Frequently Asked Questions

Why were the Awards established?

The AES set up the Awards to:

• motivate people to come into and stay in the field of evaluation
• promote the use of evaluation for positive impact and social good, for example supporting positive outcomes for Indigenous communities
• promote advances in the field of evaluation.

Why would I be interested in the Awards?

Applying for an Award is a chance to:

• have your practice reviewed and recognised by peers
• increase the reach or profile of your work.

How would I know whether my practice is excellent practice?

Have a look at prior recipients of Awards.

From 2021 onwards, Award recipients will be asked to present at AES monthly seminars, write articles and feature in videos explaining critical elements of their practice.

What would be my responsibilities if I received an Award?

Recipients are encouraged to share their knowledge and experience through the society forums including monthly seminars, professional development workshops, conferences, EJA, and the AES website.

Am I eligible for an Award?

You are eligible to nominate for an Award if you have been a member of the AES for at least 12 months.

Exceptions to this requirement are:

• a nominee for the Emerging New Talent Award must have been a member at the time of nomination but is exempt from the 12-month minimum membership requirement
• in the case of a group nomination, at least one nominee must meet the 12-month minimum membership requirement
• for the Evaluation Journal of Australasia Publication Award and in the case of joint authorship of the Evaluation Journal of Australasia article at least one of the authors must meet the 12-month minimum membership requirement.

What kinds of evaluative work is eligible for an Award?

The AES Awards generally recognise contemporary evaluation work. Nevertheless, some Award nominations may be dependent on the passage of time to demonstrate their overall worth. This is particularly likely for the Evaluation Systems Award and the Award for Enhancing the Social Good. There is no retrospective time limit on nominations, but the AES Awards and Recognition Working Group is particularly interested in more recent examples of best practice in evaluation and in the continuing significance of an individual’s contributions to evaluation.

Work-in-progress is ineligible for AES Awards.

What is the best type of evidence I should include to support the nomination?

You should include outputs that demonstrate the claims made in the nomination. For example; an evaluation report, literature review, findings infographic, findings presentation, or a supportive letter from the commissioner or community.

What is the best way for me to construct a successful nomination?

• Make sure your nomination is complete. A complete nomination must include: a completed nomination form (online), a signed authorisation form, a 7-page summary explanation addressing all four criteria and relevant excellence attributes, and links to supporting evidence.
• Make sure you respond to the criteria in the nomination.
• Make sure you include links to any supporting evidence such as evaluation reports.
• Make sure your nomination is supported by the evaluation commissioner.

Who is involved in assessing nominations?

Assessments are led by members of the AES Awards and Recognition Working Group (ARWG). For the Indigenous Evaluation Award, assessments are conducted by a panel of Indigenous peers. See here for details of the ARWG.

What if I’m not sure of which category to nominate for?

You can speak with the ARWG chair, Farida Fleming, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Do you always make an Award?

Awards are only made when nominations meet the criteria for the Award.

What are the Award criteria?

The Awards are assessed using four criteria:

1. Professionalism
2. Ethical conduct
3. Excellence of the evaluation work
4. Award specific sub-criteria.

The first two criteria – professionalism and ethical conduct – mainly apply to the role of the evaluator and/or the evaluation team and must be clearly demonstrated. The principle of excellence and award specific sub-criteria are mainly concerned with evaluation practice, theory and products. Excellence is assessed on a scale against the attributes relevant to the category of Award. Award specific sub-criteria apply to the Indigenous Evaluation Award and the Evaluation Journal of Australasia Publications Award. See here for details.

I want to talk to someone about the Awards, who is the best contact?

You can contact the ARWG Chair, Farida Fleming, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..