Dr. Hazel Symonette Award For Leadership in Reflexive Evaluation Practice

 Purpose 

The Dr. Hazel Symonette Award for Leadership in Reflexive Evaluation Practice honors an individual whose career exemplifies Dr. Symonette's enduring contributions to culturally responsive evaluation through relational practice, critical self-reflection, ethical engagement, and integrative leadership. Dr. Symonette's work has transformed the field by reminding evaluators that the quality of an evaluation depends not only on the methods we employ, but also on the person who conducts it. Through her scholarship on self-as-instrument, self-in-context, and ethical border crossing, she challenges evaluators to cultivate continual self-awareness, navigate complexity with humility, and bridge differences across cultures, disciplines, institutions, and communities. Her work invites evaluators to ask not simply What matters? but also Who matters? and Who am I in this context? This award recognizes an elder whose life's work reflects these principles through sustained contributions to evaluation practice, scholarship, leadership, mentorship, and relationship-building across diverse communities and systems. 

Eligibility 

Nominees should demonstrate a distinguished record of leadership that reflects Dr. Symonette's legacy through: 

• Advancing reflective, ethical, and culturally responsive evaluation practice. 
• Demonstrating exceptional self-awareness and intentionality in evaluation (e.g., practicing self-reflection and humility in interactions). 
• Bridging disciplines, cultures, sectors, institutions, and communities. 
• Modeling relational leadership (e.g., fostering trust, inclusion, reciprocity, and authentic relationships with community partners, clients, students, and/or colleagues). 
• Supporting the growth and development of evaluators through mentorship, teaching, coaching, or capacity building. 
• Making lasting contributions that strengthen evaluation as both a profession and a human-centered practice. 

Nominees may be scholars, practitioners, educators, community leaders, or individuals whose work has significantly influenced the theory and practice of culturally responsive evaluation. Early and mid-career evaluators are encouraged to apply. 

Selection Criteria 

1. Reflective Evaluation Practice The nominee demonstrates an enduring commitment to reflective evaluation practice by intentionally examining their own positionality, assumptions, relationships, and influence within evaluation contexts. Their work reflects a lifelong commitment to learning, humility, and ethical practice. 

Examples: Being transparent about limitations and uncertainty; demonstrating growth over time; modeling reflective practice for others. 

2. Boundary-Spanning Leadership The nominee bridges differences across cultures, disciplines, sectors, institutions, or communities to create meaningful partnerships and new possibilities for evaluation practice. They serve as connectors, translators, and relationship builders across diverse contexts. 

Examples: Connecting institutions and communities; working across cultural contexts; serving as a translator across groups 

3. Relational and Human-Centered Engagement The nominee approaches evaluation through authentic relationships grounded in respect, reciprocity, cultural responsiveness, and shared learning. Their work consistently demonstrates that evaluation is fundamentally about people and the contexts in which they live and work. 

Examples: Co-developing evaluation questions and priorities; creating meaningful roles throughout the evaluation; adapting evaluation processes to cultural and community contexts 

4. Integration of Theory and Practice The nominee has successfully integrated scholarship and practice in ways that advance evaluation thinking while remaining deeply connected to real-world application. Their work demonstrates the ability to connect ideas, disciplines, and perspectives in service of stronger evaluation practice. 

Examples: Translating evaluation theory into practical approaches, tools, frameworks, protocols; using lessons from practice to advance theory; developing evaluation frameworks grounded in practice 

5. Mentorship and Professional Stewardship The nominee has made significant contributions to developing others through mentorship, coaching, teaching, leadership, or professional service, helping cultivate reflective and culturally responsive evaluators across generations. 

Examples: Creating opportunities for others to lead; opening access to professional networks; providing thoughtful coaching and feedback 

6. Lasting Influence on the Evaluation Profession The nominee's work has made a sustained and meaningful contribution to the evaluation profession by influencing how evaluators think, engage, collaborate, or practice. Their legacy extends beyond individual projects to strengthen evaluation as a field. 

Examples: Changing evaluation practice; influencing how evaluators engage with communities and partners; challenging established assumptions in the profession 

Submission Requirements 

•  Applicant contact information (name, title, organization, email, country) 
•  Nominee contact information (name, title, organization, email, relationship to nominee) 
•  Nomination statement (maximum 1,500 words) describing how the nominee embodies Dr. Symonette's legacy and addresses each evaluation criterion. 
•  Curriculum vitae or résumé. 
•  Two letters of support (e.g., community partners, colleague, supervisor, student, etc). 
•  Supporting materials (minimum of 1 and maximum of 3 samples; e.g., publications, evaluation products, presentations, creative works, or other evidence of impact). 
•  Self-nominations are permitted. 

Nominations due on Friday, September 11th.