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AES Alert 15 April 2026

AES Alert 15 April 2026

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Australian Evaluation Society

‍‍AES Alert: 15 April 2026

‍Dear Visitor,

We’re also excited to share a fresh round of June workshops just added, including the MEL Introductory Concepts and Skills Intensive, featuring some of our most popular and in-demand workshops alongside April and May sessions that are filling quickly. If you’ve been thinking about joining a workshop, now’s a great time to lock in your spot.

There are also some great free seminars and networking events coming up, including in-person events in Darwin, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth, as well as a range of online sessions - offering plenty of opportunities to connect with others in your region and across the community. A big thanks to our Regional Networks and SIGs for making these possible!

A reminder that AES members receive access to seminar materials and recordings via their member profile. Visit the members-only section to explore highlights from this year’s seminars so far.

Stay connected! Make sure you continue receiving the latest news and opportunities, take a moment to check that your member details are up to date. Login and update your details.

‍aes26 Update

  • Moderation day for proposals is Thursday 16 April in Darwin.
  • Pre-conference workshops will be released on Tuesday 21 April. 
  • Registration dates and prices are now available online.
  • Meet our exciting new keynote speakers, with one final international keynote to be
    announced soon.
  • Member only early bird registrations open 4 May 2026!

April 2026

May 2026

June 2026

June Workshops: MEL Introductory Concepts and Skills Intensive NEW

In person Workshops | Perth IPAA WA

The Of Interest section of the AES Alert includes information from international evaluation societies as well as upcoming events and other articles that may be of interest to our members and wider evaluation community. There is no charge to be included. Please send content to aes@aes.asn.au by Tuesday lunchtime. Your article should include a short blurb and any relevant links. Note that we don't include images or upload documents. Note that the AES reserves the right to refuse publication if we don't judge that your copy is of interest to members of the AES. Member notices are given preference. 

‍PLACE Scholarship Program is now live! Applications are now open and will close at midnight 18 May 2026 (AEST). 

Most people in place-based work learn by doing. They build their practice in real time, often in complex environments with limited formal support. But there still aren’t enough clear or accessible ways to develop the skills this work actually requires.
That's why Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment (PLACE) is pleased to launch the PLACE Scholarship Program, which will open up funded training pathways for anyone working or volunteering in place-based work across Australia. Designed to build the skills needed to support strong, locally led work, the program gives participants:

  • Access to a curated set of high-quality courses
  • Funding to cover course fees and travel
  • A peer group to learn from others and apply the learning in practice

The aim is simple: help people deepen their practice, connect with others doing similar work, and strengthen impact in communities.

If that's you, we encourage you to check your eligibility and apply here:www.placeaustralia.org/scholarship-program/

 

‍NSW Government Evaluation Library: NSW Government has launched their own Evaluation Library - a searchable, central collection of published evaluations from across NSW agencies. It consolidates reports on programs, policies and regulations, making it easier for public servants, researchers, community partners and the public to find and use evidence about what works. The library will continue to grow as new evaluations are published.

‍The Realist Research Evaluation and Learning Initiative (RREALI) team at Charles Darwin University are pleased to announce three courses in realist research and evaluation for 2026. 10% discount for AES members.

  • Introduction to Realist Philosophy of Science: Gain a solid grounding in realist philosophy of science, the foundation for all realist work.
  • Realist Review: Learn how to design and conduct a realist literature review.
  • Realist Evaluation: Learn how to design and conduct a realist evaluation.

The courses are available as microcredentials, requiring assessment and providing a formal academic transcript, or as non-accredited short courses, not requiring assessment and providing a certificate of attendance. The courses are fully online, with all required reading materials and pre-recorded lectures supplied. 

Microcredentials and short courses will be taught in one cohort, with identical course content. The courses include approximately two hours of pre-recorded lectures, several readings, and a three-hour workshop each week. The micro-credential requires approximately 10 hours per week over four or five weeks; the short courses around 7 hours per week because they do not require assessment activities.

Microcredentials are not suitable for international student visa holders in Australia and are not eligible for subsidy by the Australian Government.

For further information, please contact Gill Westhorp gillian.westhorp@cdu.edu.au or Kerryn O'Rourke kerryn.orourke@cdu.edu.au.

‍National Statement changes: Are you ready? 

The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research is changing. Whether you're running government evaluations or procuring evaluation services, you need to know what's coming. Allen + Clarke recently hosted a free 45-minute webinar with their evaluation experts breaking down what's changed, when HREC review is now required, and exactly what you need to update in your ethics processes and evaluation design before the changes take effect. Watch the recording here.

