aes26 International Evaluation Conference

This is the draft aes26 program, subject to change. To register for workshops and the conference, go to: https://www.aes26.aes.asn.au/

11:00am ACST

Beyond Silos: A Technology–Evaluation Partnership Building a Digital Data Pipeline Waterfront 2Kristine Tuban • Martin Holmstrand

11:30am ACST

Building culturally grounded evaluation, led by First Nations communities Rooms 1+2Jen Lorains • Veronica Doolan • Pauline Grant • Jackie Treeves

12:00pm ACST

The ethics of independence – what does ‘independent evaluation’ mean in 2026? Hall 2Jo van Twest Farmer

2:30pm ACST

Epistemic Justice: victim survivors of child sexual abuse as co-evaluators Waterfront 1Nic Vogelpoel • Malika Reese • Angela Obradovic Ignites Waterfront 2Robert Grimshaw • Kirstin Clements • Katie Ronson • Martina Donkers • Fiona Scott-Melton • Louise Parker • Feby Savira Interrogating problem representations in evaluation: Are we solving the right problems? Rooms 3+4Andrew Boyle

3:00pm ACST

The case for key monitoring questions in simplifying performance frameworks Waterfront 3Jack Rutherford

4:00pm ACST

Cultural Wisdom and Story Gathering Artefact: A two-worlds approach to developing culturally responsive evaluation practice Rooms 1+2Jessi Gidgup-Lovett • Duncan Rintoul Making space for influence: Danjoo Koorliny and decolonising evaluation to measure systems change Waterfront 3Doyen Radcliffe

4:30pm ACST

Professional isolation in evaluation: AES members’ experiences, and ways to strengthen peer connection and community Hall 2Martina Donkers Ignites Waterfront 2Delyth Lloyd • Estelle Gaillard • Amanda Taylor-Short • Anabelle (pin chu) Chen • Heather Bryan • Louise Parker Centring Indigenous worldviews: Warlpiri and the Itaukei Trust Affairs Board case learning Rooms 1+2Alexander Gyles • Allan Mua Illingworth • Glenda Napaljarri Wayne • Raelene Jigili • Mildred Napaljarri Spencer • Marilyn Vilisoni Managing the eight main enemies of evaluative thinking Rooms 3+4Samantha Abbato

10:30am ACST

From Paper to People: Community-Centred Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for Vanuatu Education & Training Sector Waterfront 1Jill Juliane Wai • Fremden Yanhambath • Ellis Silas

11:30am ACST

Evaluating with the Vanua: A Practical Framework for Relational, Place Based Evaluation in Indigenous Contexts Rooms 1+2Elisabeta Torava Walking in Two Worlds: evaluating First Nations programs in the public sector Hall 2Anna Rasalingam • Daniel Maher

1:30pm ACST

Process tracing in practice: testing causal claims with mixed evidence Rooms 3+4Kizzy Gandy Establishing an Indigenous owned and led evaluation process for the Timor-Leste Tais Weaving Ecosystem Waterfront 1Nea Harrison • Maria do Céu Lopes da Silva

2:00pm ACST

An open discussion on research and evaluation that works for remote communities Waterfront 3Jillian Marsh • Laura Bird Ignites Waterfront 2Louise Green • Rodney Williams • Marilyn Vilisoni • Lily Edwards • Megan Brewer • Trina O'Donnell • Satib Nisha Khan Khan Is there room in the C-suite for evaluators? Rooms 1+2Dana Cross • Lyn Alderman • Piacarmel Andrews

2:30pm ACST

When Worlds Collide: Evaluation at the Intersection of Policy, Curriculum and School Improvement Hall 2Annette Waters • Zina Baghi Strengthening engagement with evaluation through the Signs of Success Framework Waterfront 1Giulia Capuzzo

3:30pm ACST

Culturally Governed Evaluation: Reframing First Nations Engagement from Consultation and Co-design to Governance Hall 2Sarah Jane Springer • Catherine Boekel Is this going somewhere? Using evaluations to broker organisational change Rooms 1+2Victoria Pilbeam • India Lynn Uncertain impacts, real decisions: measuring and communicating causal uncertainty in quantitative evaluations Waterfront 1Dimitria Gavalyugova

4:00pm ACST

Quality evaluation that makes a difference: continuing the conversation Rooms 3+4Rob Sale • Carina Calzoni A social worker, an astrophysicist and an economist walk into a bar... Waterfront 1Kate Cherry • Jake Clark • David Marchant Meeting new challenges with better theories of change Hall 2Patricia Rogers • Emil Laurberg Mogensen

4:30pm ACST

Making Space for Evaluation: How the UK and Australia Are Improving Evaluation Across Government Waterfront 2

10:30am ACST

From framework to practice: What does it take to implement shared impact in place-based work? Rooms 1+2Nicholas Hill • Eve Millar Evaluation reporting using infographics Rooms 3+4Charlie Tulloch Making space, valuing place: in and through higher education evaluation Waterfront 3Nathan Towney • Matt Lumb • Monica McKenzie

11:00am ACST

When participatory approaches don't go to plan Waterfront 2Justine Smith • Lucy Walker

11:30am ACST

One dataset, many destinations: Building evaluation routes to policy impact and systems change Waterfront 3Annabel Prescott What’s your problem? Navigating the impact of problematisation on evaluation Rooms 3+4Liesl Harrold Ignites Waterfront 2Sunet Jordaan • Emily Maher • Duncan Rintoul • Cath Cooper • Lynda Gyorki • Milo McKay • Ramakrishna Chondur Staying Grounded in Complexity: Designing an M&E System for Counter-Trafficking in Persons Waterfront 1Anne Stephens • Jill Thomas

1:30pm ACST

The 2026 (Mostly-Serious) Crowd-Sourced Debate: Evaluation’s pluralism and its external influence Hall 2Kate Mckegg • Matt Healey • Rick Cummings • Bethany Hanson • Emily Gates • Martina Donkers • George Argyrous Building critical thinking into your writing Waterfront 1John Guenther • Nicole Tujague • Jeff Adams

2:00pm ACST

Beyond strategic metrics: Centering lived experience in youth program evaluation Rooms 1+2Annabel Prescott Making Outcomes Stick: A Practical Approach to Collecting Evaluation-Ready data in a Complex Environment Waterfront 3Themis Antony