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This is the draft aes26 program, subject to change. To register for workshops and the conference, go to: https://www.aes26.aes.asn.au/
Subject: Not for profit Philanthropy clear filter
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Thursday, September 17
 

10:30am ACST

Philanthropy and Evaluation – What Gives?
Thursday September 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am ACST
Author: Rick Cummings
It is estimated that about $2.4 billion was given in philanthropic and charitable causes in Australian in 2021(Philanthropy Australia, 2021, A Blueprint to Grow Structured Giving).  This is a very significant amount and yet there is little if any research on how these funds and programs are evaluated.

We are proposing a panel discussion moderated by a Fellow using a café layout to discuss issues related to philanthropy and evaluation.  The idea would be to look both at the role of evaluation in philanthropy and the role of philanthropy in evaluation.  The objective is to identify issues in this field, to generate discussion between attendees and philanthropic organisations, and to build some bridges between evaluators and philanthropists for future research and evaluation activities.
 
The panel will consist of representatives from Australian philanthropic agencies, organisations which rely on philanthropic donations, and Fellows who have conducted evaluations of programs funded by philanthropy. Each of these panel members will be asked to give a 5-minute presentation on the issues they have found in philanthropy and evaluation. These presenters will form a panel, with a Fellow as moderator.

Based on these talks and relevant research, tables will be provided a set of questions to for discussion and for them to provide feedback/questions for discussion with the panel members.  Each table will be facilitated by a Fellow or experienced evaluator.
Speakers
avatar for Rick Cummings

Rick Cummings

Emeritus Professor, Murdoch University
Rick Cummings is an Emeritus Professor in Public Policy at Murdoch University. He has 40 years of experience conducting evaluation studies in education, training, health, and crime prevention primarily for the state and commonwealth government agencies and the World Bank. He currently... Read More →
Thursday September 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am ACST
Waterfront 3 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

10:30am ACST

Scalability and scaling in and across place: A practical framework for complexity-informed evaluation practice
Thursday September 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am ACST
Author: Matt Healey (First Person Consulting)

Scaling is often treated as a straightforward ambition: test an intervention in one place, then replicate it in others. In complex systems, and particularly in place-based settings where challenges are systemically entrenched in local history, relationships and power, this logic breaks down. What works is frequently inseparable from where and with whom it works. Scaling across places is not replication. It is a fundamentally different process, and evaluators need tools adequate to that complexity.
This workshop equips evaluators, program designers and commissioners to challenge lock-step and linear models of scaling and apply a complexity-informed, place-sensitive approach in their own practice. Despite the proliferation of place-based initiatives across Australia and the Asia Pacific, most evaluators lack a coherent framework for assessing scalability or monitoring fidelity in contextually sensitive ways.
Three connected arguments run through the session. First, scalability is a question before it is a plan: interventions need to be tested for readiness and direction before any scaling begins. Second, scaling in complex systems requires holding the tension between fidelity and adaptation, not resolving it prematurely. Third, scaling across places demands attention to what is systemically entrenched in each context: the relationships, trust and power dynamics that cannot be lifted and shifted.
These arguments are anchored in three practical tools: a reworked scalability assessment; the Scaling in Place Framework, a new conceptual tool mapping fidelity, adaptation, mechanism and context; and the Scaling Canvas and Fidelity Checker for planning and monitoring.
The session is structured around a short conceptual input, a worked case example, and a facilitated small group activity in which participants apply the tools to a program or context from their own practice. Structured reflection closes the session. It is targeted at intermediate-level evaluators, program designers and commissioners working in place-based, health, community or government settings.
Speakers
avatar for Matt Healey

Matt Healey

Principal Consultant | Co-Founder, First Person Consulting
I'm Matt, Co-Founder of First Person Consulting. I work at the intersection of systems thinking, evaluation and design — helping people make sense of messy, complex problems with a healthy dose of humour and humility. I also co-host the It Depends Podcast, where the honest answer... Read More →
Thursday September 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am ACST
Rooms 3+4 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

10:30am ACST

"Yalalamirri mala-djarr’yun – “and then we check” Understanding and sensemaking the Yolŋu way"
Thursday September 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am ACST
Authors: Melanie Williams (ARDS Aboriginal Corporation), Gawura Waṉambi (ARDS Aboriginal Corporation, Sylvia Ŋulpinditj (ARDS Aboriginal Corporation), Wuṯpurrŋu Wununŋmurra (ARDS Aboriginal Corporation)

Yolŋu people are the Indigenous people from Northeast Arnhem Land. Yolŋu have their own strong ways of watching carefully, seeing small signs, and knowing when something in wäŋa (land/country, including people) is changing. From these signs, Yolŋu understand what is happening and what they should do – this is the heart of evaluation. We will take the audience on a journey to see the world, and the work of trying to make sense of it, through Yolŋu eyes.

