Foundations for a Utopia: Can Evaluation Contribute to Achieving a Better World, and How?

“Considering that we have 10 years to radically transform our societies to make them sustainable and equitable, what would be the most important action that we should implement in our practice, as evaluators?” Nine experienced evaluators, representing a variety of practices, cultures, contexts, and genders, agreed to address this question. With this article, we explore how the evaluation field could help implement the foundations for achieving this utopia. After receiving the testimonies, a content analysis was conducted to identify the salient themes. The objective was not to find a consensus based on the suggestions but to create meaning from the different ideas. The draft analysis was shared with the participants, who were invited to become co-authors. Some voiced their skepticism on the capacity of the field to envision a new utopia. All indicated the need for evaluators to transcend the status quo mindset, emphasizing the importance of working with communities to increase their self-determination. One participant also raised the importance of contributing to larger social movements. The implications for the role of the evaluator are discussed.