The 2026 CES National Conference will convene evaluators from Canada and abroad at a time of fiscal constraints, geopolitical uncertainty, and increasing debate over the role of empirical evidence in decision-making.

Representing the GEF IEO), Anupam Anand, Senior Evaluation Officer, will present on the IEO’s work applying geospatial analysis, artificial intelligence, and socioeconomic co-benefits in evaluation. Geeta Batra, Director of the GEF IEO, will present on the use and influence of evaluations.

The conference will explore how evaluation can provide timely, credible, and useful input to decision-making by asking relevant questions, generating appropriate evidence, and communicating findings clearly.

Participants will exchange experiences, explore emerging approaches, and strengthen their practical toolkit, with attention to diverse ways of knowing and the realities of complex policy environments. The program emphasizes balancing multiple considerations—such as accessibility, equity, Indigenous sovereignty, economic priorities, and environmental sustainability—without treating them as simple trade-offs.

Participants will leave better equipped to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and impacts of programs across sectors and contexts.