From the start, ARDS has followed the guidance of Yolŋu ŋaḻapaḻ (elders). They have given us the values and framework we work with. This ARDS-ku buyu’ (methodology) is rooted in Yolŋu rom (law) and has been followed for a long time. At ARDS this is our foundation for all our work, including how we think about evaluation.

There are many wataŋu mala (owners and decision-makers) we must think about. Everyone’s räl (hard work and effort) is needed to make the project strong. When we show respect, integrity and trust, we can come to a shared agreement together. This is the Yolŋu way.

Yolŋu metaphors help us appreciate how Yolŋu people have been understanding and valuing growth for many generations. These stories, together with ARDS-ku buyu', are the foundation of our shared evaluation work. We will use the metaphor of the ḻipaḻipa (canoe) to explain our evaluation framework. It has been used in many of our projects.

In this presentation, we will share one example from a child protection project in remote Northeast Arnhem Land. It shows how our approach works in practice.

We want to show you the strength, beauty and depth of Yolŋu ways of understanding, making sense of change, and taking steps forward—and how we do this side-by-side with our non-Yolŋu family and partners.
Speakers
MW

Melanie Williams

ARDS Aboriginal Corporation
GW

Gawura Waṉambi

ARDS Aboriginal Corporation
SN

Sylvia Ŋulpinditj

ARDS Aboriginal Corporation
MM

Maminydjama Maymuru

ARDS Aboriginal Corporation
Thursday September 17, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am ACST
Hall 2

11:30am ACST

Creating Starlight’s First Social Impact Report: What We Learnt
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm ACST
Author: Claire Treadgold, Starlight Children's Foundation, Erika Fortunati, Starlight Children's Foundation
Transparency and accountability are paramount for not-for-profit organisations, with public social impact reporting increasingly becoming an expected practice. While guidance on creating Social Impact Reports is growing in the field, there is still a paucity of clear and accessible resources for not-for-profit organisations looking to create Social Impact Reports, especially those producing one for the first time.

This short paper presentation will share our experience at Starlight Children’s Foundation, an Australian not-for-profit dedicated to brightening the lives of seriously ill children, young people, and their families, in developing and publishing our first Social Impact Report this year. The presentation will cover our experience creating the report, including the decisions and challenges we encountered during the process.

We will discuss how we approached selecting which data to include and leave out, how we navigated balancing different priorities, e.g. the tension between including “pure” research and evaluation data while also presenting data in a marketable and engaging way for external audiences, and how to create a cohesive story of impact that fits within the constraints of one short report.

The objective of this presentation is to share our experience with other evaluators and knowledge sharers to provide realistic, practical insights for other organisations beginning their own Social Impact Report journey. This presentation is suited to foundational and intermediate audiences who are curious about impact reporting or are preparing to undertake it for the first time.  
Speakers
avatar for Claire Treadgold

Claire Treadgold

National Manager, Research & Evaluation, Starlight Children's Foundation
Dr Claire Treadgold is the National Manager of Research and Evaluation for Starlight Children’s Foundation and an Adjunct Associate Professor with the Discipline of Paediatrics,UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney She has over twenty years' experience in for-purpose organisations... Read More →
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm ACST
Waterfront 3 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

11:30am ACST

Case studies – an overlooked technique in evaluation?
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm ACST
Authors: Alan Woodward, Alan Woodward Consulting, Leanne Kelly, Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University
Evaluations of community-based and place-based programs regularly require methods capable of examining context, relationships, and emergent outcomes. While case studies are a long-standing qualitative research approach, they are often under-utilized or misunderstood within evaluation practice. Drawing on the evaluation of Australian Red Cross’ Community Resilience Teams as an applied example, the presentation demonstrates how case study design enabled exploration of contextual dynamics, stakeholder perspectives, and underlying mechanisms that would not have been visible through survey or indicator-driven approaches alone. Participants will be offered practical guidance on when case studies are suitable and considerations for conducting case study activities.
Speakers
avatar for Alan Woodward

Alan Woodward

Principal, Alan Woodward Consulting
My evaluation experience is broad, ranging from the conduct of evaluations of programs and services, the commissioning of evaluations, the engagement of communities on evaluation activities, the design of evaluation strategies and capacity building within organisations. I work in... Read More →
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm ACST
Waterfront 2 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

11:30am ACST

Ubuntu in Evaluation Practice: Bridging Traditional African Ways of Knowing with Contemporary Program Evaluation
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm ACST
Author: Gerald Onsando, Ubuntu Impact Consulting
This short paper presents an Ubuntu-informed evaluation of the Black Rhinos Basketball Program, a grassroots community crime prevention initiative supporting young African Australians in metropolitan Melbourne. The topic centres on how traditional African ways of knowing, being, and valuing – specifically the African philosophy of Ubuntu – can be meaningfully integrated into contemporary evaluation practice to enhance cultural responsiveness, ethical engagement, and practical relevance in Australia.

