From Demand to Decline: How U.S. Development Aid Cuts Threaten the Evaluation Profession
Panel Discussion | Online
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Organized by:
EvalYouth Sri Lanka
About the Event
EvalYouth Sri Lanka is organizing an online panel discussion titled “From Demand to Decline: How U.S. Development Aid Cuts Threaten the Evaluation Profession” to explore the impact of recent U.S. Government decisions to reduce development funding on evaluation careers in Sri Lanka.
As development projects scale down, the demand for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) professionals is rapidly declining—posing serious challenges to youth and early-career evaluators. This session will feature a pre-and-post analysis of job trends (September 2024 to February 2025) based on publicly advertised vacancies and will bring together young professionals to share insights, experiences, and strategies for sustaining the evaluation profession amid changing donor priorities.
As development projects scale down, the demand for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) professionals is rapidly declining—posing serious challenges to youth and early-career evaluators. This session will feature a pre-and-post analysis of job trends (September 2024 to February 2025) based on publicly advertised vacancies and will bring together young professionals to share insights, experiences, and strategies for sustaining the evaluation profession amid changing donor priorities.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Kasun Ramanayake | Panelist (MEAL Professional) | Kasun Ramanayake is a MEAL professional with six years of experience in Sri Lanka. As a co-leader of EvalYouth Sri Lanka, he champions youth engagement in evaluation, aligning with global initiatives like #EvalYouth. A life member of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA) and Sri Lanka Evaluation Association (SLEA), Kasun specializes in MEAL frameworks, capacity building, and policy evaluation. Since 2019, he has excelled as an independent evaluator, driving sustainable change through evidence-based decision-making. |
| Christine Dissanayake | Panelist (Professional in the International Development) | Christine Dissanayake is a professional in the international development field with five years of experience working for USAID-funded programs in Sri Lanka. She holds a postgraduate diploma in monitoring & evaluation from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. |
| Punya Lakmini | Panelist (Development Professional ) | Punya Lakmini is a development professional and emerging evaluator in the M&E field. She is currently engaged in a donor-funded project leveraging smart technologies to enhance plastic recycling and influence consumer behavior. With experience in monitoring and evaluation, project coordination, and research, she has contributed to multiple international and national development initiatives in agriculture, environment, and governance. She holds a B.Sc. in Applied Sciences and is pursuing an MSc in Industrial and Environmental Chemistry. |
Moderators
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Sabeen Sharic | Moderator (Senior Lecturer) | Sabeen Sharic is a Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Transport at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka, with over 12 years of academic and professional experience in transport systems, sustainable mobility, and evaluation. He holds a PhD in Public Bus Transport Performance Evaluation and have BSc (Hons) degree in Transport and Logistics Management and currently serves as Co-Leader of EvalYouth Sri Lanka, where he advocates for youth-led and culturally responsive evaluation practices. Dr. Sharic also leads a regional project supported by the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association focused on Indigenous evaluation knowledge transfer. With a strong track record in research, capacity building, and project evaluation, he brings a unique perspective on evidence-based policy and development sector dynamics. As moderator of this session, he will guide the discussion on how recent U.S. development aid cuts are reshaping the demand and future of the evaluation profession in Sri Lanka and the Global South. |