PODCAST · business
The Evaluation Couch
by Maria Montenegro
Welcome to The Evaluation Couch, where we discuss topics related to evaluation and navigating a career in evaluation. In this space, I will share about my evaluation journey, share tips from my career advising and management experience, and invite other evaluators to hear about their perspectives. My goal is to continue promoting the use of evaluation and help evaluators build the careers they deserve.
Episodes
-
71. Stop Applying with an Entry-Level Mindset: Positioning Yourself for Evaluation Manager and Director Roles
In this episode, Maria explores why advancing into manager and director roles in evaluation requires a different mindset. Using the Global Evaluation Initiative Competency Framework, she explains how expectations evolve across individual contributor, team leader, and manager roles, and why the…
more -
70. Your Relationship With Evaluation Gurus And Why It Matters For Your Career
In this episode, Maria discusses the concept of "evaluation gurus," why the term is used, and the role our relationship with these figures can play in our careers. She introduces what people mean when they call someone an evaluation guru, and how these figures differ from grandfathers of…
more -
69. Seven Strategies to Prepare For a Potential Layoff
This episode breaks down the seven strategies every evaluator should put in place to increase their career resiliency when faced with a potential layoff. Maria discusses the emotional and physical impacts of layoffs and why no sector is immune to organizational change. She then walks through the...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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…
more -
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...
-
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…
more -
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…
more -
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…
more -
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…
more -
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…
more -
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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…
more -
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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…
more -
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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…
more -
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…
more -
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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,...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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.…
more -
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...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to The Evaluation Couch, where we discuss topics related to evaluation and navigating a career in evaluation. In this space, I will share about my evaluation journey, share tips from my career advising and management experience, and invite other evaluators to hear about their perspectives. My goal is to continue promoting the use of evaluation and help evaluators build the careers they deserve.
HOSTED BY
Maria Montenegro
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Evaluation Couch have?
The Evaluation Couch currently has 72 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Evaluation Couch about?
Welcome to The Evaluation Couch, where we discuss topics related to evaluation and navigating a career in evaluation. In this space, I will share about my evaluation journey, share tips from my career advising and management experience, and invite other evaluators to hear about their perspectives....
How often does The Evaluation Couch release new episodes?
The Evaluation Couch has 72 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Evaluation Couch?
You can listen to The Evaluation Couch on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Evaluation Couch?
The Evaluation Couch is created and hosted by Maria Montenegro.
URL copied to clipboard!