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 same competency can look very different at each level. Through practical examples, she helps listeners understand how to position their experience more effectively, unpacks the often-unspoken factors that influence hiring and promotion decisions, and shares three concrete actions to help evaluators become stronger candidates for senior leadership roles.   www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro   Resources:  Access the Global Evaluation's Initative Competency Framework here. Download The Evaluator's Leadership Edge here. 

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 evaluation and mentors. She then outlines four risks of over-idolizing them that can have negative impacts on your career. Finally, she talks about how reflective practice can help you define your evaluator identity and protect you from these risks.    Watch the Own Your Edge Masterclass (available until August 31st 2026) Join the September 2026 cohort of The Evaluator's Edge. www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro     Resources:  Learn more about EvalSoWhite by Vidhya Shanker, PhD, and Carolina De La Rosa Mateo, MPH here and here.   

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 exact steps she is taking as an evaluator to increase her career resiliency.  In this episode you'll learn: ✔ How to build a six‑month emergency fund  ✔ How to strengthen internal and external professional connections ✔ What "work capital" is and why you need it before a layoff ✔ How to secure shareable work samples without breaking your organization's policies ✔ How to capture and quantify the impact of your evaluation work ✔ Why you should use your health, sick, and vacation benefits proactively ✔ How reducing uncertainties about the layoff process can help you www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro  

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 resource representative, or wondered how to introduce yourself as an evaluator without hiding behind a job title, this episode is for you. You'll hear real, practical examples from 9 evaluators on how they explain evaluation to friends, clients, and strangers.  In this episode you'll hear from: Evan Poncelet, Beth Snow, Sujin Chang, Nelson Jean-Francois, Judy Lifshitz, Karen Terrel Jackson, Roman Katsnelson, Carolyn Hoessler, Stephanie Spencer In this episode you'll learn: How to explain what an evaluator does in simple, clear language Real examples from program evaluators across healthcare, government, and nonprofits Why your job title isn't your professional identity How to turn "What do you do?" into a conversation starter, not an awkward moment www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro  

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. Learn more about The Evaluator's Edge and join our June cohort here.  www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro  

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 her unique value and making intentional career moves. She opens up about the mindset shifts that came from the program, how she learned to ask for what she needs (from organizations and volunteer opportunities), and why building community has become central to her career growth strategy. Learn more about The Evaluator's Edge here: https://mariamontenegro.ca/pages/join-the-evaluators-edge www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro  

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 pro-Palestine, and how emotional intelligence and compassion are not soft skills but essential tools for ethical, human-centered evaluation. From working with marginalized communities and newcomer women experiencing gender-based violence, to nurturing a growing team through collective trauma, this conversation is a masterclass in courageous leadership, decolonial practice, and the power of betting on yourself. www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro  

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 explore feminist evaluation — what it means, why it matters, and how Claudia defines it as simply good evaluation — covering key competencies like cultural responsiveness, participatory methods, and transformative practice. The conversation also touches on the emotional realities of fieldwork, protecting communities and evaluators from vicarious trauma, and Claudia's call to action for a more inclusive, gender-responsive field. www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro  

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 launching a business during crisis, the "100 calls" strategy that shaped her path, navigating consultant rates in a constrained market, balancing hope with countless rejections, and learning to find energy in uncertainty. Beeta offers practical advice for evaluators considering independent consulting, discusses AI adoption in evaluation work, and reflects on recreating professional community after institutional loss. Whether you're navigating career disruption, building an independent practice, or simply trying to find your footing in a transformed field, this episode delivers honest insights and actionable strategies for moving forward when the ground shifts beneath you.

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 organization's commitment to equity-centered work and reconciliation. Despite mounting anxieties around job security and shrinking budgets, Matt delivers a rallying message: evaluation is not a luxury but a fundamental tool for democratic accountability, and the CES community of over 1,500 members stands ready to demonstrate that our work has never been more essential. Resources:  Learn more about the CES 2026 conference here. www.mariamontenegro.ca | www.linkedin.com/in/mariamontenegro