Date and time: Friday 30 May 2025, 1.00pm - 2.00pm NZST
Topic: Help! I'm doing an impact evalaution: What evidence do I need?
Presenter: Scott Bayley | Scott Bayley Evaluation Services
Venue: Via Zoom. Details will be emailed to registrants just prior to the start time
Register online by: 29 May 2025

Event overview:

Over the past 15 years, the evaluation field has actively debated RCTs and the “gold standard.” Since method choices depend heavily on context—such as programme type, maturity, and data availability—these debates offer only partial guidance. A more practical approach is to focus on the evidentiary criteria needed to assess causal impact. This session offers a brief overview of causal analysis principles and links them to common evaluation models. Participants will explore a framework built around four core evidentiary criteria, with real-world examples. In this session, participants will: discover a fresh perspective on impact evaluation; learn the key evidentiary requirements for causal inference and strengthen their ability to plan or assess impact evaluations effectively.

Presenter details:

Scott Bayley is a Fellow of the Australian Evaluation Society with over 30 years’ experience in evaluation. He has held senior roles with Oxford Policy Management, DFAT, the Asian Development Bank, and the Victorian Department of Human Services. He has also advised the UN Secretariat, UNICEF, and the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation. Scott has authored 70+ evaluation reports across sectors including international development, health, education, Indigenous affairs, and governance. His expertise includes theories of change, results frameworks, impact evaluation, capacity building, and leveraging performance feedback for continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement.

This is a free event organised & hosted by the New Zealand 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.

This session will added to our YouTube channel approximately 4 weeks after it's recorded. Please subscribe to ensure you are notified when a new video is added.  

Seminar start times:

• New Zealand: 1.00pm

• VIC, NSW, ACT, TAS, QLD: 11.00am

• SA, NT: 10.30am

• WA: 9.00am

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.