Date and time: Friday 2 June, 7.30am arrival, 8.00am sharp start - 10.00am 
Topic: Breakfast networking event – The role of evaluation in the APS reform agenda
Location: Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600 
Presenters: Dr Russell Ayres, Suzanne Butler, Harry Greenwell, Wendy Jarvie, Professor Janine O’Flynn 
Register online by: 9.00am Monday 29 June 2023
Fees: $60.00 AES members, $75.00 organisational members, $90.00 non-members (price includes plated breakfast)

Event Description: 

The need to know about the impact of policy and programs is an enduring challenge in government. While we recognise the importance of ‘looking back’ to establish what has worked - this is in tension with the need to ‘look forward’ and respond quickly to emerging change and a dynamic environment. Getting the balance right is an essential part of the stewardship role of the public service.

Our panel of experts in evaluation and public administration will discuss the multiple purposes of evaluation and in particular, whether a focus on impact evaluation, while clearly worthwhile, presents both risks and possibilities.

At this face-to-face event we will hear debate about the importance of integrating evaluation into the policy making process, to help build stronger policy-making and implementation capability. This will be followed by an interactive and guided Q&A segment.

Please join us over networking breakfast to consider … Is it enough to build in evaluation and undertake technically sound evaluation studies? Or can evaluation become an asset in strengthening administration and public trust in government?

About the Presenters

Dr Russell Ayres is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra and a former senior public servant and public policy consultant. He has overseen evaluation and research functions within the Commonwealth government and teaches public policy and evaluation in graduate programs at several universities.

Suzanne Butler works at the Australian Government Department of Finance and has most recently led the development, design and implementation of the Commonwealth Evaluation Policy and Toolkit, which was implemented in response to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service. Suzanne has over 20 years’ experience leading public sector reform initiatives in the Commonwealth and previously held various roles in the private sector.

Harry Greenwell works at the Australian Treasury where he leads the Department’s work on evaluation. He was previously head of the Trial Design and Evaluation Unit at the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA). Outside of work, Harry has a keen interest in effective altruism and enjoys playing ultimate frisbee.

Wendy Jarvie is a former APS Deputy Secretary and currently Adjunct Professor at the Public Service Research Group at the University of NSW Canberra.  She has had a long career in evaluation. This has included managing evaluation functions in employment and education departments and in the World Bank in Washington DC. She spent eight years as a member of DFAT’s  Independent Evaluation Committee for Australian Aid (2012-2020) and four years on NIAA’s Indigenous Evaluation Committee (2018-2022).

Professor Janine O’Flynn, Director of the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, is an expert in public administration and management. She has advised governments around the world in designing effective performance management systems and in collaborative approaches to policy design and implementation. She is a Fellow of the US National Academy of Public Administration and the Institute of Public Administration Australia. Janine is an award-winning researcher and educator, and is committed to better understanding how government works, and contributing to improving outcomes.

Due to the nature of this event, there are no refunds available. You can transfer your ticket free of charge, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Full payment must be made within 5 business days of the event.

This 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.