The Evaluation Couch
The Evaluation Couch is a podcast that explores topics related to evaluation and building a career in evaluation. Host Maria Montenegro shares her personal evaluation journey, offers tips from her career advising and management experience, and interviews other evaluators to gain their perspectives. The goal is to promote the use of evaluation and help evaluators develop the careers they deserve.
Episodes
68. How Evaluators Answer "What Do You Do?" Live from C2026
Ever dreaded explaining what you do as an evaluator? In this episode, recorded live at the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) 2026 conference in Edmonton, real evaluators share the most ridiculous reactions they've gotten when explaining their profession and how they go about explaining what they do. If you've ever struggled to explain program evaluation, been mistaken for an auditor or a human re
67. How Amy Built Career Clarity and Landed a Director-Level Evaluation Role
In this episode, Maria sits down with Amy Gray, Director of Evaluation and Learning, to discuss her journey through career uncertainty, imposter syndrome, and finding alignment in the evaluation field. Amy shares how she moved from feeling stuck and questioning her abilities to discovering her strengths, building confidence, and landing an exciting new role aligned with her values and goals. Lear
66. Too Junior for Senior Roles, Too Senior For Junior Ones? How Hairat Found Her Way
What happens when a skilled evaluator realizes she knows more than she gives herself credit for? In this episode, we sit down with Hairat, a consultant and evaluator passionate about racial equity and justice, who completed The Evaluator's Edge coaching program. Hairat shares how she went from feeling stuck being too senior for junior roles, too junior for senior ones, to confidently articulating
65. Women in Evaluation | How Doaa Abou Hussein Built a Pro-Palestine, Impact-Driven Consulting Firm
In this episode, Maria sits down with Doaa Abou Hussein, co-founder of Kindred Purpose Consultants, to explore what it truly means to build a business around your values. Doaa shares her journey from evaluation professional to entrepreneur, including the pivotal moment in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon that solidified her mission, why she made the bold decision to brand her company as openly
64. Women in Evaluation | Feminist Evaluation, Caregiving, and Identity with Claudia Olavarría
This episode is the first one of a series celebrating International Women's Month. Maria sits with Claudia Olavarría, an evaluator from Chile with 15 years of experience in international development. Claudia shares her journey navigating a career as a mother of four, building a consultancy while balancing caregiving responsibilities, and the support networks that made it possible. Together they ex
63. One Year On: Rebuilding After Career Disruption and Launching a Business with Beeta Tahmassebi
In the third episode of the "One Year On" series, Beeta Tahmassebi shares her journey from 25-year organizational leader to first-time entrepreneur. After leaving her role amid widespread sector upheaval and USAID's shutdown, Beeta founded Illuminate, a consulting firm and learning center built on urgency, resilience, and community. In this conversation with Maria, she reveals the realities of lau
62. One Year On: Resiliency, Advocacy, and CES Leadership with Matt Sanscartier
In the second episode of the One Year On series, the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) President Matt Sanscartier reflects on the impacts to the field of evaluation over the last twelve months. Matt discusses the differences between ideological attacks on evidence in the US versus fiscal pressures in Canada, CES's strategic response through advocacy and expanded membership outreach, and the organi
61. One Year On: Leading AEA Through The Inflection Point with Karen Jackson
In this episode of the "One Year On" series, Maria speaks with Karen Jackson, the 2025 President of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), about navigating one of the most disruptive years in the field of evaluation. Karen reflects on leading AEA through multiple crises while balancing roles as university faculty and consultant. She discusses the October 2025 "Morning After Coalition" call to
60. Making Learning Real in MEL with Florence Randari
Adding "learning" to a job title doesn't mean learning is actually happening. In this episode, Florence Randari breaks down what it really takes to operationalize the "L" in MEL. Florence explains why MEL systems often fail to support learning even when rebranded as "MEL," and what needs to change. Florence discusses the difference between evaluation questions and learning questions, the competenc
59. Six Strategies That Accelerated My Evaluation Career
In this episode, Maria shares how she fast-tracked her evaluation career in under four years without needing the typical 8-10 years of experience. She breaks down the "career growth fallacy" that holds many evaluators back and discusses six key strategies that accelerated her journey. This episode offers practical insights on how to create meaningful growth without waiting for arbitrary experience
