The Center for Evaluation (CEval) was delighted to participate in the European Evaluation Society (EES) Conference 2024, which took place from September 23-27 in Rimini, Italy. The conference, themed “Better Together: Collaborative Thought and Action for Better Evaluation,” brought together evaluation professionals from around the world to share insights and explore the latest developments in the field. CEval’s contributions, comprise of two sessions, reflected our dedication to promoting collaborative thinking across sectors.
The first session with CEval’s involvement was a lively fishbowl dialogue moderated by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Stockmann, Director of the Center for Evaluation and founder of CEval GmbH, on the topic “Is Academic Training Necessary for the Professionalization of Evaluation?” on 25th September. The discussion focused on the increasing demand for qualified evaluators and the role of formal academic training in meeting this demand. Participants explored different paths to professionalization, including academic degrees, certifications, and on-the-job learning.
The session underscored the pros and cons of diverse training approaches while also inviting discussion on the extent to which academic qualifications are essential for ensuring high-quality evaluations and how academic training contributed to institutionalizing national M&E systems and creating better evaluations in general.
Other respected speakers included Dr. Maya Vijayaraghavan, an experienced economist and evaluator, Prof. Juan Andrés Ligero Lasa, a sociology professor at Carlos III University, and Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya, the past President of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association.
Another engaging session was a thought-provoking session led by Prof. Stockmann, titled “Driving and Hindering Forces of the Institutionalization of Evaluation in a Global Perspective,” on 27th September. Prof. Stockmann shared findings from a large-scale research project that began in 2016. This project, which examined the institutionalization of evaluation in 52 case stories worldwide, offered valuable insights into the political, social, and professional forces that influence the adoption and practice of evaluation worldwide.
Panelist were authors representing all four voules of the book series: Brad Astbury, Associate Professor of Health Systems Evaluation at the University of Melbourne and writer of the Australia chapter in the Asia-Pacific volume, Erica Melloni, a research fellow at the Politecnico di Milano and author of the Italy chapter in the Europe volume, Dr. Taku Chirau, Deputy Director at CLEAR AA/ Wits University and authors on the chapter covering CLEAR-AA’s contribution to the institutionalization of Evaluation in Africa, and Dr. Stewart I. Donaldson, PhD, Distinguished University Professor, Executive Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC) and author of the US chapter in the Americas volume, and contributed to multiple chapters in the Asia Pacific volume: Sri Lanka, Nepal, Philippines, Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya, the past President of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association.
The session was moderated by Tanja Stockmann, a young Evaluator at CEval GmbH, and coordinator of the book series. The session sparked engaging discussions on how different regions can strengthen their evaluation systems by learning from these global examples.