The objective of the presentation is to demonstrate how Ubuntu philosophy, often articulated by the maxim “I am because we are”, was operationalised as both a conceptual and methodological foundation for evaluation, and why this culturally responsive approach matters in contexts where communities experience marginalisation and overrepresentation in justice systems. The importance of the topic lies in addressing persistent gaps in evaluation practice where dominant Western frameworks may inadequately capture relational, collective, and community-defined notions of value and impact.

The core argument is that Ubuntu offers a robust bridge between traditional and emerging evaluation approaches. Three key messages will be shared: first, how Ubuntu reframes evaluation purpose from individual outcomes to relational and collective wellbeing; second, how an Ubuntu transformative methodology supports culturally responsive design, data collection, and interpretation; and third, how the Ubuntu framework of support enables evaluators to assess social impact beyond conventional value-for-money metrics, including family connectedness, community engagement, and participation in society.

The presentation will be structured as a short paper, combining conceptual explanation with applied examples from the evaluation’s process and outcomes findings. To promote interactivity and engagement, the audience will be invited to reflect on their own evaluation contexts through guided prompts, considering when and how traditional philosophies like Ubuntu could reshape their evaluation designs and judgments of value.

Speakers
avatar for Gerald Onsando

Gerald Onsando

Principal Consultant, Ubuntu Impact Consulting
Dr Gerald Onsando is a Queensland-based evaluation specialist and Principal Consultant at Ubuntu Impact Consulting, a practice grounded in the African relational philosophy of Ubuntu; “I am because we are”. Dr Onsando brings extensive experience across government, community, and... Read More →
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm ACST
Waterfront 1 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

11:30am ACST

When the story turns against the evidence: Navigating media scrutiny as evaluators
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm ACST
Authors: Stephanie Carter (Healthconsult), Megan Anderson (Healthconsult), Felicity Miles (Healthconsult)

Evaluation findings do not exist in a vacuum. Evaluators increasingly operate in environments where public and media narratives form alongside, and sometimes ahead of, emerging evidence. In some cases, this scrutiny is heightened even when programs are demonstrating early signs of effectiveness.
This roundtable explores ethical, practical, and relational challenges evaluators face when evaluation findings are still emerging yet are already subject to public scrutiny, interpretation or debate.
This session will draw on real-world examples where early media attention was significant but subsided following the public release of independent evaluation findings, highlighting the role of timing, transparency and credibility in shaping public discourse.
Evaluators operate within complex social, cultural and political “places,” where narratives influence how evidence is understood and trusted. These dynamics are particularly relevant in place-based contexts, where community expectations and local perspectives shape interpretation and use of findings.
Participants will consider questions such as:
• What is the evaluator’s role when media scrutiny oversimplifies findings?
• How do we uphold principles of integrity and independence when public narratives are misaligned with evidence that is still being assessed?
• What strategies help evaluators support clients and communities when media attention becomes a risk?
• How can we strengthen transparent communication without breaching confidentiality or compromising methodological rigour?
The session will be highly interactive, and use structured facilitated reflection to encourage participants to share experiences, unpack dilemmas, and co-develop strategies.
This roundtable will generate practical principles and strategies through:
• Provocation scenarios based on real evaluation–media tensions to spark discussion.
• Small‑group discussion rounds where participants unpack dilemmas, share experiences, and co‑develop strategies.
• Collective synthesis where groups contribute key principles, strategies, and questions to a shared summary.
Speakers
SC

Stephanie Carter

Healthconsult
MA

Megan Anderson

Healthconsult
FM

Felicity Miles

Healthconsult
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm ACST
Rooms 3+4 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

12:00pm ACST

Impact beyond food: How Community Pantries function as places of social connection
Thursday September 17, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm ACST
Author: Joanne Cummings, Anglicare Sydney
Community food programs are commonly assessed through output-focused lenses, emphasising quantities of food or financial relief provided. This paper draws on a mixed methods evaluation of Anglicare Sydney’s Community Pantry program to argue for an expanded evaluative frame that recognises community pantries as third spaces—informal, non-commercial places beyond home and work where social connection, belonging and trust are built.

