Better together: Reflections for EvalForward from Rome-based agencies on the 15th EES Conference

EvalForward EES24
EES2024

From the EvalForward community Better together: Reflections for EvalForward from Rome-based agencies on the 15th EES Conference

3 min.

Last month, evaluation practitioners and users gathered in Rimini for the 15th Biennial Conference of the European Evaluation Society (EES) under the theme of “Better Together 2024: Collaborative Thought and Action for Better Evaluation”. 

Last month, evaluation practitioners and users gathered in Rimini for the 15th Biennial Conference of the European Evaluation Society (EES) under the theme of “Better Together 2024: Collaborative Thought and Action for Better Evaluation”. Colleagues from Rome-based agencies, steering EvalForward, reflected on key takeaways from the conference in strengthening our evaluation practice to better inform learning and decision making. 

©EES24

Takeaway 1: ‘Knowledge is only powerful when shared’ underscores the importance of networks and communities of practice (COP), which must reflect the needs and contexts of their stakeholder, and in collective – help advance evaluation profession. This is especially the case with a wider range of the expertise inside the membership, and when different types of networks talk to each other. Networks and COPs serve as a vehicle to connect and build capacity of the next generation in an increasingly challenging space. Networks, such as EES and IDEAS, and COPs, like EvalForward, allow local evaluators to connect with global experts, to ensure that evaluations are context-specific, while maintaining high quality standards.  The importance of why and how CoPs and networks are set-up is equally as important as how they are managed and evaluated. Reflective exercises and learning through evaluations and reviews, as well as skillful use of Social Network Analysis, helps build evidence on depth and reach of networks. A unique feature of EvalForward is that it brings together practitioners to learn from evaluation evidence.

Takeaway 2: ‘Go to where the people are rather than waiting for them to come to us’ because while evaluation evidence is a powerful tool for learning and to inform decision making, for it to be effectively considered by policy and/or decision makers, we need to better engage in multifaceted sharing. Knowledge management of evaluative evidence on networks and COPs through synthesis and targeted concise thematic knowledge products, such as the joint agency summary “Evidence pathways to gender equality and systems transformation”, is relevant to advocacy efforts.  The integration of knowledge management and communication plays a crucial role in ensuring that evaluative evidence is effectively used by policy makers, but more is needed to strengthen how we visualize and communicate evidence

 

©EES24

Takeaway 3: "The journey of learning never stops!" This dynamic event brought together a diverse community—ranging from seasoned professionals to enthusiastic emerging evaluators—united in the pursuit of knowledge and innovation. Practitioners engaged in enriching discussions and explored the latest methods and evidence to enhance the quality of our work. Several participants highlighted that evaluating interventions in food security, agriculture and climate change within rapidly evolving environments requires continuous learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. Communities of practice, such as Evalforward, can facilitate sharing of experiences and foster collaborations long after the end of the Conference. 

©EES24