Program book
For the most up-to-date version of the conference program, refer to the online program:
View online program including abstracts
To download the program booklet in PDF format, follow the links below. Note that abstracts are not included and information is accurate as of the time of printing (29/8/25). (Right, or option, click the link for saving options.)
Download aes25 Program book
Download aes25 program book accessible version
Keynote presentations
- Andi Fugard, Challenging binaries in evaluation
- Ray Lovett and Bobby Maher, Let’s get real: transforming evaluation through Indigenous-led practice
- Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead, Do you prefer to dig deep or free range?
Presentations
Note: Only the first author has been listed below and not all presenters submitted presentations, or gave permission to publish.
Abbato (2), Samantha, Looking outside the evaluation methods bubble: A visual digital tool for participatory evaluation with young people with cognitive disabilities
Adams, Jeffery, Writing powerful articles: From theory and philosophy into practice
Alaba, Simon, Adapting Mixed-Methods Data Synthesis for Organisational Evaluation: Lessons from the Independent Evaluation of Beyond Blue
Arbour, Ghislain, Redefining Research on Evaluation to unlock its full potential
Atkinson (1), Gerard, When it comes to rigour, three rubrics are better than one.
Atkinson (2), Gerard, Check Your Bias at the Door
Atkinson (3), Gerard, A Post-Evaluation World? Exploring the Future of Evaluation in the Age of AI
Babyack, Sharon, Connecting online to move beyond the bubble: sharing knowledge and yarning to innovate, problem solve and design
Baghi, Zina, Breaking the Mould: Embracing Unconventional Methods for Meaningful Outcomes
Barclay-Sutton, Bardie, Casting the Digital Net: Umben's Approach to Technology-Enabled MEL in Papua New Guinea
Bayley, Scott, Preparing High Quality Recommendations
Blair, Kathleen, Navigating place-based change: developing a suburb-level theory of change through participatory approaches
Bowers, Peter, Randomised trials in Australian public policy – a stocktake and recent developments
Buchwald, Jess, Breaking the empowerment bubble: measuring what truly matters
Büsst, Cara, Leveraging collective learning: a collaborative ecosystem approach to evaluation of a multi-project grant program
Butler, Suzanne, How to build an evaluation culture through Evaluation Maturity Models: lessons from Commonwealth Government agencies
Callapilli, Arun Jyothi, Data to Design: The Power of Infographics
Calzoni, Carina, The Super Six ideas shaping evaluation
Capuzzo, Giulia, Growing a culture of evaluation together: how to take participation to communities and show impact
Carroll, Leah, Am I an evaluator yet?
Carter, Marnie, Adventures, adversity and adaptations in applying Appreciative Inquiry
Chavez Cosamalon, Brenda Lia, How I found an AI for qual that’s more beauty than bludger
Crooks, Nicholas, If you want to value it, get the system in the room: assessing the Value for Money of systems-change work
Cuthbertson, Evie, Embedding Wellbeing Frameworks into Government Decision-making - how are we going in measuring what matters?
Cuttriss, Stephen, Conceptualising and evaluating prevention in the emergent context of tech-facilitated gender-based violence
Darcy, Christabelle, How can we balance accountability and learning in evaluation?Dash, Sarah, Evaluating Catalyst Partnership Grants: Monitoring Impact, Innovation, and Hard-to-Capture Outcomes
Didar, Didar Ali, Fostering Locally-Led Development With A Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Approach (plus presentation by Inamuka)
Donkers (1), Martina, AI transcription software is changing how we do data analysis
Donkers (2), Martina, Becoming a mentor, it’s a win-win journey
Downing (1), Liam, Quality Evaluation That Makes a Difference
Downing (2), Liam, Embedding utilisation-focused, realist developmental evaluation into senior organisational leadership: An older and wiser ten-year update
El Hassan, Marwan, A tailored systems-based approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning in the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund: Benefits, opportunities and challenges
Elliott, Julie, Future Directions and Promise – Going Beyond the Systems Thinking Bubble
Fleming, Farida, Real world impact evaluations
Fortunati (1), Erika, Evaluating Online Spaces for Children and Young People: Successes, Challenges, and Insights
Fortunati (2), Erika, More Simplification, More Impact: Smarter Data Collection and Reporting
Franks, Kat, Defining Evaluation: Don’t judge me
Grange, Maia, Cloudy with a chance of insights: silver linings and practical tips from online focus groups with young people
Grealy, Claire, Exploring New Frontiers: Can a TTM-Based Tool Truly Assess Genuine Change in Court-Mandated Family Violence Counselling?
