Board ballot

My name is Matt Healey and I am nominating for a position on the Board of Directors for the Australian Evaluation Society. With a new strategic plan comes a chance for refreshed priorities and actions, and this is where I believe that I can support the sector, and the aims of the AES. 

For me, these opportunities include opportunities in relation to the ongoing forms / offerings of professional development and growth; linkages with aligned sectors that draw on evaluative practice; and the importance of the value received through membership to be enhanced.

Some of what I can bring to this include:

• Entrepreneurial attitude – I co-founded an evaluation consulting firm in 2015, which now sits at 16 staff operating across two states and three core areas of work. In addition, I co-convene the Design and Evaluation Special Interest Group for the AES to bring in new ideas and thinking.
• Humility – I entered evaluation with absolutely no knowledge of the sector, so I get what it’s like to be an emerging evaluator. Equally, I am very comfortable in what I don’t know, and recognising that there is an opportunity for creating space for others to take ownership and grow.
• Prior work supporting the AES, including:
  • The committee for the 2018 Launceston Conference
  • Co-convening Learning Sprints for the Design SIG three years in a row, and currently leading the Evaluation Lab where evaluators form design teams to tackle evaluation challenges
  • Contributing to the 2024 FestEVAL on AI in evaluation, including leading the Great Debate
  • Program Chair for the 2024 AES Conference.

Beyond all this – I relish a challenge, and I will work with the rest of the Board, and the sector, to ensure that we take the chance with this new strategic plan to light a fire under ourselves and get things done.

In terms of interests in other organisations, I do declare that I am a Co-Founder of First Person Consulting (FPC), which is an evaluation consulting firm.

With an opportunity to continue my place as Director of the AES Board, I hope to bring my knowledge as a First Nations evaluator into the Boardroom.  I recently completed my PhD in Indigenous Evaluation, specifically asking, “What do Aboriginal Peoples think is important when evaluating projects and programs that impact their lives?”.  This is research that I can freely share and explore with other Board members.

I have been fortunate to be involved in the Board’s process of settling on the AES current values and I would welcome the opportunity to continue building the ways we bring those values to life within the AES community.  I would support the Board's mission and vision. A strong Board benefits the community it serves.

I have been an active member of the AES since I first took a role in evaluation at ARTD consultants in 2008. I am a current member of the Relationships Committee; was a member of the NSW Committee from 2017–2023 – facilitating sessions and introducing innovations, such as Open Space sessions in which members could collaboratively work on common challenges; co-convened the conference in Sydney in 2019; co-facilitated the inaugural FestEval in 2020; was a member of the inaugural blog editorial committee; and have regularly presented at conferences.

As an appointed member of the Board since May 2023, I have supported the development of the new Strategic Plan – with a focus on delivering value for members, strengthening AES’s leadership role and our outward focus at this important time for evaluation. I am now keen to proactively support the implementation of the Strategy as a board member.

As a Board member, I bring:

• a strong understanding of the evaluation sector and the value that the AES can provide for emerging and experienced evaluator members, as well as opportunities to strengthen this value, and a commitment to delivering on these
• skills in strategy formulation from my work with various organisations to develop and measure their strategies
• a strong understanding of governance and financial literacy through my role as a company Director and CEO at ARTD Consultants
• facilitation and teamwork skills through my professional work and involvement in various AES committees.

In my work at ARTD and as an AES member, I have demonstrated my commitment to the AES vision of quality evaluation that makes a difference and to the AES values. I have actively worked to support diversity and inclusion and recognition of the critical role of lived experience in evaluation, recruiting lived experience team members for projects and co-developing an approach that meaningfully embeds lived experience throughout an evaluation. See https://www.artd.com.au/news/working-with-lived-experience-researchers-a-practical-framework/. I have also worked to support evaluation use in my practice and through my Master’s dissertation on evaluation use, publishing the results in the Evaluation Journal of Australia (see https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1035719X1701700404?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.6 ), and presenting the learnings. 

Over the last 30 years, I have strongly advocated for sound evaluation practices and have fostered an understanding of the critical contribution that evaluation plays in improving the services and outcomes for people in need and the community as a whole.

I have ten-years experience in running a not-for-profit organisation and decades in public sector roles in strategic policy, quality standards, research and evaluation, which includes designing, procuring and managing complex evaluations of strategies, policies and programs. Content areas have mostly been in the human services, including child protection, justice, housing, family services, education and health. My skillset includes stakeholder engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, evaluation training and mentoring, developing data systems, writing, critical analysis and synthesis, concept design, editing and reviewing overall organisational performance. I understand and have experienced the many challenges that evaluators have at every stage of the evaluation process from gaining funds through to publication and utilisation.

I convened the Queensland AES group for five years and during that time co-convened the 2013 AES conference and three innovative workshops jointly held with the Australian Market Research Society.

I value highly, the learning, innovations and connections with colleagues that my long membership of AES has facilitated and continue to be excited by the new practices, ideas and thinking that emerge annually. I continue to promote the move towards more inclusive evaluative practices including the adoption of protocols and frameworks for evaluating programs involving Aboriginal and Torres strait islander people - particularly ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are involved in planning and leading the evaluations.

