Evaluating for the Better Future: Inclusive and Ethical Practices of Evaluation

Conference | In person

About the Event

The main objectives of this event is to provide critical reflections on the future of evaluation in Georgia. With 2030 approaching, progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals remains slow and uneven. Growing inequalities, political polarization, and escalating climate crises present urgent challenges, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations and highlighting the critical role of evaluation in tackling these interconnected issues and driving meaningful solutions. During the event, we will have reflections on key areas of SDG evaluation, climate change, social justice and inclusion. Discussions within these themes will be experiential and methodological – bringing the insights of best international practices, as well as hands on experiences of evaluators. Lastly, we will cover the issue of professionalization and institutionalization of evaluation in Georgian context.
The event will be hosted at Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) "Frontline Georgia" Club. And it will bring together diverse audience of students, Academia, evaluators, decision makers, and civil society.
Event will be carried out face to face, on 3rd of June, and is organized by Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Professionals Association (MELPA). In total three organizations are participating in GLocal Week from Georgia: MELPA, Research for Action and DEPA. The topics and days of the events have been discussed together to form synergies across the topics and presentations, we believe such approach produced relevant mix of topics for our context and needs.

Sessions

Conference | Hybrid
June 3, 2025 14:30 PM - 16:00 PM
As Glocal Evaluation Week 2025 invites us to explore critical questions—How can evaluation support climate action and a just transition? And how can it address inequalities and promote social justice? — Our response centers on one powerful principle: Participation. In this session, we would love to delve into the transformative potential of participatory and community-led MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) practices. We believe these approaches are essential to building just, equitable, and sustainable futures for local communities worldwide. But what does truly participatory MEAL look like? How can we ensure that participation is meaningful and inclusive, rather than tokenistic or extractive? Together, we will examine:  How to embed participatory principles across organizational, community, and policy levels;  Whether marginalized voices are genuinely shaping strategies and outcomes—or merely being represented symbolically;  How participatory MEAL can avoid reinforcing the "tyranny of participation"; and instead drive tangible social change.  And how can participation help us better understand gendered aspects of climate change, and contribute to gender sensitive just transition Join us in unpacking the promises and pitfalls of participation and co-creating strategies to make evaluation a tool for justice, equity, and climate resilience.
Session URL

Speakers

Name Title Biography
Ekaterine Danelia Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Practitioner Ekaterine is a social justice activist based in Tbilisi, Georgia. She served as a MEL Manager for the USAID Industry-led Skills Development Program in Georgia, managing MEL systems for large-scale initiatives. Ekaterine has collaborated with numerous Civil Society Organizations in Georgia, fulfilling roles such as policy analyst, researcher, M&E specialist, and facilitator. With more than a decade of experience, she excels in designing, implementing, and overseeing development programs related to human rights, civil society, community work, and education, with a strong emphasis on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning practices and methodologies.
Tamar Iakobidze Independent Evaluation Practitioner Tamar Iakobidze is civil society professional with sound research and project administration skills. In her role as Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Lead and SDG advisor for Georgian environmental NGO Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), Tamar has been in charge of reviewing research products and being focal point for methodological questions for baseline assessments, midterm and/or final evaluations and periodic project reports. She has been directly engaged in design and implementation of results-based monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system of projects applying HRBA, including planning, management, and data analysis, for various donors (EU, USAID, Heks-Eper, ADA, UN, GIZ etc.).
Mariam Berianidze MEAL practitioner Mariam Berianidze is a currently a Researcher at PMC Research. Ms. Berianidze holds a master’s degree in Sociology from Ilia State University, and a bachelor’s degree in the same subject from Tbilisi State University
Nana Chabukiani Independent Evaluation Practitioner Nana Chabukiani is a social researcher and monitoring and evaluation specialist with 15 years of experience in academic and applied research. She has led and conducted over 20 research and evaluation projects, including mid-term and final evaluations, baseline and endline studies, policy research, needs assessments, and opinion surveys. Her expertise lies in gender equality, intersectionality, ethnic and religious minorities, and education. Nana has collaborated with international and local organizations such as UN Women, UNDP, Women for a Common Future (WECF), Women’s Fund in Georgia, the Georgian National Statistics Office, and the Public Service Hall. Beyond her research work, Nana is actively engaged in academia. She has taught at Tbilisi State University and Caucasus University. In 2017, she co-founded WeResearch, a platform dedicated to advancing data-driven decision-making and social change.