Gullickson (1), Amy, Expanding the Bubble: Updating the AES Evaluator Competency Framework
Gullickson (2), Amy, Seeking Positive Deviants: Those going beyond the Bubble of Research = Evaluation to Evaluative Reasoning
Hawkins (1), Andrew, Beyond theory and logic: exploring sound value propositions in evaluation
Hawkins (2), Andrew, Fit for purpose evaluation: a pragmatic summary for ’reading the room’
Healey, Matthew, Reframing problem definition in Theory of Change processes using systems methodologies: The case of lawyer wellbeing
Healy, Dan, So what: A new method for evaluating systems change and impacts
Hester, Jennifer, From place-focused to place-based: co-evolving service delivery and evaluation approaches to strengthen local impact
Hornby, Kristy, Ivory towers, or masters of our own destiny? How to create your own Master of Evaluation program of study
Imata, Katsuji, Evaluation that frees us up from project boxes to cherish values inherent in communities
Interpares, Prima, Evaluating Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Food Systems Efficiency using Social Return on Investment: Insights from Ecuador, Burkina Faso, and Indonesia
Jordaan, Sunet, Transforming the Evaluation of Walking Programs: AI, Engagement, and the Power of Listening
Keech-Marx, Ulla, Rethinking the role of indicators in MEL
Keogh, Brian, The Dynamics of Influence: Evaluating Social Power
King, Julian, A fireside chat: Bursting the causal bubble - Towards evidentiary standards for causal inference (plus presentation by Bayley)
Lea, Joe, Engaging in-place: Innovative data collection in hardly reached communities
Leha, Ma'u, From Extraction to Exchange: Re-Centering Values in a Shifting Evaluation Paradigm
Lorenzo, Mia, From Data to Dialogue: Embedding Consumer Voice in Evaluation and Service Improvement
Main (1), Squirrel, Floating Beyond the Bubble: Unlocking insights on complex systems change with sentiment analysis
Main (2), Squirrel, Navigating Ethical Challenges for Evaluation with Practical Frameworks: Beyond the Compliance Bubble
Mak (1), Sarah, Shifting power in evaluation through community-led storytelling
Mak (2), Sarah, Putting communities at the heart of your evaluation
Maloney, Jade, Connecting evaluation and co-design: How we can enhance not crush co-design processes
Martin, Sean, Do more Better Access sessions for men with depression lead to improvements? A target trial emulation study
Mcguire, Jonathan, Re-imagining evaluation: delivering a culturally impactful evaluation with Aboriginal school communities
McLachlan, Andrew, Causal reasoning in program evaluation: Why defensible causal arguments matter
Mehrton, Amy, Meaning and money - Bringing evaluation and economics together
Morgan, Will, Agile Waterfalls: Managing stakeholders in large-scale, multi-site evaluations
Mortimer (1), Elissa, How can control group and stopping guideline approaches from clinical trials be applied when evaluating behavioural interventions?
Mortimer (2), Elissa, Integrating culturally safe evaluation and experimental methods. A global perspective (includes four presentations)
Murray, Alexandra, Integration of Risk Assessment into Lessons Management: Real time organisational risk tolerance used to drive Continuous Improvement
Navez, Krystal, Developmental Evaluation of Gamadji Balit, informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldviews and values
Nguyen, Vy, Understanding and interpreting statistical results in impact evaluations
Nicholls, Melinda, “Nothing about us without us”: Inclusive evaluation guide aligned with Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031
Ong, James, From Cases to Insights: Navigating Primary Data Collection Challenges in Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Oxford, Sarah, Capacity Building to Implement Trauma-Informed Practices in Evaluation
Phillips, Lydia, Moving beyond: What workforce development evaluations can teach the evaluation workforce
Pinwill, Sophie, Most Significant Change Technique – Using digital platforms to engage diverse audiences
Renals, Sarah, From engagement to action: rethinking youth-centred evaluation methods
Rose, Vanessa, Is Government Ready for Equity-Focused Evaluation?
Sas, Nikolai, Collaborative evaluation in action: Rethinking government-consultant partnerships for greater impact
Sharpe, Patrick, Transforming systems: designing for and evaluating ecosystem change
Snowball, Lucy, Raising the Bar with For-Purpose Evaluation
Sunners, Kate, Logical leap or logical lapse? Strengthening the data-to-claim process
Tan, Katina, Beyond the Rhetoric: Reaffirming Evidence-Informed Practice Through Rigorous Evaluation
Taylor, Ellie, From crisis to recovery: measuring success in family violence services using a new, trauma-informed tool
Trudgett, Skye, Wathaga: A Culturally-Informed Platform Empowering Indigenous Communities to Manage, Govern, and Protect Data for Monitoring and Evaluation
Tulloch, Charlie, Evidence 101: A Conference Primer for New and Non-Evaluators
Van Twest Farmer, Jo, Evaluators in the murky middle - fostering sustainable careers after the early years
Van Twest Farmer, Jo, Beyond the justice bubble – resolving values conflict when evaluating with an abolitionist worldview
Wahyuni, Nopitri, Inclusivity of Digital Connection in Community-Based Monitoring and Evaluation: A Case Example
White, Paula, A yarn about being an ally for indigenous evaluation