58. Personality Types and Leadership in Evaluation
Do you ever wonder if your personality is "right" for leadership in evaluation? In this episode, Maria challenges the myth that only certain personality types belong in leadership roles by exploring what research says about personality and leadership, why extroverts are overrepresented in leadership positions, and how introverts can be just as effective depending on the team context. Using the D.O
57. How AI Is Transforming Evaluation Consulting with Slavica Stevanovic
In this episode, Maria interviews Slavica Stevanovic from Qatalyst Research Group, about the integration of artificial intelligence in evaluation consulting. Slavica shares how Qatalyst's early investment into technology allowed it to adopt artificial intelligence to streamline processes and deliver client solutions. The discussion covers the implications of artificial intelligence on evaluation c
56. Visibility Through Consistency: Cecilia Eva Beloqui's LinkedIn Journey
In this episode, evaluator Cecilia Eva Beloqui shares her inspiring journey of building visibility and community through daily posting on LinkedIn. She reflects on the discipline and consistency it took to commit to sharing resources every day for a year, the challenges of creating meaningful content, and the powerful connections and collaborations that emerged as a result. Cecilia discusses how c
55. An Evaluator's Journey into Portfolio Careers: Mishkah Teladia's Story
In this episode, Mishkah Teladia shares her journey into a portfolio career, discussing her transition from a long-standing role in international development to exploring diverse opportunities that align with her purpose. She emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, the value of relational intelligence, and the need for flexibility in today's evolving work landscape. Mishkah also reflects on t
54. Embracing Portfolio Careers With Kelsi Kriitmaa
In this episode, Maria Montenegro is joined by Kelsi Kriitmaa to explore the concept of portfolio careers. They discuss the evolving landscape of work, particularly in the social impact sector, and how portfolio careers can offer flexibility and diverse opportunities. Kelsi shares her personal journey from a traditional career path that started in evaluation to embracing multiple roles, including
53. Making The Case For Evaluation (Live from Eval25)
Live from Eval25 in Kansas City, Maria sits down with Denise Baer, Nathan Varnell, and Nina Sabarre for a dynamic conversation on the future of evaluation. Together, they explore why advocating for evaluation has never been more critical in the face of recent disruptions to the field. The guests reflect on what makes these challenges unique, highlight opportunities to strengthen the case for evalu
52. Owning Your Path: Mahesh's Career Story
In this conversation, Mahesh Krishnan Ramesh shares his journey of pursuing a career in public policy and evaluation. He discusses the cultural challenges of becoming an evaluator in India, the innovative approaches he has taken in his career, and the significance of mentorship and networking. He concludes with valuable advice for emerging evaluators on advocating for evaluation in various sectors
51. Interviewing With Your Edge Part 2
In this episode, Maria shares actionable strategies to help you interview with confidence and land the evaluation roles you're ready for. She breaks down the three most common types of interview questions, what interviewers are really looking for with each, and how to tailor your responses using real evaluation examples. You'll learn a simple framework to structure your answers with clarity and se
50. Interviewing With Your Edge Part 1
This episode focuses on how to answer the common interview question, "Tell me about yourself." Maria explains why this question is important, outlines common mistakes evaluators make when answering this question, and introduces a simple framework for structuring your answer. The episode includes examples from three evaluators, with feedback on what worked and what could be improved. Throughout the
49. Your Career Logic Model
This episode focuses on how evaluators can apply the principles of logic models to their own career development. Maria shares how using logic models to map our our career helps us better understand the inputs, activities, and outputs essential to achieving our career goals. The episode discusses the default logic model most people hold about how their actions lead to outcomes in their careers. She
48. The 6 Myths That Hold Evaluators Back In Their Careers
In this episode, Maria discusses six common myths that can hold back careers in evaluation including the belief that you need a PhD, must specialize, or need to keep collecting credentials to succeed. This episode explores where each of these myths come from, how they impact career growth and satisfaction, and why letting go of them can open up new possibilities. Through real-world examples and pr
47. Feeling Like an Imposter as an Evaluator with John LaVelle
In this episode, Maria speaks with researcher and evaluation expert John LaVelle about their study on the imposter phenomenon among evaluators. They explore why feelings of imposterism are common among evaluators and how professional identity and community influence these experiences. The conversation highlights the unique challenges evaluators face and the strategies they use to cope with imposte
