Why work in evaluation
A career in evaluation allows you to make a difference in the world’s most pressing challenges.
Evaluation goes beyond just checking results. It helps improve processes, enhances transparency, and supports learning and innovation. Organisations, communities, and governments use evaluation to learn from their experiences, innovate, and make decisions informed by evidence. In this way, evaluations play a crucial role in addressing global challenges like environmental crises, world hunger, and social inequity.
In this section, we’ll explore important aspects of the evaluation field that can help your career. We’ll also debunk misconceptions and discuss how a career in evaluation contributes to positive change.
But first, are you confident that you understand what evaluation is?
When we talk about ‘evaluation’ in this set of pages, we’re including many related or overlapping activities, such as monitoring, M&E (‘Monitoring and Evaluation’), or MERL (‘Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning‘). These terms can be confusing at first, but don’t worry! As you see how different organisations use them, it will start to make sense. If you’d like to learn more about what we mean by ‘evaluation’, you can visit ‘what is evaluation’.
When you’re ready, the next pages in this guide will explore key aspects of evaluation and its complexities.