Members of the Blomeyer & Sanz team recently participated in the third European Evaluation Society Learning Hub webinar, “Sparking Discussion: Facing Tomorrow – Can Evaluation Help Shape Regenerative Futures?” The session provided a valuable space for reflection on the role of evaluation in supporting more regenerative, equitable, and future-oriented systems.

Through a combination of expert presentations and practical workshops, the Learning Hub encouraged collective thinking on how the evaluation ecosystem can contribute to developing shared visions, fostering collective learning, and rethinking evaluators’ roles, particularly the shift toward more action-oriented and reflexive research practices. Discussions also explored how the evaluation community can strengthen individual and collective resilience, while identifying concrete entry points to support transformative change.

Following the plenary sessions, participants engaged in smaller discussion groups that allowed for deeper exchanges and critical reflection. Key topics addressed included the commonly held assumption that quantitative data is inherently objective or represents a higher standard of evidence. Speakers and participants alike emphasised the importance of understanding data beyond numerical information and how meaning is constructed through interpretation.

Overall, the Learning Hub underscored that in an increasingly complex global context, participatory approaches to evaluation serve as effective tools to challenge established systems and better align evaluation processes with contextual realities.