46. Building Your Consulting Sales Pipeline with Paul Bakker
In this episode, Paul Bakker joins The Evaluation Couch to share his insights on how a sales pipeline can support an evaluator's independent consulting business. Paul explains how he tracks different types of leads—open RFPs, vendor-of-record opportunities, and sole-source contracts—assigning the likelihood of these materializing into contracts. He shares how he has used a sales pipeline to projec
45. Turning Learning Into Action: Building Evaluation Capacity with Allison Prieur
In this episode, Allison Prieur joins Maria to discuss her experience participating in the Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC3). Allison shares how she overcome her hesitation to apply to the program and how this experience has changed her evaluation practice. Maria and Allison share their reflections on applying the learnings from EC3 in their practice including the successes and challenges t
44. Three Times I Almost Stand In The Way Of My Own Career Growth
In this episode, Maria discusses how our brains are designed to make meaning out of our experiences and our place in the world. She shares three personal stories when she held narratives that hindered her career growth. She shares how building her confidence, expanding her knowledge of the field of evaluation, and an unexpected life experience can shift these beliefs. The episode concludes with ad
43. Why and How To Detach Your Identity From Your Job Title
In this episode, Maria shares the importance of detaching one's identity and self-worth from job titles. She discusses how job titles are arbitrary, often don't reflect actual skills or responsibilities, and can negatively impact mental health by fostering unhealthy comparisons. She offers practical tips on how to focus on one's achievements, skills, and contributions instead of job titles, and ho
42. Redefining Compensation Practices in Evaluation: A Conversation with Corey Newhouse and Komani Cedano
In this episode, Corey Newhouse and Komani Cedano join Maria to share their experiences and practices to improve compensation in their businesses. They share their personal journeys, challenges faced, and steps taken towards transparent compensation practices, including setting salaries, yearly raises, and benchmarking. They both highlight the need for transparency, equity, and continuous improvem
41. From Passive to Proactive: Improving Your Job Search Strategy
In this episode, Maria discusses the importance of adopting a proactive job search approach instead of a passive one to improve employment outcomes. Maria shares four key strategies to improve your job search process: obtaining real-world information about posted jobs, proactively exploring opportunities, accessing the hidden job market, and using strategic visibility. Each of these are detailed w
40. Reflections from the Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC3)
In this episode, Maria shares how her participation in the Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC3) was a turning point for her career. EC3 is an experiential learning program hosted by the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. This program focuses on developing evaluation capacity building skills while supporting real organizations through tailored plans. For four months, Maria
39. The PhD Dilemma: My Experience In Academia
In this episode, Maria reflects on her experiences in academia and how they've shaped her perspective on whether a PhD is needed for a career in evaluation. She shares the moment she first recognized the deep-rooted imposter syndrome in the evaluation community for those without a PhD. She shares her personal academic journey, including a challenging master's thesis in Peru, experiences with super
38. Five Career Reminders Grief Has Given Me
In this episode, Maria reflects on her experience of losing her beloved dog and the deeper impact it had on her sense of identity. She draws parallels between how her dog Safi shaped her identity and how our evaluation careers shape our identities. She discusses why change can sometimes bring its own kind of grief throughout our career. She shares five key reminders this period of grief has given
37. Cathexis Consulting on Being a B Corp
In this episode, Melissa McGuire and Liz Martin of Cathexis Consulting reflect on their journey as a certified B Corporation. Cathexis, an independent evaluation firm based in Canada, has been B Corp certified since 2019. This episode describes what it means to be a B Corporation and why the certification matters. Melissa and Liz share insights from Cathexis's own certification process, including
36. Work-Life Integration in Evaluation: A Conversation With Giovanna Montagner
This episode features Giovanna Montagner, an evaluator and Integrated Life Advocate with Third Path Institute. Giovanna shares her insights on work-life integration, contrasting it with the commonly discussed work-life balance. She explains work-life integration as an ongoing process to align work, family, community, and self-care according to personal priorities. Giovanna recounts her personal jo
