Developmental Evaluation in Practice: Regional Stewardship of Aged Care

Developmental Evaluation emerged from a need to support real-time learning in complex, evolving and dynamic situations. This session will deep dive into how developmental evaluation is being applied in a three-year evaluation of Regional Stewardship of Aged Care. Stewardship is a Commonwealth Government initiative that aims to improve service integration, design, and delivery amidst significant changes to Australia’s aged care system. Zoe will describe the evaluation methodology, share some ways in which the evaluation has been adaptive and creative in its approach to measurement, and highlight a few key challenges working in a complex and evolving system. The purpose of this session is to introduce the key features of developmental evaluation and demonstrate its application using a real-world example. It will explore how evaluation can remain responsive, adaptive and rigorous in the context of national, system-wide reform. Presenter details: Zoe Enticott (MA Hons, BA) is a Principal Consultant at Clear Horizon with ten years’ experience working across the government, not-for-profit and community sectors, and five years’ experience providing evaluation advice to help design social services and measure their impact. Increasingly, she is designing and conducting Developmental and Outcomes Evaluations of health, aged care, and education initiatives. Zoe is trained in creative and trauma-informed approaches and has facilitated and presented at several evaluation conferences including co-facilitating a workshop at the AES Conference in 2023 and presenting at the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference in 2024. In addition to being a Lead Mentor with the Clear Horizon Academy, she also recently delivered presentations on Developmental Evaluation for the Systems Evaluation Network, and the Queensland Council of Social Service Research and Evaluation Network. Away from the desk, Zoe enjoys singing in a local choir and dancing at free-form movement events around Melbourne Naarm (like 5 Rhythms). This event was organised by the Victorian Regional Network of the AES. AES membership helps make sessions like this possible by supporting the infrastructure, technology and community connections that enable us to deliver high-quality professional learning across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Join the Australian Evaluation Society today and be part or a community making a difference: www.aes.asn.au/become-a-member