Online Event Assessment & Planner

This assessment document is to help you determine the scope of your project and to provide you with enough details to design or get someone to help you design and run online events. This planner is relevant to both synchronous and asynchronous (or blended) online events. (Previous edition at http://fullcirc.com/wp/community/onlineeventplanner.htm )

Event Content & Nature

1. What is the purpose of your online event?
2. Does it have a name? Please write it here:
3. Describe any specific goals and value propositions, both for you as organizer, any sponsors and for participants.
4. Is the time proposed devoted to the event commensurate with the goals? If not, please clarify the priority of each goal? (ie what is the problem or opportunity to be addressed? What is most important?)
5. In 3-4 bullet points, how would you describe “success” of this online event? (“By the end of the event, people will think, feel, do, believe…” “As a result of this event, ____ will happen, ____ will be produced, etc.”)
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6. Describe any particular concerns, risks or worries about this event? (This is not to create barriers, but to design with awareness!)

Participants

1. Have you assessed potential participant willingness and interest in this event? If so, please share your findings. If not, we suggest that understanding the participants needs and motivations is essential.
2. Expected number of primary participants and their role(s)?
3. Anticipated amount of time participants will have to devote to the event and on what basis? (i.e. 1 hour a day Monday – Friday for two weeks plus 1 hour of pre-reading)
4. Expected observers and their role?
5. Staff participants?
6. Are there any language issues such as the need for translation, a common language or set of (or no set of ) common languages?
7. If your event is global or includes diverse participants (in any sense of the word), please describe the cultural considerations you normally take into account when planning a meeting for this group?
8. Your initial ideas about event guests or presenters (if any)? (how many, what type of material they might share.)

Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation

1. How will you evaluate the success and provided value of the event? How do you plan to measure the desired outcomes and outputs in terms of your goals?
2. How does this project fit in with your organization’s ongoing work? If it does not fit, how will you manage that dynamic (if this event is within an organization.)
3. Do you plan to track web statistics and do you have that facility?
4. Do you plan any pre or post event survey or assessment/evaluation?
5. Other plans?

Agenda

1. Describe your initial ideas about event agenda?
   • Discussions
   • The learning opportunities
   • Opportunities to socialize (get to know, etc)
   • Task oriented opportunities
3. How do presenters normally present in your organization? (ie what types of media, level of formality, etc.)

Meeting Logistics

1. Potential start/end dates?
2. Expected event duration? (In terms of hours per day expected participation, etc.)
3. Synchronous, asynchronous or blended? If blended, please describe your ideas.
4. Will synchronous events be recorded?
5. Will the event be private and password protected?
6. Do you need to ask permission of the participants to compile and/or share any event artifacts containing their words, images or personal information?
7. Who will facilitate?
8. Who will be the technology steward/tech support team?
9. Are there any registration or cost issues to address?
10. How will the content be summarized /harvested and for what purposes?

Decision Making and Budget Process Issues

1. Who are the decision-makers? What is their approval process including time frame for making decisions?
2. What are the financial parameters for this event, including funds committed already?
3. What requirements do you have for your vendors?

Technology

1. What kind of Internet access do most participants have?
   • Dial UP
   • DSL or Cable Modem access
   • Other
2. Is the Internet access available at all times, or are there any limitations?
3. What is the expected level of comfort and skill of the participants in using a web browser? For synchronous web meetings, will the users have audio capability in their tools (computers, tablets, mobile phones). Sound issues are the most common technical problem for synchronous web events.
4. Are there any corporate firewall issues? (I.e. people may or may not have permission to download web applications, etc.)
5. Do you have an online conferencing platform, need recommendations on a platform host or some other combination?
6. Please discuss your expectations in terms of technical support for users.

Marketing

1.  How will people know about your event?
2. Have you crafted the invitation and marketing materials?
3. Is there any social media advance marketing?
4. Is there any social media tie-ins during (hashtags, tweets, Facebook pages, etc.)?