Presentation of TWG
The European Evaluation Society (EES) Thematic Working Group 5 (TWG5) — yEES! — is a group of young evaluation delegates formed at the 11th EES Biennial Conference, in Dublin, in 2014.
Over the last years, yEES! played an important role in laying the historical foundations of the international movement of young and emerging evaluators. The group organized the first International Virtual Conference for YEEs and the first YEEs Mentoring Program. More recently, the yEES! created a competition, offering a fee waivers for European YEES. The winners of the competition presented their work at the conference and served as volunteers supporting major conference activities. The competition contributed to develop participants’ career, added new members to the yEES! group, and triggered the launch of new National European Networks of YEES, such as the French Network.
EvalYouth and the yEES! group had several dialogues since their creations and formalized their institutional alignment at the UNDP National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) conference, in 2017. From 2017 and 2018 the dialogue on the potential partnerships between the two groups intensified, culminating in the selection of an yEES! representative to the board of EvalYouth Global, in November 2018. Through this nomination, yEES! became EvalYouth’s chapter for Europe (EvalYouth Europe) and the coordinating organization of EvalYouth Task Force 4 — Youth Participatory Evaluation, which calls for a stronger — more strategic and more aligned — coordination between the two groups.
Besides the support to EvalYouth Global, TWG 5 is currently working with them and IDEAS on the P2P + Career Emerging Evaluators Initiative. It aims to boost emerging evaluators’ careers by promoting knowledge exchange through peer-to-peer advisory sessions, which focus on career advice, networking secrets, and technical tips.
Lastly, the yEES! is contributing to enhance the communications and public role of The European Evaluation Society. During the 2018 EES conference, yEES! conducted a series of video interviews, ramping up the organization success in social media. In the same conference, the group organized a stocktaking of evaluation training programs in Europe, contributing to enhance evaluation capacity development. More recently, in April 2019, the group launched a monthly EES newsletter that disseminates European evaluation trainings, events, publications, and job opportunities — called EuropeEval Digest. In addition, the group is developing the EvalEdge podcast on innovations in evaluation.
Objectives of TWG
yEES! promotes the inclusion of emerging evaluation professionals in the work of the society and in the evaluation community, under the following objectives:
- To bring the ideas and perspectives of YEES into the work of EES through active engagement in the ongoing activities of the society and by starting initiatives that cater to the specific needs and interests of YEES;
- To promote a stronger interaction between different generations of evaluators , providing a platform where YEES can meet with their peers and more experienced colleagues to learn, share and discuss on subjects of evaluation as well as receive a career advice;
- To connect young/new evaluation professionals and researchers across Europe through online discussions and collaboration on projects of shared interest;
- To support EES in order to achieve the association’s goals, and has the ambition to be the voice of young evaluators in Europe.
Currently, the yEES! group is working towards the following plan of activities for 2019 : a toolkit on how to develop a competition for young and emerging evaluators; peer to peer career development sessions online; mapping of European evaluation training; promoting activities to enhance capacity development and innovation among YEES; and a physical gathering of yEES! in Europe.
For some people who are new to evaluation, the TWG may become a first point of access to the work of EES. There is no age limit. Anyone new to the evaluation field, including students, young professionals, and those who have recently come to evaluation from other disciplines is welcome to join the TWG.
Resources for yEES
Specific Contact Person in the EES Board
Alena Lappo, Alena.lappo@gmail.com