35. Becoming a Credentialed Evaluator: Would I Do It Over?
In this episode, Maria reflects on her experience of becoming a Credentialed Evaluator through the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) and explores the evolving professionalization of the evaluation field. She examines both the support and skepticism surrounding the credentialing process, presenting key arguments for and against the program. Drawing from her own journey, Maria offers thoughtful insi
34. Growing Your Career with Evaluation Competencies
In this episode, Maria explores how evaluation competencies can help you grow into a stronger evaluator. She breaks down what evaluation competencies are and offers practical advice on selecting a framework to guide your career development. Maria also discusses how these competencies can ease the sense of overwhelm that often comes with building an evaluation career, allowing you to focus your eff
33. Leaders Transforming Evaluation Workplaces: Nina Sabarre
This episode series features inspiring women who are transforming the way evaluation businesses work by creating workplaces that are people-centered. In this episode, Nina Sabarre, founder and CEO of Intention 2 Impact (I2I), discusses the values-driven approach of her social impact consulting firm. Nina reflects on her past experiences with leadership and the importance of creating a supportive,
32. Leaders Transforming Evaluation Workplaces: Monique Liston
This episode series features inspiring women who are transforming the way evaluation businesses work by creating workplaces that are people-centered. In this episode, Monique Liston from Ubuntu, an organization dedicated to racial equity, shares insights into Ubuntu's mission, practices, and organizational philosophy. Monique talks about her abolitionist leadership and how Ubuntu aims to create a
31. Leaders Transforming Evaluation Workplaces: Kat Haugh
This episode series features inspiring women who are transforming the way evaluation businesses work by creating workplaces that are people-centered. In this episode, Kat Haugh from Convive Collective shares her journey of creating a people-centered workplace that embraces flexibility, authenticity, and well-being. She discusses the principles of human design and how they have helped her create an
30. Transitions Across Sectors with Eric Barela
In this episode, Eric Barela shares his career journey spanning 20 years in various sectors, including non-profits, foundations, and corporate settings. Eric discusses his roles in differet organizations and his recent shift to consulting. Eric reflects on the importance of support systems, both personal and professional, and emphasizes the need for evaluators to remain adaptable and continuously
29. Ratiba's Learnings From Navigating Uncertainty in International Development
In this episode, Ratiba Taouti Cherif joins Maria to share insights from her 20 years of experience in international development. Together, they explore Ratiba's learnings from navigating uncertainty in this space: Your industry is not your identity You will lose networks and build new ones Diverisying income isn't a backup plan. It's a power move The future of work is independent and global Si
28. Transitioning to Corporate Philanthropy with Veronica Olazabal
In this episode, Maria interviews Veronica Olazabal about transitioning as an evaluator into the private sector, focusing on philanthropy and corporate philanthropy. Veronica shares her experiences, the skills required for such transitions, and the differences evaluators may face in corporate settings. She also offers key advice for those considering this transition such as understanding different
27. Building Community: A Dialogue on Values and Collaborative Reflective Practice
This episode features Libby Smith, Deven Wisner, and Tiffany Tovey who share about their new community of practice for higher education evaluators and assessment professionals. This episode discusses alignment with our values, the value of collaborative reflective practice, and the role of community in navigating professional challenges. Resources Learn more about... Libby's work through her web
26. The Power of Community in Our Careers: A Conversation with Torriel Harris
This episode features Torriel Harris, a career coach who is on a mission to help 500 women in their careers. The episode starts with a discussion of how community can help us heal from career related events. Then, Torriel shares her views on building community, how community has played a role in her career, and how she is incorporating community in her coaching program "Command the Room, Sis!". Ma
25. Navigating Salary Negotiations as a Woman
In this episode Maria shares stories of her experieces negotiating job offers. The episode starts with statistics and research findings related to women and men's perceptions and experiences towards negotiating. Then, Maria shares stories from her career when she negotiated a salary offer and the lessons she learned from each of those experiences. Resources: The book Maria references in the ep
24. The Evaluation Hiring Perspective: Resume Myths and Tips
In this episode, Shelby Corley and Stephanie Mui join Maria to discuss myths and questions about resumes based on their perspectives hiring for evaluation positions. They discuss their preferences when reviewing applications and provide valuable tips for those seeking to apply to evaluation jobs.
