Frequently Asked Questions

PDWs are one-day, in-depth professional training workshops delivered by experienced facilitators. They take place over the 2 days before the EES 2026 Biennial Conference on Monday and Tuesday and offer participants the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, exchange experiences, and engage in highly interactive learning.

The PDWs will be held on 26–27 October 2026, during the two days preceding the official opening of the EES 2026 Conference.

Anyone with relevant expertise in evaluation theory or practice may submit a proposal. Facilitators are encouraged to have prior training or workshop experience, though emerging trainers with innovative ideas are also welcome.

Proposals may address any aspect of evaluation theory and practice. Preference will be given to workshops aligned with the 2026 conference theme: “Evaluation for Vibrant Democracies”.

Relevant topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Evaluation and democratic governance
• Public policy and systems change
• Community engagement
• Climate change and sustainability
• Equity and inclusion
• Artificial intelligence and the future of evaluation
• Innovation and evaluation practice
• Evaluation of public policy transformation initiatives

• Most PDWs will be delivered in English, the main conference language.
• Exceptionally for EES 2026, two workshops delivered in French will be selected, and proposals in French are encouraged.

• Proposals must be no longer than 1,000 words (excluding biographies and supplementary information).
• Submissions must follow the structure provided in the submission form and guidelines available on the conference website.

Yes. All proposals must be fully anonymised to allow for a double-blind peer review process. A separate document containing facilitator biography/biographies and workshop experience must be submitted for review by the PDW Coordinating Team.

Yes. Facilitators who previously delivered PDWs at EES conferences are welcome to apply again. However, they are expected to update and enhance their content and, where relevant, align it with the 2026 conference theme and sub-themes.

You may submit multiple PDW proposals, and each proposal will be reviewed independently.

The deadline for proposal submission is 15 March 2026 at 23:59 CET.

Applicants will be informed of acceptance or rejection by mid-May 2026.

All proposals undergo a double-blind peer review based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to current evaluation debates
• Clarity of learning objectives and structure
• Innovation in content or learning approach
• Level of participatory and interactive engagement
• Completeness and anonymisation of the proposal

The EES PDW Coordinating Team will then conduct a final review, considering facilitator experience and overall programme balance.

EES will provide the following compensatory package:

Main facilitator:

• One free conference registration
• Two nights' accommodation in a hotel selected by the conference organisers.

Second facilitator (if applicable):

• 50% reduction in the conference registration fee

The person who submits the proposal is automatically designated as the main facilitator and the primary contact for all correspondence and benefits. If there are multiple facilitators, only one person should submit the proposal on behalf of the group.

PDW proposals must be submitted via the official submission portal available on the conference website.

Please visit the PDW webpage available on the conference website. You can also consult the Guidelines tab in the submission system, which provides detailed instructions on proposal structure, content, and requirements.

For technical assistance with your submission, please contact Conference Secretariat at ees2026@kuonitumlare.com.

For questions related to content or expertise, please contact Marlène Laeubli (marlene.laeubli@bluewin.ch) or Rosa Maria Flores (rosy.flores@lees.org.mx).

Once the final PDW selection has been made:

• All facilitators' names will be added to the final programme announcement on the conference website.
• Accepted facilitators will receive further logistical and organisational information from the conference team.
• Selected PDWs are added to the registration system and offered to participants for purchase.

For EES 2026, there are two types of submissions:

• Call A – Strands: Coordinated thematic blocks of connected sessions (“mini-conferences”)
• Call B – Individual Contributions: Stand-alone sessions: panels, fishbowls, sparking discussions, papers, and posters

Each call has its own timeline and submission requirements that can be consulted on the conference website. Call B proposals should be aligned with one of the strands selected through Call A, which will be published before Call B opens, or with the general conference strands (New Methods, Responsiveness, Systemic Learning).

• Call A (Strands) is for submitting proposals to coordinate a full thematic strand.
• Call B (Individual Submissions) is for proposing individual sessions, papers, panels, or posters within conference strands. Call B proposals should be aligned with one of the strands selected through Call A or with the general conference strands (New Methods, Responsiveness, Systemic Learning).

• Call A (Strands): 

Deadline: 31 January 2026, 23:59 CET 

Notification of acceptance: 14 February 2026 

• Call B (Individual Submissions): 

Deadline: 31 March 2026, 23:59 CET 

Please note: Due to the two-stage call structure, no deadline extensions for Call A can be granted.

Proposals must be submitted via the official EES 2026 Conference Submission Portal available on the conference website.

The person who submits the proposal will automatically be identified as the main presenter and primary contact for all future correspondence and will have to make sure that all co-presenters are registered. 

If there is more than one presenter, we kindly ask that one person coordinates and submits a single proposal on behalf of the group. 

For Call A (Strands), each strand must have two coordinators; one of them should act as the submitting coordinator.

• Individuals may submit a maximum of two proposals in total across Call A and Call B.
• If you submitted an accepted strand proposal under Call A, you may submit only one additional proposal under Call B.
• If you did not submit a strand under Call A, you may submit up to two proposals under Call B.
• An exception is granted to Thematic Working Group (TWG) leaders who submit a TWG-related contribution; in this case, they may submit a maximum of three submissions, including Strand and Individual submissions.

All conference submissions (both Call A and Call B) must be submitted in English.

Yes. All accepted presenters and co-speakers/facilitators (Call A and Call B) must register for the conference and pay the applicable registration fee. Registration deadlines will be communicated at a later stage.

Please visit the Call for Proposals webpage available on the conference website.

You can also consult the Guidelines tab in the submission portal, which provides detailed instructions, examples, and formatting requirements for both strands and individual submissions.

Yes. Both individual and group submissions are welcome. For group submissions, one person must act as the coordinator and submit the proposal on behalf of all presenters. 

