Date and time: Thursday 22 October 2026, 8.00am - 9.00am AEDT 
Topic: Canberra coffee and conversation: Reflections from the aes26 conference
Venue: La Veera Cafe, 9 Lyons Place, Lyons 2606
Hosts: Ruth Nicholls | Australian Centre for Evaluation, Martina Donkers | Martina Donkers, John Stoney | Department of Social Services and Sam Mayes | Australian National University
Register online by: 20 October 2026

Event description

Didn't make it to Darwin? Or did, and still have things to think through? Join members of the AES Canberra Regional Committee for an informal breakfast catch-up to share reflections, insights and learnings from the aes26 International Evaluation Conference.
This year's theme, Making Space, Valuing Place, prompted rich conversations about evaluation on Country, systems change, ethics, and how evidence actually gets used. Committee members who attended will share what stood out for them, and there will be plenty of time for discussion, questions and comparing notes.
Keynote highlights we'll touch on include:
Dr Robyn Ober (Batchelor Institute) opened the conference with a call for evaluators and commissioners to get comfortable with discomfort, drawing on three decades of work in Aboriginal communities.
Dr Lígia Teixeira (Centre for Homelessness Impact, UK) made the case for reclaiming evaluation as a means to an end, using a systems lens to turn evidence into real impact.
Emmanuel Jimenez (Asian Development Bank) reflected on putting money where the evidence is, and on balancing accountability and learning in a resource-constrained world.
Selwyn Button (Productivity Commission) explored how good evaluation can move beyond dashboards and compliance to genuinely shape policy and practice.
Associate Professor Emily Gates (Boston College) closed the conference with a session on ethical reflexivity when "what's right" is contested in systemic change.

The event will be held in the back room at La Veera cafe, located at the Lyons shops (9 Lyons Place, Lyons, ACT). Enter the cafe and go past the counter and past the kitchen to reach the back room, or tell the staff you’re with the group booking and they will point you in the right direction.

Light refreshments will be provided, more substantial food and drinks can be purchased at your own cost. 

This event has been organised by the ACT 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.

Please check your email address is correct on your registration form before submitting.