Types of roles in evaluation
Evaluation offers a wide range of roles across different sectors, from conducting evaluations to managing systems and supporting capacity development.
This page gives an overview of the types of jobs you can find in the field, showing how diverse the opportunities can be depending on your interests and expertise. It's important to note that the terms used may vary across and within regions and organisations.
Common roles for individuals who conduct evaluation include:
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Evaluation, monitoring, and M&E officers: Work to plan, execute, and manage monitoring & evaluation activities.
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Technical or subject-matter advisors: Provide specialised knowledge and expertise in subjects such as environmental impact, gender equality, economic development, or specific methodologies or disciplines to support comprehensive evaluations.
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Data scientists and analysts: Specialise in processing and analysing quantitative and qualitative data collected during evaluations, providing critical insights for reports and recommendations.
People with evaluation careers can also work as commissioners or managers of evaluation:
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Commissioners: Those who commission evaluations oversee the process, including the preparation of Terms of Reference (TOR) documents, ensuring that evaluations meet the needs of their organisations and evaluation actors.
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Evaluation managers Manage the logistics and operations of evaluation projects, coordinating with various evaluation actors and ensuring the timely delivery of evaluation outputs.
In addition, several roles contribute to the strengthening of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems and practices, such as:
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Educators and trainers: These professionals educate and train others in evaluation methods. Their contribution to the field lies in building the next generation of evaluators and strengthening evaluation capacity.
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Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system specialists: These specialists are responsible for designing, implementing, and improving the M&E systems within an organisation. They review and revise processes, structures, and incentives to enhance the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) functions.
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Researchers: These individuals research evaluation methodologies, effectiveness, innovation, and practice. Their work contributes to the field's academic and practical knowledge base.
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Knowledge managers: These professionals oversee an organisation's collection, storage, and dissemination of evaluation knowledge. They ensure that lessons learned are accessible and utilised.
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Communications specialists: These specialists assist with effectively communicating evaluation findings to a broad audience, including stakeholders, policymakers, and the public.
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Advocates and champions: These individuals promote the importance of evaluation in various sectors.
Beyond specific roles that focus on evaluation, several professions use evaluation information and can serve as entry points to the field. Similarly, individuals with strong evaluation foundations can be an asset to these roles. Some examples include:
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Policy advisors: Use evaluation findings to inform and shape policy decisions, ensuring that evidence-based practices are implemented at various governmental and organisational levels
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Project and program managers: Those who manage programs (not specifically evaluation projects) can integrate M&E data into their workflow to monitor progress and make data-driven decisions to improve program outcomes.
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NGO and civil society workers: These individuals often use evaluation to improve the effectiveness of their initiatives and demonstrate impact to donors and stakeholders.
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Strategic planners: Use evaluation data to inform strategic planning processes, helping organisations set and achieve long-term goals.
Tips from an emerging evaluator
Higher education institutions often develop content about the career prospects for their students upon completing their programs. The websites of evaluation-specific programs can also include information about different job titles, types of work, and compensation for evaluation-related careers.
Some examples include: