What I retain from the Future of Evaluation dialogue

By Erica Mattellone

Senior Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF Evaluation Office

The recent Future of Evaluation dialogue left me reflecting on a simple but transformative idea: evaluation can accelerate gender equality, but only if we rethink what evaluation is for.

For many years, evaluation has primarily served accountability, assessing results at the end of programmes. Yet in a world shaped by rapid technological change, climate shocks, and persistent inequalities, this approach is no longer enough. Evaluation must move beyond retrospective judgement and become a driver of learning, voice, and action.

One of evaluation’s most powerful roles, and one of reasons I chose a career in evaluation, is making inequalities visible. Many barriers facing women and girls, such as unpaid care burdens, restrictive social norms, digital exclusion, or technology-facilitated gender-based violence, remain hidden in aggregated data. Gender-responsive and intersectional evaluation helps reveal who is being left behind, why exclusion persists, and how power structures influence outcomes. Evidence, in this sense, becomes a tool for transformation rather than measurement alone.

This shift became especially tangible during my recent experience managing the Evaluation of the implementation of the UNICEF Gender Policy and Gender Action Plans where elevating young people’s voices was not an add-on but a central objective. We wanted to understand change not only through indicators, but through lived experience.

Across countries, adolescent girls and boys who had participated in UNICEF programmes joined participatory focus group discussions designed as safe and engaging spaces for reflection. One activity, inspired by Roger Hart’s Ladder of Participation, proved particularly powerful. A ladder was drawn at the center of the room, each rung representing a different level of participation, from being informed to influencing decisions.

Young people reflected on their roles in programmes, writing words or drawing images that represented their experiences before placing them on the ladder. What followed were stories rather than answers. A participant described being invited to speak but unsure if adults truly listened. Another shared how contributing ideas to programme design made her feel respected and capable of creating change. As discussions unfolded, some even moved their placements, realizing their agency had grown over time.

The ladder became more than a tool; it became a space for collective reflection on voice, power, and decision-making. These conversations complemented an appreciative inquiry approach, helping us understand not only whether change occurred, but how UNICEF contributed to expanding young people’s agency and aspirations.

Young people also shaped the evaluation itself through a Youth Advisory Group that contributed insights throughout the process, strengthening the relevance and credibility of findings. Their engagement reinforced a key lesson: evaluation becomes more meaningful when participants are co-creators of knowledge rather than sources of data.

The dialogue also challenged a common assumption that timeliness and rigour are in tension. Future-fit evaluation requires both. Adaptive approaches such as real-time learning and continuous feedback allow programmes to adjust as contexts evolve, while transparency and methodological clarity safeguard credibility.

Ultimately, evaluation has impact when it is designed for use, not simply for proof. Its purpose is to help systems learn earlier, listen better, and act more fairly.

The future of evaluation lies in evidence that is credible enough to trust, inclusive enough to reflect lived realities, and timely enough to shape decisions. When these elements come together, evaluation becomes more than assessment – it becomes a catalyst for gender equality and lasting change for every woman and every girl.

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Erica Mattellone is a senior leader in international development with over 20 years of experience advancing organizational effectiveness and evidence-informed change. As Chief of Institutional Effectiveness at UNICEF’s Evaluation Office, she leads global evaluations that translate evidence into action to protect children’s rights and expand opportunities for women and girls worldwide.

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This blog was co-published on the UNICEF website.

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.