Date and time: Wednesday 1 November, 8.30am - 9.30am AEDT
Topic: Post-AES23 Reflection: Finding new lenses or reinforcing old views?
Location: Proximity Consulting, Level 2/ 55 Blackall St, Barton
Presenters: Kim Grey, Ruth Nicholls, Julie Elliott and Sam Mayes
Register online by: 30 October 2023

Event Description: 

Why did some conference attendees report acquiring new lenses to view reality in a new way and recalibrate their professional worldview, when others report having their views already held confirmed, validated or reinforced? How inspired, transformed or connected did participants feel as a result of attending the conference?

At the Australian Evaluation Society's 2023 International Evaluation Conference, we explored the theme 'Through the Lens,' delving into how evaluation theory and practice is shaped by our perspectives. This exploration empowered evaluation practitioners and those who work at the edges of evaluation to courageously share diverse worldviews that enrich their practice. The expectation was that by coming together to share what and how we see through our different lenses, we would discover new sense-making opportunities and pathways that we may never uncover on our own. In moving beyond our foundations, we are learning to flexibly adapt our lenses and guide others in doing the same.

Join us in this interactive, thought-provoking session as we further unravel the themes of AES23. Together, we'll compare our different experiences of the conference and key take away messages. Then we will explore how we can utilise our various lenses to embrace the future of evaluation practice. We want to step back together and reflect what this might imply for how the evaluation field unfolds into the future.

The thought provoking insights from our distinguished keynote speakers will provide a useful framing for our reflections:
Maggie Walter, Distinguished Professor of Sociology (Emeritus), University of Tasmania, ‘Evaluation and the Indigenous Lifeworld: Whose purpose, whose logic and whose reality?’
Michael Drummond, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK ‘From “priceless” health to impactful economic evaluation: negotiating values friction for better decision making’.
Donna Mertens, Professor Emeritus, Department of Education, Gallaudet University, USA ‘Building the transformative impact of evaluation’.
Katherine Trebeck, Advisor to the Next Economy, UK. ‘Can changing the lens change the world?’
Hon. Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Competitions, Charities and Treasury; Assistant Minister for Employment. ‘Evaluation through different lenses: perspectives on how evaluation can make a difference’.

Numbers are limited please only register if you plan to attend.

About the Presenters

Kim Grey, Ruth Nicholls, Julie Elliott and Sam Mayes are members of the ACT Committee of the AES.

This interactive breakfast session is for ACT based AES members and others who either attended the conference or didn’t but are curious about what happened. We look forward to welcoming you to an enlightening discussion that promises to expand your evaluation horizons. This free event has been organised by the AES Canberra Regional Network. Our seminar series provides an opportunity for you to meet with AES members and others in the evaluation community and to share and learn from the experiences of fellow evaluators.