Date and time: Friday 25 October 2024, 12.00 - 1.30pm AEDT
Topic: Systems Conversations from Rimini
Presenters: Anne Stephens, Jill Thomas, and Susan Garner
Facilitator: Julie Elliott, AES Systems SIG 
Presenter organisations: 
Venue: Via Zoom. Details will be emailed to registrants just prior to the start time
Register online by: Thursday 24 November 2024

Event overview

At the 15th European Evaluation Society's Biennial Conference in Rimini, Italy (23-27 September), evaluation experts from around the globe explored the power of collective action in evaluation. Now, we’re bringing the conversation home featuring AES Systems SIG members who are pushing the boundaries of evaluation through systemic thinking.
Join us as we delve into recent breakthroughs in using a systems lens to tackle complex challenges in evaluation. Our speakers will share the responses their innovative tools received, and the fresh insights sparked by other experts working on the cutting edge of evaluation.
This is an unmissable opportunity to explore how systemic thinking is revolutionizing the field of evaluation and to hear first-hand from practitioners at the forefront of this movement.

Speaker presentations 

Anne Stephens and Jill Thomas (with Dr. Ellen Lewis, Ms. Jill Thomas, and Dr. Juanita Bernala) presented the thought-provoking workshop: Responding to Wicked Problems with Systemic Evaluation. Their workshop highlighted how wicked problems, which arise from social-ecological systems, demand a more nuanced approach. By applying a systemic thinking lens, they unpacked how this approach can better account for the complexity, continuous change, and countless variables inherent in these problems—and perhaps, their solutions.

Susan Garner (with Kirsten Bording-Collins and the B’Hart team) delivered a powerful presentation on Applying Systems Thinking and Tools to Underpin a Developmental Evaluation Approach to Monitoring Progress and Evaluating Transformational Change in Australia’s Disability Services System. They illustrated how systems thinking, outcome mapping, and human rights-based practice are reshaping the delivery of disability services in Australia. B-Hart, a social enterprise founded in early 2023, is leading this transformation by advancing a practice model that puts human rights at its core

Presenter details

Dr Anne Stephens, (PhD, MBA) is a sociologist and evaluator and the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Ethos of Engagement Consulting. Anne is the Vice President of the Australian Evaluation Society and has served on their board since 2021. Anne is a qualified teacher, lecturer and researcher. She is author of one book and has over 60+ journal articles, reports and conference papers, has presented at dozens of conferences and lectured at two Australian Universities in a career spanning nearly 30 years. Anne has worked for the Queensland and Victorian governments, UN Women and Australian and International NGOs as an evaluation consultant. She is presently an M&E manager with the Australian Pacific Labour Facility which overseas the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Program. She was also the co-lead of a year-long project to produce a Guidebook for the ASEAN on gendersensitive and victim-led responses to Trafficking in Persons. This work, in which this proposal is based, involved the development of an M&E System using the techniques of applied Inclusive Systemic Thinking, an approach to systems thinking developed by Anne and Ellen Lewis.

Jill Thomas is a senior consultant evaluator and analyst with experience spanning international development (counter people trafficking), mainstream and indigenous health care, gender equity, research and higher education. She is curious, observant and has excellent critical thinking, analytical, problem solving and evaluative skills. As both an evaluator and systems analyst, Jill has significant experience in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation frameworks, projects and organisational systems to enable timely, credible and evidence-based solutions and decision making. Jill has experience in organisations that set policies, determine priorities and allocate funding, as well as those delivering services who seek to understand community needs and program impacts. Jill is also involved in evaluation capacity building projects and is Chair of the Australian Evaluation Society Pathways Committee. Jill has a Masters of Evaluation, a Masters of Business Information Systems and Bachelor of Education and is Chairperson of the Pathways Committee for the Australasian Evaluation Society and an honorary fellow with the Centre for Program Evaluation at the University of Melbourne. Jill is based in Victoria, Australia and is a committed environmental conservationist working with local volunteer groups protection and restoration of native landscapes.

Susan Garner - evaluator - applying systems thinking and outcome mapping to B-Hart to support monitoring and evaluation of systems change. Susan (susanjgarner.com) has 30 years of evaluation experience, a deep interest in improving evaluation practice, and in applying a systems lens that is complexity-sensitive, participatory and supports evidence-based decision making

This is a special event organised by the AES Systems Special Interest Group. AES free events provide 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.

This seminar will be recorded and available on the AES YouTube channel approximately four weeks after the date. We suggest you subscribe to the AES YouTube channel to be notified when new recordings are added. 

• VIC, NSW, ACT, TAS: 12.00pm

• QLD: 11.00am

• SA: 11.30am

• NT: 10.30am

• WA: 9.00am

• New Zealand: 2.00pm

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

Please ensure you have access to your email address just prior to the start time to access Zoom details. Please also check your email address is correct on your registration form before submitting. Thanks.