Evaluation

Furthering its work in research, the team began to explore the field of evaluations, specifically Gender Transformative Evaluations. While the teams at ISST have been undertaking evaluations since its inception, the organization made this a niche starting in 2010. A four-year-long project with IDRC and the Ford Foundation on ‘Engendering Policy Through Evaluation’ played a pivotal role at this time and solidified ISST’s position as a key player in the field of Gender Transformative Evaluations.

 

Launched in 2011 and hosted on the Ning platform, the Gender and Evaluation Community has grown into a vibrant global space for professionals committed to advancing gender-responsive and transformative evaluation practices. With over 5,300 members from across the world, the platform fosters a collaborative environment where individuals exchange ideas, share resources, and learn from one another. Through open discussions, webinars, blogs, case studies, job postings, and interactive forums, members actively contribute their knowledge and experiences from diverse contexts. Originally initiated to strengthen evaluation practices in India and globally, the community has continually evolved. Our recent initiative—the Monthly Corner—features publications, blogs, organizational updates, and highlights partnerships with networks and institutions, further enriching engagement. In celebration of our 10-year milestone, we launched a reflective process to gather insights and feedback from our members. The response was overwhelmingly positive, revealing strong interest in shaping the future direction of the community. Whether you're looking to share your work, explore new ideas, or connect with like-minded professionals, the Gender and Evaluation Community offers an inclusive, enriching space to grow and contribute.

🔗 Sign up and become a member at https://gendereval.ning.com

EvalFest 2026 - Save the Dates! February 10 - 13, 2026

Organized by the Evaluation Community of India (ECOI) and EvalYouth India, EVALFEST 2026 returns as a key platform for evaluators, practitioners, and changemakers. With the Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST) continuing its valued partnership—having contributed to the success of EvalFest in 2018, 2020, and 2022—this biennial event promises to be more impactful than ever. Theme: "Evaluations in Complex and Evolving Contexts: Harmonising Youth, Innovation, and Impact" Set against a backdrop of rapid global shifts and evolving development priorities, EvalFest 2026 will spotlight the critical intersections of youth engagement, innovative methodologies, and meaningful impact.

📌 Stay tuned for registration details and updates. Mark your calendar and be part of the conversation that’s shaping the future of evaluation!

Evaluation Studies

1. Aagewan Vikas Program: An Evaluation of Women's Grassroots Leadership - LSST and SEWA Bharat

The purpose of the evaluation is to account for the progress under the Aagewan Vikas program - 2, and the extent to which the program achieved its intended goals as well as to identify key lessons and recommendations for the future sustainability of the program. Agewans are the elected leaders in the SEWA union. They are the face of SEWA. The Agewan Vikas Program aims to train these grassroots leaders to develop their capacities to provide leadership in their communities and to enhance the socio-economic rights of workers. The evaluation is being conducted with SEWA Bharat in Bihar, Jharkhand, