1A1 Leveraging Hybrid Evaluation Teams: Balancing Internal Knowledge with External Insight for Sustainable Evaluation Practices

This panel will explore the dynamics of hybrid evaluation teams – comprising internal and external evaluators – as a sustainable model for effective evaluations. Through a moderated discussion, four experienced panelists will speak to individual and shared cases to illustrate benefits, challenges, and strategies for leveraging hybrid teams to build evaluation capacity, share expertise, apply different evaluation lenses and manage complex evaluations. The panel will be moderated by Isabelle Bourgeois and will include two consultants, François Dumaine and Vanessa Anastasopoulos, and two internal evaluators, Élyse McCall-Thomas and Igor Straticiuc.

Internal evaluators often bring detailed and nuanced knowledge of their organization’s programs, which aids in comprehensive data analysis and contextual understanding that strengthen the interpretive value of evaluation outcomes. However, because of their close ties to the organization, internal evaluators may experience role conflicts, especially when they are expected to balance neutral assessment with organizational pressures to secure program funding and support continuity. As noted in the literature, this may result in a perceived lack of objectivity and credibility, which could impact the use of evaluations.

The addition of external evaluators as part of evaluation teams offers valuable counterbalances to these challenges including an enhanced perception of objectivity and credibility. External evaluators also bring fresh perspectives, specialized skills, as well as experience with diverse methodologies and the integration of different lenses (e.g., sustainability, reconciliation, and EDI). They may also draw on their work with other departments and agencies, which can foster cross-departmental learning and break down silos.

The discussion will emphasize the dynamics of hybrid teams, including the practical benefits and challenges of balancing internal and external roles, managing stakeholder expectations, and creating resilient evaluation strategies. Attendees will gain practical insights on managing complex evaluations within hybrid teams, navigating role expectations, and fostering sustainable evaluation practices that align with organizational and community goals.

Presenters:

François Dumaine, Partner, PRA
As an evaluation practitioner, François Dumaine has had a wide range of opportunities to bridge theory and practice, and to explore new ways of ensuring that information needs of decision-makers are efficiently met. He has collaborated with federal departments, non-profit organizations and local governments in assessing their respective programs and activities. In undertaking his work, François is guided by principles related to social justice, environmental sustainability, and Canada’s commitment to reconciliation. François served as President of CES and as Chair of the CES Educational Fund, and he is a CES Fellow.

Élyse McCall-Thomas, Evaluation Manager, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Élyse McCall-Thomas is a Ph.D. student at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on the theory-policy-practice connection with a specific focus the implementation and impact of the Government of Canada’s 2016 Policy on Results on the capacity to do and use evaluations. Élyse is also an Evaluation Manager with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and has over 16 years of experience in research and evaluation. Her work spans many areas including research funding, education, public health, mental health and addictions, and homelessness. Through her work, Élyse emphasizes considerations of capacity building, equity and inclusion, as well as the use of evaluation to support learning and evidence-based decision making.

Vanessa Anastasopoulos, Founder and principal, VANASTAS
Vanessa Anastasopoulos has been an equity-focused evaluator for 25+ years, including over a decade as a senior evaluator across three federal departments. She has also served as Director, Assessment and Evaluation at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and, most recently, as an independent consultant. She first delved into the use of AI in June 2023 when faced with the challenge of analyzing an unexpectedly large volume of qualitative survey data within tight project constraints. This experience marked a turning point by revealing AI’s potential as a tool for enhancing the quality of her evaluation practice.

Igor Straticiuc, Senior Evaluation Analyst, Department of Canadian Heritage
Igor Straticiuc is an experienced evaluator with over 15 years’ experience in the public sector, 12 of which with the Canadian federal government. A Senior Evaluation Analyst at the Department of Canadian Heritage, he has been involved in a dozen evaluation projects since 2012 in areas such as the arts, sports, broadcasting, official and aboriginal languages, and human rights. Previously, he worked as a consultant for international organizations such as the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), contributing to public sector reforms in Eastern Europe.

Igor holds two master’s degrees in public administration, including one in program evaluation, as well as a degree in civil law and a bachelor’s degree in modern languages.

MODERATOR: Isabelle Bourgeois, Full Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa
Isabelle Bourgeois’, Ph.D., ongoing research work focuses on measuring and building organizational evaluation capacity (EC) in the public and community sectors. Her main contributions in this field include an organizational framework of evaluation capacity, an online organizational EC assessment instrument, and an integrative review of the literature on evaluation capacity spanning a period of 20 years. Isabelle was the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation from 2017 to 2022. In 2017, she received the Karl-Boudreault Award for Leadership in Evaluation from the Canadian Evaluation Society National Capital Chapter, and in 2021, she received the Parenteau award from Canadian Public Administration for best French-language article. She received the Contribution to Evaluation Award from the Canadian Evaluation Society in 2024.

This presentation will be delivered in French.

 

1A2 Visioning for the Future – Shaping Our Chapter’s Direction

The National Capital Chapter’s board is embarking on an important planning process to shape our future direction and better serve our members. This visioning session aims to gather your input to help identify where we should be in the next three years, what aspects of our work provide the most value, and what areas may need improvement.

We understand that change within organizations takes time and that we rely heavily on the dedication of our volunteers. That’s why your feedback is crucial in helping us determine what is working well, what needs adjustment, and where we can focus our efforts for the greatest impact while remaining responsive and valuable to our members.

This session will require active participation, and members will have the opportunity to provide their input through written, verbal, or online feedback. While the session will be primarily conducted in English, contributions in both French and English are welcome. If you are unable to participate in the discussion, we encourage you to share your thoughts by reaching out to us at nccsecretariat@evaluationcanada.ca. We encourage open participation and honest feedback to help us collectively build a stronger, more vibrant chapter.

Victoria E. Díaz, Founding Partner, DPM Research
Victoria E. Díaz joins the CES-NCC Board for the first time in 2022-2023 as VP Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability. She has contributed to past CES national activities as a volunteer and was a judge in the 2022 Student Evaluation Case Competition.

Victoria is a founding partner of DPM Research (www.dpmresearch.ca), a consulting firm specialized in applied research, program evaluation and policy analysis.Collaborating with federal, provincial and other organizations, in Canada and overseas, Victoria has experience leading multi-year evaluations, producing labour market analyses and researching socio-economic issues in a variety of fields. Her experience spans a broad range of topics, including post-secondary education, health, science and technology, infrastructure, immigration, labour markets and equity, diversity and inclusion.

Victoria holds a PhD in Public Administration (University of Ottawa) and MA in Economics (McGill University). She is fluent in English, French and Spanish.