The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is endorsed by the United Nations and the International Council of Science.