23. Writing Cover Letters
This episode covers why cover letters are important and provides guidelines to write them effectively. Maria shares examples of effective cover letters she has written in the past. This episode also includes an exercise you can work through to identify effective stories for your cover letters. The statistics mentioned in this episode come from this study.
22. Knocking On Other Doors
In this episode, Diego Luces shares a story about how he knocked on a company's door and ended up landing on a job when he was still a fairly new immigrant in Canada. Diego shares what motivated him to take this risk and how he maintained a positive mindset after being rejected in his job search process. He offers useful advice to help others navigate the job search process. This episode discusses
21. Beyond the Basics: Transforming Your Resume
In this episode, Maria provides useful content to help you transform your resume. This episode covers the cognitive processes behind common resume tips, general rules for effective resumes and how to organize your information. Maria shares three frameworks you can adopt to write effective work experience content. She also shares things to avoid using real-life examples to showcase how to improve y
20. Amplifying Eval24 Voices: Career Risks, Goals, and Advice
This episode features several attendees of Eval24, the 2024 American Evaluation Association conference that took place in Portland, Oregon. Maria engaged several attendees to ask them about risks they have taken in their careers, goals they are working towards and advice they would give their younger selves. This episode features several amazing evaluators. I am grateful for their generosity with
19. To Apply or Not To Apply
This episodes focuses on our experiences of getting stuck when deciding whether to apply to a job or not. Maria shares experiences when getting stuck and building scenarios based on speculation have led her to not take action. She explains how our brain makes decisions and discusses some narratives or biases that can promote the decision loop that might lead to inaction. Finally, she shares a fram
18. How to Tailor Your Job Application
This episode is a how-to guide for tailoring your job application. Maria provides an overview of why it is important to tailor your application and how to overcome barriers getting in the way of creating a relevant and concise application. She demonstrates the process she would follow to tailor an application by using a real job posting as an example. The episode discusses Artificial Intelligence
17. Healthy Job Search Mindset Part 3: Identifying Your Strengths to Improve Your Story
This is the last episode in the series dedicated to healthy job search mindsets. In this episode, Maria discusses the importance of developing your story, the narrative that describes your uniqueness and the value you add to a job. This episode focuses on an important component of your story: your strengths. Reconnecting with your strenghts will not only allow you to stand out but will also increa
16. Healthy Job Search Mindset Part 2: Embracing Failure, Grit, and Resilience
Welcome to the second episode in our series dedicated to job searching and maintaining a healthy mindset throughout the process. In this episode, Maria provides several practical actions you can take to embrace failure as part of the job search process and increase your grit and resilience to overcome job rejections. Resources: Angela Lee Duckworth on Grit Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
15. Healthy Job Search Mindset Part 1: Maintaining Your Perspective
Welcome to the first episode in our series dedicated to job searching and maintaining a healthy mindset throughout the process. In this episode, Maria explores the external factors that can impact your job search outcomes. By understanding these factors and gaining insight into the inner workings of the organizations you're applying to, you can shift your perspective and protect your self-esteem d
14. Beyond Attending: Leveraging Conferences to Grow Your Career
In this episode Maria shares her strategy for leveraging conference to grow your career. This episode includes actionable steps you can take before, during, and after conferences to move closer towards your career goals.