New Resource: The It Depends Podcast with Matt and Tenille
Looking for a podcast that tackles questions without straightforward answers? Welcome to The It Depends Podcast, hosted by Matt Healey and Tenille Moselen from First Person Consulting. In each episode, Matt, Tenille, and their guests explore the tricky, nuanced world of evaluation, systems change, design, and complexity. It's your go-to source for thoughtful conversations, practical insights, and comfort in embracing uncertainty. 

Find and follow the It Depends Podcast with Matt and Tenille on the Podcast host website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts to get the latest episodes, and discover why the best answer to tricky questions often starts with "it depends…".

‍Iris Ethics HREC opens for applications 
Following successful registration with the NHMRC, Iris Ethics has opened its Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) for submissions, making it the first privately operated, open access HREC to focus solely on the evaluation, market research, and social research sectors. The committee is chaired by Professor Chris Maylea, an experienced social researcher and legal scholar, and includes people from all over Australia representing a range of lived and professional experiences and includes practicing evaluators. This ensures that reviews are completed quickly with an understanding of the research purpose and methodologies used, and that the committee can act as a trusted advisor and partner. Iris Ethics also delivers rapid reviews for lower risk evaluation projects and produces a growing library of resources to support ethical evaluation practice.

‍‍‍Clear Horizon Academy – Courses Now Available

Enrolments are now open for a range Clear Horizon courses, with AES members eligible to receive a 15% discount (just use the code “AES15” at enrolment to claim your discount).

Learners will get free access to Track to Change, Clear Horizon’s digital MEL platform, when they signing up to a course.

Developmental Evaluation | starts 24 April – This course is designed to empower evaluators and designers to navigate complex and evolving environments. Developmental Evaluation (DE) is a dynamic approach that fosters a continuous feedback loop between evaluators and initiative teams, enabling real-time adjustments to enhance design effectiveness and amplify impact. The learning is tailored to evaluators and designers facing challenges such as evaluating outcomes in rapidly changing contexts, driving impact in systems change scenarios, and innovating through the design of new initiatives.

 

Most Significant Change | starts 1 May – This course teaches you how to master the Most Significant Change technique – a valuable part of your measurement, evaluation and learning toolkit. This technique allows you and your teams/ community to uncover meaningful insights about the impact and value of your work. Learn to collect and identify powerful stories of change, facilitate a participatory dialogue to establish the most significant ones, and bring to light insights on what people truly value and why. This methodology provides you with a gold mine of qualitative information to complement your measurement data, enabling you to make more informed decisions about your initiative. This course has been developed by Jess Dart, the co-author of the MSC User Guide, and adopted globally by leading development agencies such as UNICEF, Oxfam and World Vision.

Evaluating Systems Transformation: Live Methods Masterclass | 2.5 hours workshop 27 May – How do you track progress when change is non‑linear, distributed, and unfolding across a system? This live masterclass offers a practical deep dive into tools for evaluating systems change, designed for evaluators, strategists, and practitioners working in complex environments where traditional indicators fall short. 

AES Blog

We want to hear from you! What is interesting you in the world of evaluation? Have you attended an AES event recently and are keen to share what you learned? Please refer to the Guidelines for what and how to submit to the AES blog and if you have any questions, please email the team at blog@aes.asn.au. Check out the the latest AES blogs by clicking here. 

Job Vacancies

Employers looking to fill positions in program monitoring and evaluation and performance measurement can list their job vacancies on the AES website. This service is available to members and non-members for a small fee. Discover the benefits of advertising on the AES website as recruiters and for applicants. Local and overseas opportunities are listed throughout the year and are also included in the AES Alert e-newsletter. 

Consultants Directory

The AES often receives enquiries looking for evaluators with specific areas of expertise. These enquiries are directed to the online searchable Consultants' Directory. As well as being 'discovered' by potential customers, consultants in the directory also enjoy receiving early advice on any call for Evaluation services tenders. AES members can be listed in the Consultants' Directory for a small fee. Log into the AES website and access the form here.

Logging On to Member Only areas of the new AES website

Members can now remain logged into the AES website rather than log in each time - simply click on the 'Remember me' box when loggin in. If you have forgotten your username and password, please email us at aes@aes.asn.au. 

Become an AES member

Do you work as an evaluator, commission evaluation work, manage evaluation projects, are an academic teaching and conducting research, a tertiary level student or even a professional interested in evaluation and performance measurement? Are you interested in developing your knowledge and skills across evaluation theory, methods and practice while networking with other professionals involved in similar work? Then you will benefit from joining the AES. Click here for more information and to apply to join. 

‍We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present.

The Australian Evaluation Society is committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.

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