With a community of over 1,400 members across the country and abroad, we provide a home for people working in the field of evaluation to connect and grow, so they can have a greater impact on everyone they serve.
Elevate your evaluation skills with the CES e-Institute, offering self-paced and facilitated courses designed by evaluators for evaluators.
The CE designation is the only professional title identifying professional evaluators.
The designation means that the holder has provided evidence of the education and experience required to be a competent evaluator. It is a service provided by CES to its members, who may elect to become credentialed on a voluntary basis. It recognizes competence and promotes continuous learning within our community.
Authors:Betty Onyura, Emilia Main, Claudia Barned, Alexandra Wong, Tin D. Vo, Nivetha Chandran, Nazi Torabi, Deena M. Hamza
There is growing recognition of the complex moral and ethical tensions associated with evaluation practice. However, there are scant evidence-informed frameworks for cultivating ethical awareness or informing ethical deliberation across the evaluation landscape. Thus, we aimed to synthesize research evidence on evaluation ethics, and draw on these findings to develop an evidence-informed evaluation ethics framework.
Authors: Betty Ann M. Turpin et al
Understanding AI and how it can support program evaluation is an increasing inquiry for our discipline of program evaluation by improving the efficiency, accuracy, and depth of data collection, analysis, and reporting. AI-powered tools can process large volumes of structured and unstructured data; natural language processing (NLP) enables analysis ofqualitative data at scale, while machine learning algorithms can support predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and outcome forecasting. AI also reduces the time required for routine tasks such as data cleaning, coding, literature reviews, transcription, and report drafting. Despite these advantages, AI should complement rather than replace professional judgment.
Presenter: Celeste Ghiano, PhD
How about really shaking up the foundations of Evaluation practice? In this initiative, we believe that changing practices begins with changing concepts and understanding contexts, bringing new (and not at all new) ontologies, to change epistemologies and transform methodologies.
2026-10-09
News
Looking for support for professional development? Check out CESEF!
If you're looking for support for professional development, check out CESEF's programs.
Call for CES Awards Nominations Due February 15, 2027
Annual nominations for the Contribution to Evaluation in Canada Award and Service to CES Award are open until February 15.
Call for CES Fellow Nominations Due January 31, 2027
The CES Fellowship is the highest honour bestowed on a member...
2026-10-08
Frédéric Bertrand recognized with the 2026 Service to CES Award
We are pleased to announce this year's winner of the Service to CES Award.
2026-10-06
2027 Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge
The Challenge is accepting applications starting on October 7
Award for Francophone Evaluation Theses
The Réseau francophone de l’évaluation launches its award for evaluation theses
Whether you are new to evaluation or a seasoned professional, the e-Institute offers special member pricing on the courses you need to build your career in evaluation.
The field of evaluation is constantly evolving. We offer a variety of webinars and events throughout the year as well as the Annual National Conference to stay on top of current trends.
Our Credentialed Evaluator (CE) designation demonstrates your commitment to professionalism and inspires the confidence of your clients and organizations.
Check out current job and contract opportunities, as well as a wide variety of networking opportunities, to help you build and expand your career.
Join a community of evaluation professionals from across Canada at the Annual National Conference, a webinar or a local event to strengthen your network.
The cost of membership will be offset as you take advantage of the discounts you receive on our growing list of events and services you need.
Reflection and Inspiration
In the 1980s, evaluation was in its infancy: the people in the field were few and not necessarily well trained, and evaluation was still struggling to distance itself from research. The CES (and American Evaluation Association) provided me with a group of like-minded people and resources.
Taking part in conferences and serving on many committees were powerful motivators in keeping me afloat in the field of evaluation. They also helped me identify areas in which I wanted to develop my skills. But more specifically, these activities fostered casual discussions and information-sharing with colleagues, both of which have proven to be valuable sources of reflection, questioning and inspiration for my teaching, research and publications in the field. None of these things would have been possible without these experiences.
I’ve come to realize that I may not have influenced the practice as much as it has influenced me. This is probably what led me to conclude my latest book with the acknowledgement that while I had begun the project with the goal of contributing to the advancement of knowledge in program evaluation, I humbly confess that I have come out of it a different person, hopefully a better one.