July 2025 
by Nivedita Ranade, ETB Associate Project Director

On July 1, 2025, Expanding the Bench® (ETB) hosted its inaugural Community Forum, Building a Supportive Evaluation Ecosystem Network (B-SEEN). The event was facilitated by ACE (Advancing Culturally-responsive and Equitable) Evaluation Network Member and ACE Evaluation Network Advisory Team Workgroup Member Ryoko Yamaguchi, along with co-facilitators and fellow Advisory Team Members Maryam Khojasteh, Kevin Hong, and Carlos Romero.

Thriving in Our Evaluation Ecosystem

Ryoko introduced a thoughtful framework for B-SEEN, centering on the intentional development of a supportive evaluation ecosystem. This approach recognizes that evaluators, funders, partners, and community members all play essential roles in shaping a future where evaluation work can thrive—especially when grounded in equity, care, and a sense of abundance.

Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste

Ryoko shared a teaching from her mother: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Together, we explored how positionality, power dynamics, and access to resources affect the resilience of the evaluation ecosystem during times of crisis. As active members of this ecosystem, we reflected on how we can respond with abundance, intention, courage, and care.

Ryoko and the panelists spoke about their life stories and the lessons they’ve drawn from pivotal events to navigate today’s challenges. Participants added their own experiences, discussing the emotions and actions they’re managing professionally and personally. Despite difficult times, many shared how they are maintaining agency, purpose, and hope by focusing on building a collective network at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels.

Strengthening Relationships Across the Ecosystem

One of our primary goals for these forums is to deepen connections among members of the evaluation ecosystem who are committed to equity, inclusion, and community-led approaches. To support ongoing networking, we encourage you to reach out to someone you met or connect with new colleagues from the ACE Evaluation Network through the ACE Evaluation Network Database for future partnerships and collaborations.

Looking Ahead: Let’s Keep Building Together

A powerful theme that emerged from the forum and participant feedback was the need for more frequent, sustained spaces for connection across the evaluation ecosystem. We hear you—and planning is already underway for our second Community Forum! Stay tuned for updates, and we hope you’ll join us.

In the meantime, thank you for being part of this growing and vibrant community.

Contact the ETB Team to learn more about upcoming ACE Forums team@expandingthebanch.org.