AES Alert: 26 November 2025 |
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Dear Visitor As we approach the end of another productive and inspiring year, it’s a wonderful moment to pause, connect and celebrate the achievements of the AES community. Across the country, our Regional Networks are gathering for end-of-year events, creating space to meet new faces, reconnect with colleagues and reflect on the insights and impact we’ve shared throughout 2025. We invite you to browse the upcoming events below and register to join the celebrations. This month also marks an important moment for AES governance and leadership. The AES Board has welcomed new office bearers, bringing fresh perspectives and renewed energy as we continue delivering on our strategic priorities. You can read the full update below, including the appointment of our new President, Kim Grey and changes to key Board roles. Looking ahead, 2026 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for professional learning at the AES. Our refreshed workshop program includes new and expanded offerings across foundational skills, advanced methods, systems thinking, qualitative approaches, evaluation readiness, and emerging areas such as AI in evaluation. 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. |
| The AES Board has recently appointed Kim Grey (pictured) to the role of President for a two-year term. Kim is a long-term member of the AES and has been a consistent contributor to committees and member groups. She recently co-convened the successful Canberra conference and sits on the Policy Strategic Advisory Committee. Kim brings more than three decades of experience across government, academia and consulting, with deep expertise in evaluation practice, organisational governance and the broader public policy ecosystem. In accepting the role, Kim said, “I’m really looking forward to working with our talented and committed community, as we work together to strengthen evaluation.” Kim brings a fresh perspective to the presidency as we work to deliver the new strategy. In other Board news, the Board has appointed Andrew Hawkins as Vice-President and Lee-Anne Molony as Treasurer. Following this year’s ballot, the Board now has a balanced mix of new and continuing members. You can read more about the Board HERE.
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| Set yourself up for a great 2026: join the EvaluAdd buddying program! The EvaluAdd program pairs buddies with ‘EvaluAdders’, with the goal of developing participants’ evaluation skills and capabilities. Evaluadders and buddies meet informally, according to their own schedule. Check out more about the program, timings and find the EOI forms here. You can also read about an EvaluAdder and buddy experience on the AES blog.
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We’re excited to share the first story in our new series, AES Voices - celebrating the people who make the AES such a vibrant and thoughtful community.
Meet Dr Caitlin Morton, an AES member who was “voluntold” to join and the winner of the 2025 Emerging New Talent Award. Read it in full here.
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Through AES VOICES, we’ll share short profiles of AES members across LinkedIn and other channels, showcasing the diversity, passion and impact of people working in evaluation and related fields. We’d love to hear your story! Whether you’re an evaluator, policy professional, researcher, educator, or someone who believes in the power of learning and evidence to make a difference, your voice can inspire others to connect, learn, and join the AES community. Why take part?- Share your AES story in your own words
- Inspire others to connect and learn
- Showcase your journey and strengthen your connections within the AES community
- Help grow our community of practice
Participation is easy:- Complete a short Q&A (we’ll provide prompts)
- Send us a photo
- Approve your profile before it’s shared
Express your interest by emailing aes@aes.asn.au |
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December 2025 February 2026 March 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 Masterclases with Policy Performance | Evaluation Skills Masterclass: Conducting Surveys (Free) Thursday 27 November 2025, 12:30pm to 1:30pm AEDT via Teams Facilitator: Charlie Tulloch, Director, Policy Performance Registration: Click the link below to register for free. Masterclass link will be emailed to registrants prior to the session. Registration Form | 2025 Policy Performance This free lunchtime discussion will share Policy Performance’s insights into preparing for and conducting evaluative surveys. It will discuss survey purpose, mode, sample and question design. It will consider the usefulness of surveys for qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. This Masterclass is targeted at anybody interested in reflecting on their survey skills. |
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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…". |
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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.
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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). Systems Transformation: Strategy and Evaluation | starts 13 March – This course has been developed to help changemakers and evaluators who are working to transform complex societal systems in the pursuit of a just, sustainable, and equitable world. This work goes beyond surface-level fixes and aims to shift the very structures, mindsets, and dynamics that shape social, economic, and environmental realities. In this course we explore how to develop strategy and evaluate progress while constantly learning. The content dives deep into the nature of systems transformation work, exploring what it truly means to change a system and the implications for strategy and evaluation in this context. The learning is grounded in real-world case studies, cutting-edge frameworks, and the experience of systems transformation leaders supported by a strong network of thinkers, academics, evaluators and practitioners. Importantly, you will learn the inner practices and mindsets required to navigate the inherent complexities and uncertainties of this vital work both as an evaluator and strategist.
Complete Guide to Measurement, Evaluation and Learning | starts 27 March – This course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and the tools to effectively build and implement your measurement, evaluation and learning plan for your program to help you create maximum impact. MEL provides critical evidence and insights that can drive strategic decision-making and ongoing improvement, meaning greater impact and value for money for your initiative. Throughout the learning modules, you will explore how to scope, design, and implement a tailored approach to MEL for your context. We’ll peel the onion layer by layer. First, we unpack your theory of change – this will help you get super clear about how your activities will lead to outcomes. Next, we look at how to wrap a measurement framework around this. Then address some of the bigger questions – that’s the E in MEL. Finally, we look into how to visualise, learn and adapt throughout your MEL journey and take your teams and/or community along with you. MEL at Clear Horizon is guided by a set of 10 co-developed principles. This will help you place learning at the heart of measurement and pay attention to equity. The unique focus is on how measurement systems can feed real-time learning to enable you to create deeper and more equitable impact.
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. |
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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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