We talk a lot about what evaluation is. Methods, models, frameworks, competencies. All the pieces we use to make sense of complex systems. But what about the people doing the work. How do we think, learn, and navigate the field, especially at a time when artificial intelligence is influencing how knowledge is created, interpreted, and judged.

In this episode, Dr Bianca Montrosse Moorhead helps us look beneath the surface of evaluation practice. We explore the classic fox and hedgehog metaphor and what it reveals about how evaluators operate, why our tendencies matter, and how identity shapes the judgments we make. From training the next generation of evaluators to working with the rapid rise of AI, Bianca brings a grounded and thoughtful perspective on where the field is heading and what it asks of us.

Tenille is on leave this week, so Matt is flying solo. Thankfully Bianca is here to keep him company as the two wander through philosophy, practice, technology and the big questions about value and purpose in evaluation.

If you like what you hear sign up for our mailing list! We share resources, publications, and other ways to learn. You can also find Matt and Tenille on LinkedIn, or visit our website.

Resources from the episode:

• Evaluation Foundations Revisited: Cultivating a Life of the Mindful Practitioner by Thomas A Schwandt
• Evaluation Essentials: From A to Z by Marvin C Alkin, Anne T Vo and Christina A Christie
• Core Concepts in Evaluation: Classic Writings and Contemporary Commentary edited by Lori Wingate, Ayesha Boyce, Lyssa Wilson Becho and Kelly Robertson
• Evaluation Criteria for Artificial Intelligence by Bianca Montrosse Moorhead

And keep an eye out for Using Generative AI in Evaluation Practice edited by Carrie Bruce, Valentine Gandhi and Stephan Bony - it's not yet released but will be coming soon and will be open-access.