The evaluation combined customer and volunteer surveys (n=709), interviews and observations across 10 locations in NSW. While affordable food remained a critical entry point, findings show that many significant outcomes emerged through the Pantry’s role as a third space: a predictable, welcoming environment where people could linger, converse, build relationships and experience dignity without stigma. Customers reported reduced isolation, new friendships and feelings of belonging, while volunteers experienced increased wellbeing, purpose and community connection. These relational conditions also enabled “soft pathways” into further support services that were not easily captured through standard referral metrics alone.

The study offers several practical insights for evaluators. First, place-based programs require outcome frameworks that extend beyond material provision to include dignity, trust, connection and shifting social norms. Second, place itself should be treated as data: physical layouts, hospitality practices and local context shaped experiences and outcomes, making systematic observation an essential method. Third, mixed methods designs were vital for understanding not only what changed, but how third space dynamics generated change over time. Finally, incorporating multiple stakeholder perspectives revealed benefits for communities and volunteers, which may be invisible in customer-based evaluations.

The presentation will walk through the mixed methods approach, share visual examples illustrating how place-based conditions shaped outcomes, and distil three key insights about the relational impact of community pantries. It will conclude with a guided reflection inviting participants to consider how they currently assess belonging, dignity and connection in their own work.


Speakers
JC

Joanne Cummings

Senior Researcher, Anglicare Sydney
Thursday September 17, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm ACST
Waterfront 2 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

1:30pm ACST

From commissioning to learning: how funders can help shape the conditions for meaningful evaluation
Thursday September 17, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm ACST
Authors: Ximena Avalos (Ian Potter Foundation), Caroline Henwood (Ian Potter Foundation), Sarah Neill (Paul Ramsay Foundation), Jen Lorains (Childrens Ground), Adriaan Wolvaardt (Minderoo) , David Stuart (Creative Australia)

Philanthropy and other funding organisations play a powerful but often under examined role in shaping how evaluation is designed, resourced, interpreted, and used. While there is much discussion on approaches, methods, tools and capability, there is less attention paid to how funding structures, commissioning practices, and organisational cultures in funding organisations enable – or constrain – meaningful learning.

This session offers a funding perspective on different ways organisations try to “make space” for evaluation to be useful, ethical, and context-responsive. Drawing on experience from grantmaking organisations working across sectors and geographies, the session explores funders who are trying to shift beyond compliance-driven evaluation toward approaches that value learning, adaptation, and multiple ways of knowing.

The panel discussion will examine common pressure points – such as timelines, misaligned reporting expectations, and one-way data practices – and reflect on how these are often unintentionally created by funders and what funders are doing to try and address this. Panellists will discuss practical shifts funders are considering or making, including rethinking evaluation questions, sharing power over evidence, and supporting evaluation as a relational and iterative practice rather than a transactional product.

Rather than prescribing a single “right” model, the session invites dialogue across roles in the evaluation ecosystem, asking: what does good evaluation look like when funders actively value place, context, and relationships—and what changes when philanthropy sees itself as a learner, not just a commissioner?


Speakers
JL

Jen Lorains

Director Research & Evaluation, Childrens Ground
Jen Lorains is the Director of Research & Evaluation at Children’s Ground. She works with each community to evaluate and evidence the impact of Children’s Ground’s empowerment, systems reform and integrated service platform.

Jen has undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in applied social research and over 15 years experience designing and undertaking research and evaluation with communities and services. Her interest lies in working with communities to implement and evaluate approaches (within... Read More →
XA

Ximena Avalos

Ian Potter Foundation
CH

Caroline Henwood

Research, Evaluation and Learning Manager, Ian Potter Foundation
avatar for Sarah Neill

Sarah Neill

MERL Manager, Paul Ramsay Foundation
DS

David Stuart

Director Evaluation And Impact Measurement, Creative Australia
Thursday September 17, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm ACST
Hall 2

2:00pm ACST

An open discussion on research and evaluation that works for remote communities
Thursday September 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm ACST
Authors: Jillian Marsh, School of Indigenous Australian Studies, Kate Dixon, Schools Plus, Laura Bird, Paul Ramsay Foundation
This panel features panellists representing all layers of the evaluation ecosystem, and focuses on an evaluation conducted in remote schools in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland. This panel discussion will centre on the question: How can we, as an evaluation ecosystem, make space and value place in the design and implementation of programs, projects, and evaluations?

Our panel includes a representative from the evaluation funders, the program facilitator and a community-based representative. The panel will be facilitated by a member of our evaluation and research team who is leading the project. The discussion will reflect on and unpack some of the realities of negotiating a place-based evaluation in remote communities, and how these reflections effect planning, design and delivery of evaluations. Our funders will explain their priorities, what they are aiming to achieve and why they are funding the evaluation, as well as explaining why a place-based approach is important to them.