Having just left full time employment, I am now in a position to offer my skills and experience to support the Board in implementing the new strategic plan.

Marion Norton PhD, B.A., B.Ed, MPPM AES Fellow

Other commitments : Director on the Community Information Support Services board (no renumeration); no current paid work

My name is Di Bakon, and I am pleased to nominate for a position on the Australian Evaluation Society (AES) board. As a proud Gamilaroi woman, I bring a strong interest in integrating Indigenous governance principles, with a deep commitment to Indigenous values, leadership and two-way governance principles in board settings.

With over a decade of board experience at both the community and national levels, I have played an active role in developing strategic plans, driving continuous improvement, and collaborating closely with members to achieve shared goals. My governance experience spans Indigenous and nonIndigenous contexts, which has enriched my understanding of strategic planning, leadership and the importance of inclusion in decision-making processes.

My values align closely with those of AES, particularly in our shared commitment to Inclusion, Relationships, Recognition, and Sustainability. In my previous roles, I have played an active role on board committees, also representing the board and organisation at key stakeholder engagements, including annual general meetings, member network events, conferences, and training workshops. These experiences have equipped me with the skills necessary to positively contribute to the culture of the AES board, organisation, and its membership.

In addition to my board experience, I bring a range of complementary professional experiences and networks in tertiary education, health and government. Within the tertiary education sector, I provide both formal and informal advisory to several universities, I am employed as a sessional academic at the University of Canberra. Within government I am employed in health policy and I am also a student at James Cook University where I pursuing a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Studies. Additionally, I am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and undertaking the AICD company directors course. This is a course of study which I believe will not only complement my existing skills but will enhance my ability to contribute meaningfully to the work of the AES board.

Sincerely Di

I bring exceptional governance and strategy skills to benefit the AES board, as well as hands-on experience conducting 310+ evaluation-related projects. 

I was a sessional corporate governance lecturer for one semester in RMIT University’s MBA-level Corporate Governance course, after I completed my MBA and thesis in Corporate Governance there; I have served on two boards as a non-executive director, also being the Secretary of one and inaugural Audit & Risk Committee Chair of the other; as well as various other committee roles. I have completed the AICD Foundations of Directorship three-day course and will complete the five-day Company Directors course in January 2025.

In those board roles I have played an integral part in shaping and overseeing the implementation of organisational strategy, as well as in my everyday work. I bring strengths in design thinking, problem identification and needs analysis, financial management and analysis, and effective stakeholder relationship management.

In addition I have the hands-on evaluation skills required to have credibility in this role. I have been an evaluator for 13 years, and established and still run Grosvenor’s Victorian evaluation practice. I am currently completing my Masters of Evaluation. I have also previously been a member of the AES’ Victorian Regional Network committee for one year. 

I have two main reasons for nominating; first, my long-term and abiding love for evaluation. I get unduly excited exploring and experimenting with new ideas and approaches, and tailoring these to suit the evaluation contexts I am in. I would love to be a part of Australia’s peak body for evaluation. But the second reason for nominating is that I see a genuine need for the AES to ensure it remains contemporary, both in maintaining and building its position in the evaluation sector, and as a membership-based organisation. My governance and strategy skills will help the AES to ensure it meets its current and future members’ needs, and the needs of the sector, by looking at the AES’ strategic alignment of its functions, activities and plans, and identify and implement any improvement opportunities to keep the AES being ‘great’ rather than being only ‘good’.   

Declaration of other interests:

• member of Executive Leadership Team and employee of Grosvenor (management consultancy firm with evaluation as a key service offering) (paid role). In this role I do occasionally negotiate event and sponsorship arrangements with the AES. To manage any actual or perceived conflicts of interest, I would transfer this role internally to another Grosvenor staff member, so that I would not be negotiating with an organisation I am a non-executive director of
• Chair and member of IPAA Victoria’s Risk Community of Practice (volunteer role).

Tony Kiessler is a proud Central Arrernte man and First Nations evaluator. He brings 20 years of experience working with First Nations communities and organisations in Australia, as well as working extensively in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Tony is an emerging Indigenous leader, holds national representative and advisory roles, and leads research aimed at enhancing the voice of First Nations communities. He is a committed member of the Association through his active roles with the First Nations Committee, as a Board Member and Treasurer of the Society and the aes25 Canberra Conference Committee. Tony has contributed to a range of initiatives to engage and support First Nations evaluators in the AES and improve evaluation practice more broadly, including co-design of the AES First Nations Cultural Safety Framework, Conference Support Grants and developing the AES Organisational Values. Through his nomination for a position on the AES Board, Tony hopes to build on his leadership and stewardship within the AES by underpinning and enabling the organisation’s strong commitment and support for First Nations evaluators, building cultural awareness, and strengthening Indigenous evaluation practice. If re-elected for a second term, he would continue to be a champion for AES strong culture of diversity, inclusion and empowerment.

Supporting AES vision, aims and strategy
I have been a passionate practitioner of ‘quality evaluation that makes a difference’ for more than 18 years. My skills – effective Evaluation Capacity Building, genuinely impactful evaluation and strong relationships leading to exceptional authorising environments for evaluation – can support AES strategy through maintaining focus on the ‘makes a difference’ element of AES’s vision, and I will support and celebrate evaluations that have true positive impact. I also have demonstrated experience in supporting clear professional and career pathways, as outlined in the AES Strategic Plan, supporting emerging evaluators as they come to embrace the profession as an exciting and rewarding career. I have also demonstrated excellence in forging strong relationships with senior public service leaders and other key stakeholders, and I would bring this same approach to AES Board membership.

Why I am nominating
AES has given me so much over my 18 years of experience: A professional community, a sense of purpose in my career, a means for connecting to people who have positively influenced my life’s course, and an incredible collection of friends. As a member of the Board, I want to contribute to AES in providing a similar opportunity to a rapidly growing field of emerging evaluators, and ensure this opportunity is equitably and meaningfully offered across different contexts. I consider the opportunity to serve AES members through a position on the board as one in which I can contribute to the strategic direction of an organisation that has shaped me professionally across 18+ years of my life.

As an evaluator living and working in a regional location (just outside Orange, NSW), I am also keen to support evaluation capacity in regional locations. While there is a small number of evaluators in Orange, for example, there is scarce opportunity for networking and information sharing in locations like mine, or for building evaluation capacity in important regional organisations such as – for example – regional Aboriginal Medical Services and councils. I am a believer in evaluation as an enabler of impact, and want to support regional organisations like these to build their own pathways to impact.

Declaration of interests

• I work for the NSW Public Service as Manager, Evaluation and Data (paid – NSW Department of Education)

• I am Orange Kart Club secretary (unpaid volunteer)

Serving on the AES Board provides a unique opportunity to increase my commitment to evaluation as a sector and profession through its senior leadership team. I have been an AES member since 2016, chair of the Pathways Committee since 2022 and have been an active member of the Mentor Program working group since 2021. I am excited about next steps for the AES in the implementation of the new strategic plan and keen to be part of our continuing sector leadership for quality evaluation practice, as an agile, relevant and dynamic organisation.

I bring to the board member position a strong range of skills, experience and perspectives. In addition to my evaluative skills, I have expertise in strategic and operational planning and delivery, team and committee leadership, governance processes and systems, planning, funding and contract management, project management and coordination. 

I hold a Masters in Evaluation and Business Systems, having worked as a business analyst and evaluator across the commercial, education, health and indigenous not for profit sectors in Melbourne and far north Queensland. My evaluation work includes development and implementation of M & E frameworks, systems and governance, leading evaluation teams, managing evaluation commissioning and evaluation capacity building in local, national and international contexts.

I am experienced in senior leadership roles on professional and volunteer governance groups and understand the fiduciary responsibilities of the position and related governance standards and legislation. Within these roles, I maintain a focus on practical, logical, efficient and ethical decisions and directions to ensure the sustainability of the organisation and maximise its impact.

As a colleague I am known for being considerate, professional, conscientious and collaborative. I enjoy working with multiskilled teams with diverse perspectives and believe my skills and experience would add value to the AES Board. I would be honoured to be considered for the position of ordinary board member.

I have enjoyed the benefits of being an AES member for many years and would like an opportunity to give back, to contribute more to the organisation and the profession. I would also like to support the professional development of a new generation of emerging evaluators.

Evaluation has given me the opportunity to get involved in fascinating work and continuing learning in Australia and internationally. 

Based in Thailand for 12 years I worked throughout Asia in aid effectiveness and the evaluation of international development programs for AusAID, various United Nations agencies, Asian Development Bank, World Bank and various International Non-Government organisations. The transferrable skill sets of evaluation allowed me to work in areas as diverse as health, social justice, disaster response, agriculture, education and many others.

Since returning to Australia, I have worked predominantly in government evaluation - Attorney Generals Department, Australian Taxation Office, Department of Social Services, Department Employment and Workplace Relations.

This has been fantastic for learning perspectives and processes of both government and civil society in program design and evaluation. I provided technical input and management of evaluation costing, commissioning, contracting, terms of reference drafting, proposals submission, planning, design, implementation, performance measurement and monitoring, data collection and analysis, reporting and communicating evaluation findings and lessons learned, and evaluation review.

My involvement in all aspects of evaluation has given me skills and experience in a broad range of evaluation approaches, and a deep appreciation and respect for the very different contexts, needs and assets of stakeholders of programs and program evaluation.

I have especially valued designing and delivering education and training to build capability in performance measurement, monitoring and evaluation and this has been a significant component of my evaluation roles.

I was lucky enough to complete my masters in evaluation with Melbourne University and my PhD in Thailand (a political economy analysis of illicit drug policy in Thailand) with Curtin University. I also have various undergraduate and post graduate qualifications in community services, management, and business which provide theoretical foundations to my professional experience.

I am not aware of any conflict of interest with other organisations.