13. Navigating Our Fear Zone: Insights From Launching My Podcast
In this episode, Maria explores why some people take action while others don't. This episode discusses the process of stepping outside our comfort zone and navigating our fear zone to reach our growth zone. She shares how she experienced and overcame the fear zone when she launched The Evaluation Couch. She then shares tips you can try out to navigate your own fear zones and her reflections on all
12. The Ink that Connects Us: Stories of Evaluators
In this episode Christine Wise and David J. Hanson join Maria to share about Eval and Ink. Eval and Ink aims to unveil the identities and elevate the voices of evaluators by exploring the narratives behind their tattoos. Christine and David share the story behind this project and reflect on the powerful experience of connecting with others who are sharing the stories of their tatoos with them. Thi
11. Doodling a YOU Career: A Conversation With Chris Lysy
Chris Lysy, from Fresh Spectrum, sits in the couch to share how he built a special career by leaning into his interests and diversifying his skills. Chris shares how he became the artist behind thousands of evaluation cartoons and shares valuable tips related to exploring our interests, finding opportunities, starting a consulting business, and creating content. Visit Chris' website for free re
10. Bridging the Generational Gap: Transforming Workplaces for Younger Generations
In this episode, Maria highlights the value that younger generations bring to workplaces and the importance of understanding generational differences to build better working conditions for all. This episode provides an overview of the historical and contextual factors that influence the motivations and expectations of different generations. It also provides suggestions of how we can transform work
9. Our Use of AI: Barriers and Self-Limiting Beliefs
Diego Luces joins Maria to discuss evaluators' use of artificial intelligence (AI). Diego brings a lens to this discussion from his work as a software engineer working on AI tools. This episode discusses barriers and self-limiting beliefs that evaluators shared with Maria about AI. It includes suggestions for how evaluators can address some of their concerns and reframe their limiting beliefs if t
8. Reframing a Bad Job Experience
In this episode, Maria reflects on the role that a bad job experience can have in shaping our careers. She shares her own learnings from a bad job and how reframing her experience has helped her learn how to navigate future challenges. The episode also includes tips to help you reframe challenging job experiences to turn them into learning opportunities.
7. Navigating Scarcity Mindset: Earning Potential in Evaluation
In this episode, Maria discusses her experience with scarcity mindset around the earning potential of a career in evaluation. She introduces the concept of scarcity mindset and how it can impact your decisions, stress, and well-being. This episode discusses the importance of talking about money and having compensation information to make career decisions. Maria shares a few steps you can take if y
6. Lifelong Learning and Career Goals: A Conversation with Michelle Anderson-Draper
In this episode, Maria interviews the incoming Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) President, Michelle Anderson-Draper. Michelle reflects on her journey in evaluation, the role of planned happenstance in her career and her hopes for her presidency term. Throughout the conversation, Michelle shares her own careeer goals, highlights the value of lifelong learning and provides valuable tips to help eva
5. Plain Language: Seven Tips to Help You Use Appropriate Words
In this episode, Maria honours her friend and colleague Carol Wilson, celebrating her retirement by emphasizing the importance of using plain language in evaluation. The episode offers a brief introduction to Plain Language and provides seven practical tips to improve your communication by using words that are appropriate for your audience. This episode was informed by Maria's experiences as well
4. ADHD and Evaluation: A Strengths-Based Reflection
To celebrate Mental Health Month, Maria uses storytelling to promote discussions around mental health and celebrate the diversity within individuals in the evaluation profession. Maria shares her story navigating her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD and how she has used a strengths-based approach to asses how her neurodivergence makes her a better evaluator. This episode provides a
3. Elections and Reflections: Leading EvalYouth
Gabriela Rentería Flores, Chair of the EvalYouth Global Network, joins The Evaluation Couch to share her reflections. As we approach the upcoming elections for a new Management Group, this episode introduces EvalYouth and dives into the experiences of both Maria and Gaby. They discuss career opportunities, valuable learnings, and the sacrifices inherent in taking on leadership roles within EvalYou
2. Planned Happenstance
In this episode, Maria discusses Planned Happenstance, a career development theory. Maria provides an overview of Planned Happenstance and the five attitudes or skills that can help you make the most of chance events. She shares three tips that can help you adopt this theory to grow your career.
1. Positionality Statements
In this episode, Maria discusses positionality statements and shares her positionality statement for The Evaluation Couch. This episode includes a brief introduction to positionality statements and examples of how evaluators use them in their practice. Maria shares aspects of her identity and position in this world relevant to the topics that will be discussed in this podcast. She shares three tip
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