Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
This blog was a collaboration among leadership members of the Evaluation Managers and Supervisors (EMS) TIG and the Graduate Students and New Evaluators (GSNE) TIG leadership: Lilly Pope (EMS Engagement Lead, Hillman Associates), Briana Thompson Ford (GSNE Chair, Ford Thinking Research & Evaluation Partners), Renee Boyer (EMS Program Chair, Syracuse City School District) and JoAnna Hillman (EMS Chair, Hillman Associates).
In a time of stress and uncertainty, many evaluators are at a career crossroads due to federal funding cuts and layoffs, leading to feelings of disorientation. They often encounter a “virtuous cycle” that includes getting a job, growing, reflecting, engaging in professional development, creating new aspirations, relocating to new roles, and repeating the process. The cycle might feel passive to professional evaluators while students and early career evaluators often overestimate the planning of their role models. During challenging crossroad phases, it is vital to find balance and maintain hope; one way for evaluators to do so is mentorship.
Recently, the Evaluation Managers and Supervisors TIG collaborated with the Graduate Student and New Evaluators TIG for a panel on what evaluation managers look for in candidates. The panel consisted of evaluation managers, several currently hiring. Seasoned evaluators shared their hard-earned wisdom while students and new evaluators shared current struggles and anxieties about entering the field of evaluation. Both groups desired opportunities for mentorship. So, what’s holding us back and how can we move towards mentoring relationships?
As evaluators navigate their careers in uncertain times, the importance of mentorship becomes increasingly clear. By addressing barriers and fostering supportive relationships, both seasoned and new evaluators can thrive, creating a more resilient and connected professional community. Embracing mentorship not only enhances individual growth but also strengthens the evaluation field as a whole.
The American Evaluation Association is hosting Evaluation Managers and SupervisorsTIG Week with our colleagues in the Evaluation Managers and Supervisors Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to AEA365 come from our Gov’t Eval TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this AEA365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the AEA365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an AEA365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to AEA365@eval.org. AEA365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. The views and opinions expressed on the AEA365 blog are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the American Evaluation Association, and/or any/all contributors to this site.