Moderators

Name Title Biography

Panel Discussion | Hybrid
June 3, 2025 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
In the shrinking civil society space, evaluators face the challenge of maintaining human rights and gender sensitive approaches to evaluation. During this session, we will explore what OECD DAC Criteria looks like when it prioritized such a lens - we will firstly explore the resource, and then follow up with real-practice examples from 2 presenters. - What challenges do we face when implementing human rights approaches and how we can approach those? - How can we engage various groups in more equitable manner in evaluation? - What lessons learnt can we take forward in order to build more socially just evaluation practice?
Session URL

Speakers

Name Title Biography
Ekaterine Chitanava Human Rights Defender & Researcher Ekaterine Chitanava is a human rights defender and researcher. Since 2013 she has been the director of a civil society organization, Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI), based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her work is focused on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and minority rights. The organization is advocating for FoRB and the rights of religious/ethnic minorities and those who experience racial discrimination in Georgia. Advocacy involves strategic litigation, as well as educational and intercultural awareness-raising programs.
Lena Taube German Institute for Development Evaluation Lena Taube joined DEval as an evaluator in 2019. She previously worked at the Centre for Evaluation (CEval) at Saarland University. There, she supervised a research project on the institutionalization of evaluation worldwide. Lena Taube also worked as a lecturer in the Center’s German and English Master programs in evaluation and as a trainer as part of a university cooperation with Latin American universities.

Moderators

Name Title Biography
Ia kakichaishvili Evaluation Expert Experienced specialist with a robust background in development cooperation, economic development, and evaluations, particularly in the Eastern Partnership region. Demonstrated expertise in assessing and managing development programs. Proficient in using program administration and M&E systems to ensure accountability and effective implementation. Skilled in fostering dialogue and collaboration with diverse stakeholders, international actors, bilateral and multilateral donors, and civil society organizations.

Seminar | Hybrid
June 3, 2025 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
This panel will explore the evolving methodologies and practices used in the preparation of national evaluation reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As countries strive to localize and implement the 2030 Agenda, the importance of credible, data-driven evaluations has never been greater. The session will highlight the relevance of SDG-aligned evaluations for evidence-based policymaking, national planning, and accountability. Speakers will share practical insights from their work on SDG assessments, including innovations in evaluation design, multi-stakeholder engagement, and the integration of environmental, social, and governance indicators. The discussion will also emphasize the role of national SDG reports in promoting transparency, inclusiveness, and international comparability.
Session URL

Speakers

Name Title Biography
Nea-Mari Heinonen Deputy Director, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Giorgi Nanobashvili Economic Development Team Leader at UNDP
Ana Kvernadze SDG Expert

Moderators

Name Title Biography
Maia Guntsadze MELPA Founding Member Maia Guntsadze is an economist and management professional distinguished by her academic and practical experience. She holds a PhD in Economics and an MA in Public Administration. Maia completed coursework in Economics and Public Policy at the University of Oxford and is a member of the Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC) Affiliate Network at Harvard Business School.

Panel Discussion | Hybrid
June 3, 2025 16:30 PM - 17:30 PM
This session will bring together academia, civil service, civil society and evaluators to discuss the future of professionalization and institutionalization of evaluation in Georgia. We will bring in international experience, representatives from Academia, research, private sector and discuss the gaps and opportunities for building professional cadre.
Session URL

Speakers

Name Title Biography
Khalil Bitar President of the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE) Khalil Bitar is a Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (PMEL) expert with extensive multidisciplinary experience across international organizations, government institutions, and NGOs. He currently serves as the President of the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE), Co-Chair of EvalPartners, and Co-Leader of Eval4Action. He is co-founder and former Chair of EvalYouth Global and founder and former President of the Palestinian Evaluation Association. With fieldwork experience in over 20 countries, Khalil has a deep understanding of diverse cultural and political contexts and is passionate about fostering learning, accountability, and equity through PMEL. Khalil is also a researcher in the field of PMEL and has numerous publications and instructs courses on PMEL.
Monika Bartosiewicz-Niziołek Monika Bartosiewicz-Niziołek Polish Evaluation Society Monika Bartosiewicz-Niziolek serves as the President and trainer of the Polish Evaluation Society, a member of the Evaluation Steering Group of the Cohesion Policy, a member of the Advisory Board of Network for Evaluation Societies in Europe (NESE), EES, and the International Evaluation Academy. Monika has expertise in various types of evaluations, mainly in the field of education and social policy. She conducts training in evaluation and is the author and co-author of more than 30 publications. A graduate of Ph.D. studies at the School for Social Research of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Post-diploma Evaluation Studies at the University of Warsaw. As an independent researcher, she evaluated more than 100 projects/programs in cooperation with public administration, universities, and NGOs. She also has experience in commissioning and supervising evaluations and providing consultancy in this area.
Mariam Chachua Evaluation Specialist Business Consultant and Evaluation Specialist, Founder of Elevate Consulting Group, and a member of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Professionals Association (MELPA), brings over 14 years of diverse experience across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. For over seven years, she has served as a trusted consultant and advisor, supporting public institutions and nonprofits in partnership with donor-funded programs. Mariam’s expertise includes regulatory impact assessment, program evaluation, and sectoral reform analysis, with a strong focus on designing effective interventions and evidence-based policies. She has successfully led complex evaluations and impact assessments for a wide range of donor-supported initiatives and public sector projects. Her work spans key sectors, including agriculture, tourism, energy and environment, regional development, and public administration. Mariam holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET).

Moderators

Name Title Biography
Michael Meskhi Monitoring & Evaluation Practitioner Michael Meskhi is monitoring and evaluation practitioner, a Microsoft Certified Data Analyst (PL-300), a multilingual humanitarian and a NOHA masters graduate.

Panel Discussion | Hybrid
June 3, 2025 12:30 PM - 13:30 PM
With this important session we will try to tackle the issue of ethics in evaluation and specifically in case of Georgia.
Session URL

Speakers

Name Title Biography
Dea Tsartsidze Evaluation Practitioner Dea Tsartsidze is an international research, monitoring, evaluation, and learning professional with over 15 years of experience spearheading complex studies and MEL initiatives across 80+ countries. She has developed innovative methodologies and evaluation frameworks for major international organizations including UN agencies, USAID, EU, and FCDO. As a faculty member at University of Georgia and partner at Research for Action, she combines academic rigor with practical expertise in establishing evidence-based monitoring systems that transform complex data into actionable insights for strategic decision-making.
Tamar Chokoraia Associate Professor, Caucasus University Tamar Chokoraia is an Associate Professor, Head of Academic Writing Center at Caucasus University. She has been engaged in the project "Responsible Conduct of Research – Research Integrity and Ethics in Georgian Universities (ETHICS)" project is a 2023–2027 EU-funded Erasmus+ initiative led by Ilia State University. Aiming to raise research standards in Georgian higher education, it brings together 10 universities—including Caucasus University—alongside 4 European partners and 3 national stakeholders to align practices with European research integrity norms.
Natia Ubilava Evaluation Expert Natia Ubilava is an experienced MEAL practitioner and evaluation expert. She holds Master’s degree in Social Science with a specialization in Applied Social Psychology, complemented by extensive experience in designing, commissioning, conducting, and reporting strategies and evaluations at both international and national levels.

Moderators

Name Title Biography
Kristine Margvelashvili MEAL Officer, WVG Kristine Margvelashvili is a Doctoral researcher at the University of Goettingen (Germany) and Ilia State University (Georgia) under the auspices of Lehmann Haupt International Doctoral Program funded by Volkswagen Foundation. She is a practitioner evaluator and researcher
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Topics and Themes

Evaluators Evaluation Comissioners Academics Civil Society Students Evaluation for a Better Future: Environmental Sustainability, Inclusion, and Peace

Event Details

  • June 3, 2025 - 09:00 AM Asia/Tbilisi
  • Georgia
  • English
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