The Center for Evaluation (CEval) was delighted to participate in the European Evaluation Society (EES) Conference 2024, featuring our esteemed book authors: Professor Stewart I. Donaldson, Dr. Erica Melloni, Professor Brad Astbury, Dr. Taku Chirau, and Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya, alongside Tanja Stockmann (M.A.), Professor Reinhard Stockmann (from left to right).
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 reflected our dedication to advancing evaluation standards and promoting collaborative thinking across sectors and continents.
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 whether academic training is essential for the professionalization of evaluation, the assurance of high evaluation quality, and the institutionalization of evaluation systems. Participants, representing both evaluation commissioners and academic institutions, explored different paths to professionalization, including academic degrees, certifications, and on-the-job learning, highlighting the merits and demerits of various training approaches while also inviting discussion on the extent to which academic qualifications are essential for establishing evaluation as a recognized profession. Other respected speakers included Dr. Maya Vijayaraghavan, an experienced economist and evaluator who advises on evaluation methods and leads innovation initiatives at the Independent Evaluation Department of the Asian Development Bank; Prof. Juan Andrés Ligero Lasa, a sociology professor at Carlos III University; Marco Segone, Director of the UNFPA Independent Evaluation Office; and Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya, director of the Center for Evaluation at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the past President of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association.
Additionally, many audience members joined the fishbowl discussion by taking a seat and adding fresh ideas and energy to the conversation—participation that was greatly appreciated.
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 50 country case studies worldwide and 10 on transnational organizations and networks, offered valuable insights into the political, social, and professional forces that influence the adoption, practice, and use of evaluation worldwide.
Panelist were authors representing all four volumes 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, past president of the Italian Evaluation Society, 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; Dr. Stewart I. Donaldson, PhD, Distinguished University Professor and Executive Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC), past president of the American Evaluation Association and author of the US chapter in the Americas volume; as well as Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya, director of the Center for Evaluation at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and past President of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association and contributor to the chapters on the Philippines, Nepal and Sri Lanka shared valuable input from their countries’ experiences.
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 and learn from global examples.
