aes26 International Evaluation Conference: Full Schedule

Presenter and chair information page, resources for conference presenters, authors and session chairs.

11:00am ACST

When participatory approaches don't go to plan

Friday September 18, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am ACST

Authors: Lucy Walker, Nation Partners, Justine Smith, Nation Partners
Participatory evaluation is widely regarded as best practice for producing useful, ethical, and contextually grounded insights, particularly in community-based programs. Yet in practice, participatory approaches sometimes unfold in ways that are more complex, unpredictable, and sometimes unsuccessful than anticipated.

This presentation explores what happens when participatory evaluation does not go to plan, and what we can learn from these experiences. The objective of this session is to have a frank conversation about when participation doesn’t go as planned and to inspire more realistic, context-sensitive approaches to designing and implementing participatory evaluation.

The presenters (two) will draw on their experiences and examples to propose three key messages.

- Participation can’t always be assumed or expected- it is shaped by interests, relationships, perceived value and capacity with competing priorities.
- Misalignment between stakeholders (e.g. partners, community members, project funders, and evaluators) can present central challenges.
- When things don’t go according to plan it presents an opportunity for valuable insight and reflection and shouldn’t be avoided.

Through exploring cases where stakeholders are disengaged, where expectations diverge and methods don’t go to plan, we will surface the barriers and enablers to applying participatory methods in practice.

The presenters will share their experiences and insights with embedded survey via QR code to capture attendees reflections along the way. We will also explore methods and strategies to better understand stakeholder context, identify and plan for risks, and adapt approaches in the midst of delivery.

Chair

Victoria Pilbeam

MEL Adviser, Pacific Community | Communauté du Pacifique

I support MEL for fisheries, aquaculture and marine ecosystems across the Pacific Islands region. Previously, I worked for WWF-Australia and in consulting. I like MEL that is approachable, accessible, fair, and that genuinely helps people and organisations to learn and improve... Read More →

Speakers

Justine Smith

Principal Consultant, Nation Partners

With a background spanning research, government, non-government organisations and consulting, Justine brings technical knowledge and over 10 years of experience to the projects she works on. As a highly experienced program evaluator and strategic thinker, Justine has applied her skills... Read More →

Lucy Walker

Senior Consultant, Nation Partners

Lucy is an emerging evaluator who has worked in research and evaluation for the past 7 years. She has experience working across Victorian state government, private sector consulting and research institutions. Lucy is an interdisciplinary practitioner, with a strong background in environmental... Read More →

Friday September 18, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am ACST
Waterfront 2 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

Traditional and new ways

Format Short paper
Audience Level Foundational, Intermediate
Industry Arts and recreation services, Community and social services, Environment and climate change, Education and training, Health and disability
ID 302

aes26 International Evaluation Conference

11:00am ACST

Victoria Pilbeam

Justine Smith

Lucy Walker

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