#21 Making Space, Valuing Place: A Preview of AES26 in Darwin with Christabelle Darcy and Alison Reedy
The It Depends Podcast with Matt HealeyShow Notes
In this episode, Matt speaks with Christabelle Darcy and Alison Reedy — co-convenors of the 2026 Australian Evaluation Society Conference being held in Darwin from 14–18 September. Christabelle leads the Program Evaluation Unit at the NT Department of Treasury and Finance, and Alison manages evaluation at the NT Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development. Under the theme Making Space, Valuing Place, Christabelle and Alison walk us through the thinking behind this year's program — the four subthemes, the keynote line-up, and why they wanted a conference that welcomes a broader audience into evaluation conversations. We talk about what it means to do evaluation in place, the role of Indigenous voices and authority in the work, and how the program is designed to encourage people to step outside their usual silos. Christabelle and Alison also share what they're personally hoping to take from the experience — from the richness of working with this year's keynote speakers to the conversations that happen in the margins. Their message is clear: the evaluation community is wider than the people who already call themselves evaluators, and AES26 is built to bring that wider community into the room. In this episode we cover:
The thinking behind the theme Making Space, Valuing Place The four subthemes: Traditions and new ways; Ethics and integrity; Boundaries and bridges; Roots and routes The 2026 keynote line-up — Robyn Ober, Bagele Chilisa, Lígia Teixeira, Selwyn Button, and Emily Gates Why context and Country matter in evaluation What a smaller conference makes possible What Christabelle and Alison are personally hoping to take away
Resources mentioned:
AES 2026 Conference Australian Evaluation Society It Depends Episode 7 with Emily Gates
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