By Qudratullah Jahid, Ana Erika Lareza and Uugantsetseg Gonchigdorj
APEA
The Asia Pacific region is home to over 1.1 billion young people. To ensure equitable and sustainable development in the region, it is crucial to engage young people. The Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA) has had success in co-creating change by engaging young and emerging evaluators (YEEs) in evaluation processes, which is critical as we continue our march towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. APEA has embraced young people as essential partners in the evaluation journey through targeted actions, partnerships, and a commitment to empowerment. Our strategic focus on YEE engagement reflects our ambition to create a strong and interconnected community of young evaluators ready to address global challenges. Thematic area four of APEA’s Regional Evaluation Strategy highlights the steps we are taking to develop young evaluators, bridge gaps in capacity, and amplify their voices in evaluation practice. With EvalYouth Asia, APEA is building pathways for the next generation of evaluators to gain skills, access opportunities, and make meaningful contributions to the field—areas key to the Eval4Action campaign.
Advocacy and awareness
One of the foundational elements of APEA’s YEEs engagement is advocating for the inclusion of YEEs across all evaluation activities. By actively promoting YEEs as valued contributors, APEA is helping reshape perceptions of the evaluation field by deliberately considering powers and stakeholders and encouraging organizations to recognise and utilize the talents of young professionals. Through webinars, conferences, and public engagements, APEA creates and highlights success stories of young evaluators and advocates for their inclusion in evaluation roles. This ongoing advocacy raises awareness about the importance of YEEs in evaluation and helps YEEs build a sense of ownership and pride in their contributions.
EvalYouth Asia Winter School at the Asia Pacific Evaluation Conference 2023, Manila, Philippines.
APEA supports EvalYouth Asia in hosting an annual regional winter school for YEEs. The winter school provides foundational knowledge and skills and supports the career development of YEEs in evaluation. In addition, it offers YEEs an opportunity to establish an evaluation network at the regional level. Follow-up trainings are also provided to all winter school alumni, which reinforces learning, covers critical issues and trends, and supports participants' career growth in the field. To learn more about the Asia Pacific Winter Schools and follow-up training series, details of completed programmes are listed on the APEA website.
Professional development for young evaluators
APEA collaborates with universities, VOPEs, EvalYouth chapters, and evaluation organizations to offer a range of capacity-building initiatives. These initiatives equip young evaluators with skills, knowledge, and mentorship support. From winter evaluation schools to specialized training sessions and career development workshops, APEA’s initiatives provide young evaluators with foundational skills crucial for their growth. In addition to training, APEA supports young evaluators’ participation in thematic groups, committees, and working groups. These opportunities encourage YEEs to engage with seasoned professionals, enhancing mutual learning that enriches young and senior evaluators’ perspectives.
Strengthening networks and connections
Young evaluators benefit significantly from networking opportunities to connect with peers and mentors across the region. APEA, alongside EvalYouth Asia, has taken significant steps to support regional and international networking for YEEs, recognizing that peer learning and community support are invaluable for emerging professionals. In light of this, EvalYouth Asia launched an initiative called the ‘EvalYouth chapter kick-off series’. With the support of APEA, EvalYouth Asia has fostered the creation of over 10 EvalYouth national chapters across the Asia Pacific. Through these national chapters, young evaluators have a platform to discuss challenges, share resources, and support each other in their journeys. These communities of practice promote ongoing dialogue, ensuring that young evaluators feel connected, supported, and inspired to continue their work.
Sparking dialogue on youth engagement in evaluation
APEA’s journey of co-creating change with youth in evaluation is mutual learning, where both established and emerging evaluators benefit. Building on positive experiences and impactful results, APEA has fully committed to the Youth in Evaluation initiative, as demonstrated by our signing of the Youth in Evaluation manifesto and our commitment to implementing its standards. APEA was recently recognized as a “Youth in Evaluation Super Champion”. This recognition celebrates their commitment to meaningfully engaging youth in evaluation, as demonstrated through their self-assessment against the Youth in Evaluation standards.
APEA’s initiatives demonstrate that when young voices are integrated into evaluation processes, the results are more dynamic, inclusive, and innovative. We invite the broader evaluation community to join this conversation—to discuss, learn, and continue building environments where young evaluators can thrive. Dialogues around meaningful YEE engagement can collectively amplify the impact of our work and ensure that evaluation remains responsive to the evolving needs of our communities.
APEA’s engagement with EvalYouth Asia not only supports YEEs by providing a pathway to emerge and grow in the evaluation field but also serves as their source of knowledge and pool of networking in EvalYouth Asia activities. By allowing YEEs to bring their unique perspectives to these collaborations, this effective commitment to engage YEEs meaningfully strengthens their roles, empowering them to lead and shape the evaluation field across the Asia Pacific region.
The path forward
APEA’s commitment to championing YEEs in evaluation is clear. By amplifying their voices, building their capacities, and strengthening their networks, APEA ensures that young evaluators are participants and co-creators in the evaluation ecosystem. This journey is helping to shape a future where youth are empowered to drive impactful change through evaluation, contributing to a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive world. As we move forward, APEA remains committed to co-creating this path with young and emerging evaluators, unlocking new opportunities for them to contribute to evaluation and development across the Asia Pacific region. Join us on this journey of empowering the next generation of evaluators!
Qudratullah Jahid is an accomplished monitoring, evaluation, and learning specialist. He serves as Vice President of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association and is a board member of the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation and the Afghan Evaluation Society. He strongly focuses on youth engagement and capacity building in evaluation, striving to enhance development outcomes through inclusive, evidence-driven methodologies across the Asia Pacific region. Connect with Qudratullah on X and LinkedIn.
Ana Erika Lareza is a young evaluator currently pursuing a master’s degree in Evaluation at Saarland University in Germany. She serves as the Finance Officer for the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association and has co-founded EvalYouth Asia and the Asia Pacific Communications Hub. Across all her roles, she is dedicated to empowering youth and ensuring their meaningful engagement in the field of evaluation. Connect with Ana Erika on X and LinkedIn.
Uugantsetseg Gonchigdorj is an independent evaluator and freelance consultant with experience in the development sector. She serves as a Co-Leader of EvalYouth Asia and is a Board Member of the Mongolian Evaluation Association, where she promotes youth involvement in evaluation and supports capacity-building efforts for young and emerging evaluators. Connect with Uugantsetseg on LinkedIn.
Disclaimer: The content of the blog is the responsibility of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of Eval4Action co-leaders and partners.
Comentarios