The person who submits the proposal will automatically be identified as the main presenter and primary contact for all future correspondence and will have to make sure that all co-presenters are registered.

For Call A (Strands), each strand must have two coordinators; one of them should act as the submitting coordinator.

EES does not provide funding for presenters. All attendees, including presenters, are responsible for covering their own registration, travel, and accommodation expenses.

If you wish to propose an individual presentation, you may do so under Call B (opening on 14 February). You will need to select one of the accepted strands from Call A or one of the general conference strands (New Methods, Responsiveness, Systemic Learning) that aligns with your contribution. 

If relevant, the programme team and/or strand coordinators may contact you to discuss potential adaptations to your proposal in light of the overall strand development. We appreciate your cooperation and flexibility throughout this process.

Both options are possible. Please note however that a maximum of two proposals for the conference in total (across Call A and Call B) is allowed. For instance, if a strand proposal was accepted under Call A, the proposer may submit only one additional proposal under Call B. If the submitter did not participate in Call A, they may submit up to two proposals under Call B. An exception is granted to Thematic Working Group (TWG) leaders who submit a TWG-related contribution; in this case, they may submit a maximum of three submissions, including Strand and Individual submissions.

Each strand proposal under Call A must include at least one and up to six session proposals. Strand proposals will be reviewed by the EES Conference Programme Committee, which will determine how many of the proposed sessions are accepted. Any remaining slots in accepted strands will be filled with proposals submitted under Call B.

Even if a strand is full, proposers in Call B can still select the relevant strand to ensure their sessions are thematically aligned and visible in the programme alongside the main strand sessions.

Once submitted, you cannot edit your proposal. If you would like to make changes, please contact us at ees2026@kuonitumlare.com. Revisions are permitted until the submission deadline for each phase. During and after the review phase, submitters from Call A and Call B may be asked to merge, adapt, or adjust elements of their proposal of the program creation process.

Submissions are evaluated by members of the EES Conference Programme Committee and appointed peer reviewers based on relevance, quality, innovation, engagement, and alignment with the conference themes. 

A strand is a block of connected sessions focused on a shared theme within the overall conference theme Evaluation for Vibrant Democracies. Strands typically span two to three conference days and include 1-6 sessions.

The strand is accepted subject to refinement. The Programme Committee will provide guidance on how to refine or restructure the strand. This may include suggestions to adjust the number or modality of sessions, modify the focus, or explore potential alignment or merging with another strand. Any such adaptations will be discussed in consultation with the strand coordinators.

Accepted strand coordinators are expected to:

• Coordinate with session facilitators and presenters within their strand
• Collaborate with programme coordinators to finalize strand details prior to the launch of Call B
• Review Call B submissions addressed to their strand
• Finalize session structure and coherence
• Meet deadlines set by the Programme Committee

Even though final strand length and content will be confirmed after acceptance of your proposal with possible further developments, we encourage you to specify modality and provisional length for each session of your strand. It will be helpful that strand proposals include different modalities and session length.

Call B requires you to select the strand under which you are submitting your proposal. The full list of accepted strands, together with the general conference strands (New Methods, Responsiveness, Systemic Learning), will be published on 14 February.

For any further queries, please contact the conference team: lavelle.eval@gmail.com; marta.semplici@gmail.com

There is scope for discussion with the programme and strand coordinators to refine the details of the strands. This may include potential mergers or redesigns following conversations with participants who have similar interests or compatible proposals.

We encourage you to highlight potential links to other topics in your proposal. Your cooperation and flexibility regarding these adaptations are welcomed.

Notifications for Call A will be sent by 14 February 2026.

Yes. For Call B submissions, you are asked to select one of the accepted strands of Call A or one of the general conference strands (New Methods, Responsiveness, Systemic Learning) under which your proposal best fits. Accepted strands will be published on 14 February 2026. 

Strand coordinators and EES Programme Coordinators will review your submission to assess its suitability for the selected strand. Based on this review, your proposal may be assigned to a different strand than originally chosen, and proposers are expected to accept this allocation.

• Panels
• Fishbowls / Birds of a Feather sessions
• Solution-focused sessions
• Meet the Evaluation sessions
• Sparking Discussions
• Individual papers
• Posters

Yes. All submissions under Call B are subject to a double-blind peer review process conducted by members of the EES Conference Programme Committee and by coordinators from selected strands of Call A. Strand coordinators will review submissions addressed to their strand.

Proposals are assessed based on:

• Relevance to the conference theme and strand
• Quality and clarity of the proposal
• Innovation in ideas or approach
• Audience engagement and interactivity

Relevance and quality carry the greatest weight. Diversity among presenters and perspectives is strongly encouraged.

Yes. During the review process, the Programme Committee may reassign proposals to a different strand in liaison with the relevant strand coordinators if this improves thematic coherence and overall programme balance.

Yes, within limits. One individual cannot serve as the coordinator for more than one strand. However, strand coordinators may submit one additional proposal under Call B, provided they do not exceed the overall maximum of two submissions per individual. In addition, an exception is granted to Thematic Working Group (TWG) leaders who submit a TWG-related contribution; in this case, they may submit a maximum of three submissions including Strands and Individual submissions.

No. Individuals may participate in a maximum of two programme events/contributions in any capacity (presenter, moderator, or discussant). The only exception is if an individual is invited by the EES to chair a session. No other exceptions will be granted. 

In addition, an exception is granted to Thematic Working Group (TWG) leaders who submit a TWG-related contribution; in this case, they may be involved in up to three events. No other exceptions will be granted. 

If an individual is involved in more than two events/contributions, they will be disqualified from review, rejected, or, if discovered closer to the conference date, removed from the programme.