top of page
.png)
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
8:00 am - 9:15 am ET
What future-fit skills are essential for young evaluators to lead tomorrow's dynamic evaluation landscape?
As evaluation evolves in response to rapid technological advancement, growing complexity, and increasingly interconnected global challenges, the competencies required of future evaluators are also changing. This dialogue explores the future-fit skills that young evaluators need to thrive and lead in a dynamic evaluation landscape.
Beyond traditional methodological expertise, the discussion will examine emerging competencies such as systems thinking, adaptive and complexity-aware evaluation, data literacy, artificial intelligence and digital technologies, evaluative foresight, strategic communication and engagement, and collaborative leadership. It will also consider the importance of ethical reasoning, cultural responsiveness, equity-focused practice, and the ability to work across disciplines and sectors.
Bringing together experienced practitioners and emerging professionals, the dialogue will reflect on how capacity development, mentorship, innovation, and intergenerational partnerships can prepare the next generation of evaluators to generate relevant evidence, navigate uncertainty, and contribute to more informed, inclusive, and future-oriented decision-making.
Moderator
Ana Erika Lareza is the Chair of the EvalYouth Global Network, champions empowering young and emerging evaluators globally. She is a Co-Founder of EvalYouth Asia & Asia Pacific Communications Hub. Pursuing her MA in Evaluation, she leverages expertise in communicating evaluation results for decision-making to advance youth participation. Her broader evaluation practice also involves community engagement, culturally responsive methods, and meaningfully involving Indigenous peoples, including youth, in evaluation.
Panelists
Caitlin Blaser Mapitsa is an Associate Professor of Monitoring and Evaluation at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Governance. Her interests relate to evaluating change in complex systems in transition, with a particular focus on land and climate governance, and building institutions for evidence-informed decision-making.
Zach Tilton is an evaluation specialist with The MERL Tech Initiative and a doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary PhD in Evaluation Programme at Western Michigan University, where his research and practice are focused on AI-enabled evaluation. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of New Directions for Evaluation.
Shashidhar Sa is the Founder of HubForge Global Impact Network (a non-profit) and an M&E practitioner with a decade of experience across India, from tribal regions to urban contexts and from grassroots programmes to scale. He works towards a globally connected, locally rooted evaluation ecosystem that democratises evidence and strengthens MERL systems. Through EvalCanvas,Sampling Shala, EvalQR, and MEL volunteering network, he aims to make monitoring and evaluation more accessible, participatory, and action-oriented.
Ruchi Kaushik is an Assistant Professor and currently Teacher-in-Charge of the Department of Development Communication & Extension, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi. Her teaching and research interests are centred around monitoring and evaluation, programme planning, participatory research, gender and development and corporate social responsibility. Ruchi’s expertise extends beyond academia through her experience as a Consultant with the NITI Aayog, where she contributed to the evaluation of government programmes and public policies.
bottom of page