Using Research on Evaluation in Oceania: Informing Priorities for Future Research on Evaluation

ABSTRACT Research on evaluation (RoE) plays an important role in evaluation. It enables the testing of new ideas, tools, and approaches and the interrogation and advancement of evaluation theories and practices. In this article, we investigated the perceptions of 111 evaluation practitioners on the use of RoE with a focus on the Oceania context. We invited attendees at the 2023 Australian Evaluation Society Conference who were primarily located in Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island countries to complete a survey that captured their engagement with RoE, perceptions of priority topics for RoE, and factors that support and hinder their access to and ability to conduct RoE. The findings affirm the value and importance evaluators place on RoE in informing their evaluation practice and advancing the discipline. Furthermore, practitioners identified the need for more contextually nuanced RoE and the need for dedicated funding and support to access, plan, and conduct RoE. These findings highlight considerable opportunities for the global evaluation community to raise awareness and capacity to use and conduct RoE to ensure its growth, influence, and sustainability across the discipline of evaluation.