Handout provided to attendees of the AEA 2012 session entitled, "Retrospectives as a Tool for Strategic Learning: Perspectives of Evaluators and Funders." Includes a summary of the information presented from each of the three panelists. Panel Presentation Abstract: Retrospective evaluations can serve many purposes, including promoting learning that informs and enhances future organizational or programmatic strategies. Retrospectives also pose unique challenges to evaluators as they reconstruct what happened, why, and to what end, often with incomplete information. This session will explore two challenges of retrospective studies: 1) how evaluators “tell the story” of strategy around a body of work spanning many years and involving a multitude of investments, and 2) making evaluative judgments about past work. The session will include two external evaluators who conducted retrospective assessments of two Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) program areas. A member of RWJF’s evaluation team will discuss how retrospective evaluations are used internally, and the conditions under which they are most effective for strategic learning purposes. Through a lively panel discussion and audience Q&A, participants will gain a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities when conducting retrospective evaluations.#Non-ProfitsandFoundationsEvaluation #Alcohol,DrugAbuse,andMentalHealth #AdvocacyandPolicyChange #2012Conference