Date and time: Thursday 26 March 2026, 4.00pm-5.30pm AEDT
Topic: NSW Panel Session: Trust in evaluation: What it is, why you need it and how to build it
Location: online via Zoom, details will be shared just prior to the event
Presenters: George Argyrous, Faye Forbes, Sandra Butoto and Brian Keogh, facilitated by Amy Vassallo and Laura Baker
Register online by: 25 March 2026

Event description:
Join our panel exploration of trust – a topic that’s integral for longstanding relationships and impactful evaluations.

Through a facilitated discussion our panelists will explore some critical topics around trust, such as:

• What is (and isn't) trust

• What is the role of trust in evaluation

• How do you recognise when trust isn’t there, and what are the consequences

• How do you build trust across different circumstances and with diverse partners, individuals, institutions and communities

Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions of panel members, share their own experiences of trust and learn from the collective knowledge of the AES community on this important topic.

Presenter details:

Dr George Argyrous

George is a Senior Associate with Rooftop Social and a Social Survey Researcher with the Centre for AI, Trust and Governance at the University of Sydney. He was previously the Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning at the Paul Ramsay Foundation, and has also help academic positions at UTS, UNSW and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. He has worked extensively with government and for-purpose organisations to support the use of evidence in their decision-making and is currently coordinating an international program to measure trust in institutions across 6 countries.

Dr Faye Forbes

Faye is a Research Fellow at The Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR). Her work focuses on equity in work health and safety, and compensation systems, with a particular interest in participatory approaches to engaging migrant and marginalised workers. She leads and collaborates on cross-sector projects that bring together research, community and lived experience perspectives to inform policy and practice.

Brian Keogh

Brian is a strategy, policy and evaluation specialist with over 30 years’ experience in environmental management, water policy and complex program evaluation. He applies systems thinking and mixed‑methods, decision‑focused evaluation to support adaptive management and evidence‑informed strategy, and chairs the AES Systems Evaluation Special Interest Group.

Sandra Butoto

Sandra is the Chief Operating Officer of UGEAFI, a community-based development organisation working in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. In her role, Sandra oversees organisational operations across multiple programs, leading implementation, monitoring, and partnerships that support community-driven development.

If this panel is recorded, it will be available on the member portal only.

This free event has been organised by the NSW Regional Network of the AES. 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. 

Session start times:

• VIC, NSW, ACT, TAS: 4.00pm

• QLD: 3.00pm

• NT: 2.30pm

• SA: 3.30pm

• WA: 1.00pm

• New Zealand: 6.00pm

For other time zones please go to https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Please ensure you have access to your email address to receive the zoom details. Please also check your email address is correct on your registration form before submitting.