{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Focus and Chill - productivity tactics for AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks ","title":"Episode 30: Gerard Atkinson","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/41645f5f\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2810,"description":"Welcome to episode #30 We’re thrilled to be joined by Gerard Atkinson today. Gerard is a director at ARTD Consultants. He is well-versed in program and policy evaluation, business analytics, and data visualization. His expertise extends to market and social research, financial modeling, and non-profit, government, and business strategy. A dedicated advocate for neurodiversity, Gerard serves as a board member for various Australian not-for-profits and advises on diversity, equity, and inclusion committees within the research and evaluation community. Outside of his professional endeavors, Gerard is a keen trail runner and was trained as an opera singer.Welcome to the show Gerard!QuestionsJN: Can you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity? When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical? What challenges did you face? What is it like now?Diagnosed as autistic in 2019But always felt outside the neurotypical norm.Always felt different from othersIn terms of processing information.Experiencing the world.Was able to mask and was highly intelligentPlaced in the gifted bucket.Diagnosis gave a new framework to experience the worldMotivated by seeing other friends go through the diagnosis.There is a lot more awareness around autism, the challenge is around the way society is structured, not necessarily people with autism.Still a lot of opportunities not takenJC: What \"work\" projects are you concentrating on?Evaluation consultantGovernments will design a program, roll it out and spend a lot of moneyAnswers questions: “How effective was it?”, “Was it worth it?”Currently manages 10-12 evaluations at one timeEvaluation frameworkProgram logic:What activities are we doing?What outputs will that create?What outcomes will that generate for the target group?Short termMid termLong termSometimes measuring outcomes indirectly by measuring other thingsIf we can’t measure this directly, what can we measure as a proxy?Being data and method agnostic.JN: How about the rest of...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/QZFZQrtBSDhon7MItX8a5mQvkXQ5KKmI2fe6dyhM72o/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzMzNDE3LzE2NjEw/NjYyOTYtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}