EVALUATION MYTHS DEBUNKED: REFLECTIONS FROM 200+ EVALUATIONS
After evaluating everything from housing programmes to AI initiatives across Australasia, we’ve identified the evaluation myths that waste time, money, and stakeholder goodwill—even among experienced practitioners.
The evaluation field is full of “sacred cows” that sound logical but don’t always work in practice. Join our experts as they share evidence-based alternatives to popular evaluation assumptions, helping you deliver better results with the resources you have available.
What you’ll learn:
- The comprehensive evaluation myth: why more data doesn’t equal better insights
- Who can actually conduct credible evaluations (it might surprise you)
- When ethics approval requirements do and don’t apply
- Practical alternatives to extensive lived experience consultation that still centre stakeholder voices
- Real examples from evaluations that succeeded by breaking conventional rules
NZSL interpretation available – play this video while watching the webinar.
Perfect for:
Join us if you’re responsible for commissioning evaluations, managing evaluation processes, or want evaluation findings that deliver the results you need with the resources you have.
About the Experts
Will Morgan is a researcher and policy analyst with experience working across projects in the health, education, justice and social service sectors. He is experienced in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method data collection and analysis, literature reviews, stakeholder engagement and management, legal analysis, research design and internal operations development.
Will is passionate about engaging with complex issues at a systemic level, understanding where best changes can be made to attain lasting and impactful change.
Marnie Carter is our Practice Lead for evaluation and research. She is experienced in programme and policy evaluation, monitoring, strategy development, training and facilitation. Marnie is particularly skilled in qualitative research methods. She is an expert at interpreting complex datasets into accessible and practical learnings. Marnie’s area of expertise includes evaluation of health, transport and social sector policies and initiatives. She designed and led a complex, multi-cycle evaluation of modernised transport legislation, led several evaluations social sector initiatives to enhance child and family wellbeing, and has evaluated a range of health policies, programmes and interventions in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific.
Downloadable Resource
Get the slides from the discussion, including the team’s main things to know and top tipsComing up
WEBINAR | Navigating Shifting Regulatory Landscapes: Trans-Tasman insights
Thursday 27 November 2025 | 12:10 p.m. NZDT | 10:10 a.m. AEDT
Australia and New Zealand's regulators are facing unprecedented disruption.
Public sector agencies are grappling with structural overhauls, tighter budgets, and mounting scrutiny, all while emerging technologies promise both disruption and opportunity.
Join Allen + Clarke's experts for an unfiltered discussion on what we're witnessing in the field.
