Skillbuilding Workshop Session Abstract: Evaluation and the programs we evaluate are complex and multifaceted. How we think about each affects the way we interact with clients and how we conduct evaluations. The questions we ask, the nature of evidence to answer questions, and how we gather data are all influenced by our view of evaluation. Using commonly understood representations, metaphors are a helpful way to organize, clarify, and conceptualize what we do and to describe our approach to clients, especially those who are unfamiliar with evaluation. Metaphors can be an effective evaluation course or workshop component. The session includes an introduction, brainstorming for common metaphors, time to create metaphors and similes alone or with colleagues, sharing metaphors, and discussing potential applications and issues in practice. The session ends by exploring other ways to represent evaluation, such as telling stories. A template of components to guide development of a metaphor and references will be provided. Participants responses to 3 questions about metaphors List of metaphors developed by participants ... clever! Handouts References Slides #HowTo #QualitativeMethods #2012Conference #Communications