The program facilitator will discuss how this evaluation project complements other existing projects, as well as how it was designed and why it was designed in that way. Our community-based representative will talk about their role in the project and the value that they bring through their community-based expertise, experience and relationships. This panel offers a unique look at how space is created for collaborative evaluation design and implementation, and how place can be centred throughout all stages of evaluation, even in a national project.
Speakers
JM

Jillian Marsh

Professor, Indigenous Knowledges, School Of Indigenous Australian Studies
LB

Laura Bird

Paul Ramsay Foundation
Thursday September 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm ACST
Waterfront 3 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

2:00pm ACST

Is there room in the C-suite for evaluators?
Thursday September 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm ACST
Authors: Dana Cross, Piacarmel Andrews, Lyn Alderman

Across sectors, evaluators are increasingly seeking to move beyond assessing programs to shaping strategy, informing investment, strengthening accountability and supporting learning. Recent initiatives such as the Strengthening Evaluation in the Australian Government – Action Plan 2026–2030, with its emphasis on evaluation leadership, culture and use (and a call for Chief Evaluation Officers), reflect a broader trend: evaluation is being positioned as a core contributor to governance and decision making rather than a purely technical or advisory function.

This shift raises a provocative and timely question for the evaluation community: is there room in the C-suite for evaluators?

The presenters will explore whether closer proximity to executive power is necessary to strengthen evaluation’s influence and what might be gained or lost in the process. Rather than assuming that seniority automatically delivers impact, the discussion will examine different models of leadership, authority and positioning for evaluation across diverse organisational contexts.

Presenters will explore tensions such as:
  • Whether executive level access enhances evaluation use or risks compromising independence and credibility.
  • How evaluation leadership can be exercised without formal C suite roles.
  • What “good” evaluation leadership looks like in different sectors, cultures and places
Drawing on lived experience from across settings, the panel will reflect on how evaluation currently shows up, or fails to show up, in senior decision making forums, and what alternatives exist for strengthening its influence. Audience pulse questions will be used to give live insights to broader experiences and views, with time for questions at the end of the session inviting participants to share perspectives from their own contexts and challenge assumptions about status, power and professional identity in evaluation.
Speakers
avatar for Dana Cross

Dana Cross

Associate Director, Grosvenor Public Sector Advisory
Dana is a public sector expert, possessing over 17 years of deep experience advising government organisations on program evaluation, organisational review, service optimisation and performance management. She is a member of Grosvenor’s Executive Leadership Team as Head of Strategy... Read More →
LA

Lyn Alderman

The Evaluators' Collective
Thursday September 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm ACST
Rooms 1+2 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

2:30pm ACST

Monitoring on a shoestring: How reproducible reporting can help make better use of data.
Thursday September 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm ACST
Authors: Stephanie Quail (ARTD), Sophie Henness (ARTD)

Non-government organisations (NGOs) and small organisations often face a range of barriers, such as limited funding and staffing, to collecting, analysing, and utilising client and program data to support continuous improvement and decision making. For these organisations, taking an empowerment evaluation approach, which enables them to assess and improve their own programs while building capacity and ownership, has the potential to provide sustainable and ongoing value. Empowerment evaluation strengthens organisational capacity and equips organisations with tools to collect, analyse, and interpret data for ongoing program improvement.

This presentation explores low-cost and high-impact opportunities for embedding monitoring, as demonstrated by our recent work with Bonnie’s Support Service to develop internal capability to administer and analyse a new client satisfaction survey. We will highlight common challenges for small NGOs, and our approaches for setting up monitoring on a shoestring, including:
  • How data is collected, including an overview of free or low-cost survey platforms, and their advantages and disadvantages
  • How data is analysed, including how the free, open-source software R can be used to set up reproducible analysis that once established can be re-used without needing internal quantitative expertise
  • How reports and other outputs are created, including how polished reports incorporating text, figures and tables can be generated using R.
Audience members will leave this presentation with an understanding of common challenges to setting up and analysing client satisfaction survey data, the advantages and disadvantages of available open-source platforms, and practical approaches for setting up reproducible analysis and reports. Attendees will receive a free online toolkit we have developed which organisations can use to guide the development of their own low-cost monitoring and reproducible reporting.

Speakers
avatar for Stephanie Quail

Stephanie Quail

Senior Manager, ARTD
SH

Sophie Henness

ARTD Consultants
Thursday September 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm ACST
Rooms 3+4 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia
 
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