AES Alert: 28 October 2026 |
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Dear Visitor, As we head towards the end of 2026, there's still plenty happening across the AES community! Our regional networks are bringing members together for end-of-year networking events, offering opportunities to reconnect, reflect on the year and celebrate our evaluation community. We're also asking members to have their say on what matters most. From the future of AES membership to what quality evaluation looks like and the responsible use of AI in evaluation, there are several opportunities to share your perspectives and help shape what's next. In this edition, meet our latest AES Voices, explore upcoming workshops and events, and catch up on news and opportunities from across the evaluation community. And don't forget our 2026 AES Annual General Meeting on 11 November, followed by an online conversation on Quality Evaluation That Makes a Difference. 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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Wednesday 11 November 2026 | 1:00pm AEDT | Online via Zoom AES members are invited to attend the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), where we'll reflect on the past year, share key updates and announce the results of the 2026 Board of Directors election. Joining instructions will be emailed to members ahead of the meeting. |
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AES Voices | Meet Patricia, Belinda and Greg! What makes the AES community special? For Greg Masters, Belinda Hendrickson and Patricia von Baumgarten, it's the people, the shared knowledge and the sense of belonging. From mentoring emerging evaluators to finding your people and making evaluation matter, their stories show the value of being part of AES. Read their stories and catch up on more AES Voices |
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| | Last chance to have your say! AES Member Survey closes Friday After six years, we're asking our members what matters most to them, and Friday is your last chance to have your say! We've had a fantastic response so far, and thank you to everyone who has contributed. But we still want to hear from you. What do you value about AES? What could we do better? What do you need from your professional community? Whether you're actively involved or haven't connected with AES for a while, your voice matters. Your feedback will help shape our membership strategy, professional learning and the future of AES. Takes 15 minutes | Closes Friday 30 October 2026 Complete the AES Member Survey Because membership matters. And so does your voice. #AESMembershipMatters |
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| | Following a great discussion at aes26 in Darwin, we’re bringing Quality Evaluation That Makes a Difference online! Join us after the AES AGM to explore what quality evaluation looks like, who defines it, and what it means to make a difference. Wednesday 11 November | 2.00–3.00pm AEDT | Online We’d love to hear your perspectives and help shape this important conversation. Your input will help shape an AES statement on Quality Evaluation that Makes a Difference, for consideration by the AES Board in March 2027. It is important that the statement reflects the views and experience of our members, so we encourage you to have your say! |
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AES is developing a new policy on the Responsible Use of AI in Evaluation, and we want your input! Help shape practical guidance on the ethical, culturally responsive and effective use of AI in evaluation by sharing your experiences, confidence and priorities. The confidential survey takes 10–15 minutes and closes at the end of November. You can also volunteer to join a one-hour focus group to help co-design the policy. Complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/THWXYYJ Questions? Contact projectfeedback@aes.asn.au |
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- Senior Evaluation Consultant, Verian Group
(deadline: 31 October 2026) Project Officer, Evaluation, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
(deadline: 4 November 2026) Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (Identified position), First Nations Legal and
Research Service
(deadline: 9 November 2026) Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Lead - Juukan Gorge Legacy Foundation (deadline: 11 November 2026) MONITORING, EVALUATION, LEARNING AND IMPACT MANAGER,
Community First Development
(deadline: 30 November 2026)
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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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Evaluation professionals are invited to take part in a short anonymous survey exploring how evaluators decide whether to use - or not use - generative AI in their practice. You don’t need to use AI regularly to participate. A wide range of experiences and perspectives are encouraged, including concerns about AI and decisions not to use it. The survey takes approximately 10–20 minutes and is being conducted as part of a research study led by Dr Craig Leth Steensen at Carleton University, Canada. Complete the survey and share your perspective on generative AI in evaluation. Survey link: https://carletonu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6VHUV7g8eoG256e
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Evidence in Action: lessons from evaluation and behavioural insights Join the Australian Centre for Evaluation (ACE) and Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) on 5 November 2026 for an afternoon exploring how evaluation and behavioural insights can contribute to better public policy. The hybrid event will bring together senior leaders, policymakers, practitioners and researchers to share practical lessons from across government and Australian and international perspectives on using evidence to inform policy design, implementation and decision-making. Speakers include Professor Dean Karlan and senior Australian public sector leaders. Thursday 5 November, 1.30–5.00 pm | Canberra and online Register for Evidence in Action |
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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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Systems in Action Webinar: A Half-Day Practical Showcase of Mapping, Modelling and Making Sense of Complexity How can systems approaches help us make better decisions when the challenges we face are complex, interconnected and constantly changing? Join the Sax Institute and practitioners from across Australia on Tuesday 10 November for Systems in Action: Mapping, Modelling and Making Sense of Complexity. Through a series of real-world case studies, presenters will explore how systems approaches are being applied to understand complexity, inform policy, redesign programs, improve services and support better decisions. Rather than focusing on theory, the event will explore what systems approaches look like in practice – including why different methods were chosen, what was learned and what others can take from the experience. The event is designed for policymakers, service leaders, commissioners, program managers, researchers, evaluators and others working with complex challenges. Join for the full event, or drop into the sessions most relevant to your work. For more information and to register use the link here. |
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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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Clear Horizon Academy offerings Make your next step in MEL a practical one. Whether you want to strengthen your foundations, tackle a new evaluation challenge or deepen your practice, Clear Horizon Academy offers flexible courses grounded in real-world experience. Learn at your own pace, connect with peers and access expert coaching along the way. AES members receive 15% off with the code “AES15”. AI Masterclass Series (25 November and 10 February, 2x 2-hour sessions)
Join us for two practical sessions on Human-Centred AI Essentials and Build your AI Assistant for Evaluation led by Ethel Karskens. Book today to secure your place. Free webinar series: What’s Emerging? Conversations on systems transformation with Jess Dart and Emily Gates (4 Nov | 9 Dec | 27 Jan)
Each session starts with a provocation and unfolds through conversation, reflection and shared sense-making to explore the ideas Jess and Emily are wrestling with, the patterns they're noticing, and the questions they believe matter for the future of evaluating systems transformation. ➡ Register here Check out the 2027 course program now released and includes: |
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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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