AES Alert: 2 September 2026 |
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Dear Visitor, September is shaping up to be a busy month for the AES community, with plenty happening now and lots to look forward to for the rest of 2026. aes26 is now just 12 days away, with delegates getting ready to join us in Darwin | Garramilla Country. The conference app, program and social program are live, and there are a few final opportunities and deadlines to keep an eye on before we get underway. Looking beyond the conference, our professional learning program continues throughout October, November and December, with workshops covering trust and influence, impactful reporting, performance measurement, trauma-informed evaluation, cultural safety, evaluation principles, data visualisation, introductory evaluation skills and AI in evaluation. And one for the diary: save the date for the 2026 AES Annual General Meeting, to be held online on 11 November, when our new Board will be announced and new Directors will commence their two-year terms. 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. |
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Save the date for the 2026 Annual General Meeting to be held online 11 November 2026. The new Board will be announced and new Directors will commence their two-year terms. More AGM details will be shared closer to the date. |
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| The countdown is well and truly on, with just 12 days to go until aes26! - Standard registration ended yesterday – late registration rates now apply.
- The aes26 app is live! Registered delegates can now start exploring the program, building their schedule and connecting with fellow delegates.
- Meet our exciting keynote speakers.
- Saltwater Ceremony registrations close Friday – and three session times are already fully booked.
- Invitations for the New Delegate & CSG Recipient Networking Breakfast have been sent, with RSVPs closing this Friday.
- Pre-conference workshop registrations have now closed – but if you’re looking to join a workshop at the last minute, get in touch with us and we’ll see what may still be possible.
- Our social program is online – see what’s happening around the conference and make the most of your time in Darwin.
- Explore the full aes26 conference program.
And what a program it is…184 speakers
120 presentations
76.5 hours of content – that’s 4,590 minutes of evaluation, ideas, learning and connection! Darwin | Garramilla, here we come! | |
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How does the commissioning of evaluations shape the evaluation process and its outcomes? AES Fellows are exploring how commissioning practices affect evaluation and invite you to contribute by: responding to the AES Blog; completing a survey and participating in commissioning sessions at the aes26 International Evaluation Conference in Darwin. AES members will receive access to the seminar recording in their member profile. You're also welcome to email the AES Fellows directly with your reflections on any of the following questions: - Best and worst commissioning process
- As a commissioner: Do you get the evidence you need from evaluations through the commissioning process?
- As an evaluator: Do commissioning models facilitate or inhibit how well you undertake an evaluation?
- As an evaluation recipient: How do commissioning decisions impact on you and your colleagues and participants?
Your insights will help inform future improvements to evaluation practice. |
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October 2026 November 2026 November Workshops: MEL Introductory Concepts and Skills Intensive December 2026 | |
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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. |
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FOUNDATIONS OF EVALUATION WORKSHOP SERIES Start building your evaluation toolkit! Greg Masters of Nexus will be delivering this practical on program comprising four half-day workshops over consecutive weeks. The program will develop your skills in program evaluation and includes case studies and opportunities to apply the learning to your own work. You will walk away with: draft logic models evaluation plan templates evaluation terms of reference templates a completed case study used across all four workshops.
Who should attend? Those wishing to build their foundation evaluation skills including: The next series commences Wednesday November 11 (10.00 am-1.00pm AEST) and runs at the same time for the following three Wednesdays (November 18, 25 & December 2). The fee for AES members is $1,200, a 20% discount off the standard fee of $1,500.
More information? Or contact Greg at gmasters@nexusmc.com. |
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New international editions of Australian evaluation texts by AES Fellow & Life member, Yoland Wadsworth, have been published by Routledge London. Do It Yourself Social Research and Everyday Evaluation on the Run have both been popular best-selling texts demystifying research and evaluation, and Human Inquiry for Living Systems: Building in Research and Evaluation for Life identifies how to achieve systems change using iterative 'full cycle' evaluative inquiry processes. All three books have never been out of print. Now revised as an anniversary box set trilogy, they provide a comprehensive framework incorporating all the major forms of research and evaluation using a logic in which each takes their part in 'full cycle inquiry’ from existing practice to change for improvement and its testing in new practice. Michael Quinn Patton’s tribute to globally launch the trilogy as a coherent magnum opus is here. More about the books (and a 25% discount for the set) here. |
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Tracing Impact: A hands-on introduction to Ripple Effects Mapping
with First Person Consulting Every program triggers changes that can be hard to pre-determine, but we also know that those immediate changes don't stop there. These changes can lead to cascading effects far into the future or effects disproportionate to the initiating event. Ripple Effects Mapping is a participatory, group-based method for bringing them to the surface – well established overseas, but only now making its way into Australian practice. This one-day workshop will leave you with the skills and capabilities to design and implement REM, and have a bunch of fun while you are doing it. The session is in-person only in Melbourne, with two date options: Wednesday 21 October or Thursday 19 November 2026.
On sale until 31 July: $295 incl. GST (usually $350). Register here → https://www.fpconsulting.com.au/store/p19/ripple-effects-mapping-training.html |
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Listen: The It Depends Podcast with Matt Healey Looking for a podcast that tackles questions without straightforward answers? Welcome to The It Depends Podcast, hosted by Matt Healey from First Person Consulting. In each episode, Matt and his guests explore the tricky, nuanced world of evaluation, systems thinking and change, design, and complexity. It's your go-to source for thoughtful conversations, practical insights, and comfort in embracing uncertainty.
Browse summaries of every episode in the Podcast Library, or find and follow The It Depends Podcast on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Discover why the best answer to tricky questions often starts with "it depends…". |
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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.
One year in, Iris Ethics expands resources for users In the almost one year since Iris Ethics opened for business, the company has produced more than 50 free resources for researchers and reviewers navigating the often complex field of human research ethical reviews. Now those resources are easier than ever for users to find, with a new menu creating a streamlined user experience (https://www.irisethics.com.au/). |
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Upcoming Clear Horizon Academy offerings Build confidence and skills in MEL with Clear Horizon Academy. Drawing on 20 years of field experience, our courses help evaluators deepen their practice and expand their toolkit. AES members receive 15% off with the code "AES15". Evaluation (25 September, 6 weeks)
Learn how to design an evaluation plan, make judgements about your program, and tackle the big questions of your change initiative with confidence.➡ Learn more Evaluating Place-based Approaches (2 October, 6 weeks)
Learn to evaluate place-based change with confidence in this intermediate course, packed with practical tools for tracking progress, collective measurement, phase-appropriate MEL design and centring community voice.➡ Learn more Evaluating Systems Transformation: Live Methods Masterclass
(14 October, 2.5-hours)
Join Jess Dart for a hands-on live masterclass exploring four practical tools for tracking change in complex systems, with a curated resource pack to take away.
Limited places.➡ Learn more
Increasing Impact through Learning (13 November, 3 weeks)
This short course will help you to unlock strategic learning and maximise your communication impact and covers how to use MEL insights to learn, produce powerful reporting, and adapt.➡ Learn more |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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| 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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