Workshop: Work Smarter, Not Harder: An automation toolkit primer for evaluators

Date and time: Wednesday 29 July and Wednesday 5 August 2026, 10.00am - 1.00pm AEST (registration from 9.45am). Registrants are to attend both sessions. (full day workshop - 2 sessions)

Venue: Via Zoom. Details will be emailed to registrants just prior to the workshop start time

Facilitator: Anita Goldsworthy

Register online by: 28 July 2026. Spaces limited to 25 participants

Fees (GST inclusive): Members $375.00, AES Organisational member staff $505.00, Non-members $589.00, Student member $179.00, Student non-member $275.00* *Students must send proof of their full-time student status to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please note the attendee requirements:

• Access to any Large Language Model (LLM); free versions are acceptable.
• Access to Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
• Beneficial but not required: Microsoft Outlook, Power BI Desktop, Power Automate, and an LLM with agent-building capabilities

Workshop Overview

Evaluation is increasingly data-heavy and fast-paced, often leaving evaluators buried in administrative "drudge work" - manual data entry, preparing status updates, and drafting reports. This practical, hands-on workshop equips evaluators with specific digital tools to streamline these workflows and free up cognitive load.
We move beyond theory and straight into the "how-to" of modern efficiency. We’ll explore tools that handle administrative overhead, allowing evaluators to focus their mental energy on synthesis, strategic work, and high-impact stakeholder engagement.

Workshop Content

As an educator-led session, this workshop focuses on bridging the gap between complex tools and practical application. You'll get practical experience in:

• AI-powered Admin: Creating custom AI prompts (and agents) to draft project updates, synthesise information, and improve communications. This includes effective "managing-up" emails.

• Dynamic Data Visualisation: Using Excel or Google Sheets to transform raw data into automated visualisations and summary statistics (plus a primer on the advanced capabilities of Power BI).

• Workflow Integration Taster: A brief look at how Power Automate connects everyday apps like Outlook and Teams, significantly reducing admin overhead.

Workshop Objectives

By the end of the session, you'll walk away with downloadable templates and the knowledge to:  

• Develop a library of AI prompts and agents that help with tasks like writing for a specific audience or template, navigating nuanced communications, critiquing documents and presentations, and basic data analysis.

• Understand some of the ethical and security implications for using AI in your work.

• Build a dynamic spreadsheet that generates graphs, calculates statistics, and highlights trends directly from raw data.

• Understand how workflow automation can be used in tools as simple as Microsoft Outlook – and as complex as Power Automate – to trigger actions that reduce administrative overhead.

You'll finish the session with templates and prompts you can apply straight away to work smarter.

PL competencies

This workshop aligns with competencies in the AES Evaluator’s Professional Learning Competency Framework. The identified domains are:

• Domain 4 – Research methods and systematic inquiry

• Domain 5 – Project management

Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for professionals who want to spend less time on manual tasks and more time on actual evaluation.  It is an ideal session for anyone wanting to learn how common tools can do the heavy lifting for them – from AI to automated visualisation and workflow tools. It will benefit evaluators looking for accessible ways to leverage technology without needing a background in IT. Ultimately, it is for professionals who want to clear their desks of administrative distractions so they can free up their time and energy for high-impact evaluation activities.

Workshop start times

• VIC, NSW, ACT, TAS, QLD: 10.00am

• SA, NT: 9.30am

• WA: 8.00am

• New Zealand: 12.00pm

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

About the facilitator

Anita Goldsworthy is a Consumer Insights Specialist who transforms complex data into interactive dashboards and clear stories. With over five years in Evaluation and Insights, and over a decade in the Education industry, she focuses on making automation practical.

Anita designs automated systems to streamline workflows using the Google and Microsoft ecosystems. Her technical foundation includes formal training in research methods, statistics, the Microsoft Power Platform, Python, and Google Workspace. This means the "shortcuts" she shares are proven and grounded in robust theoretical knowledge. She champions efficient workflows to help teams navigate organisational complexity, freeing up time to focus on deeper, high-value analysis.

Anita enjoys bridging the gap between technical tools and everyday application. As an experienced VIT-registered teacher and Educational Leader, her facilitation style is grounded in educational theory. She teaches complex digital tools by carefully scaffolding content to prevent "tech-anxiety". Anita specialises in delivering practical shortcuts that participants can apply immediately to their own projects.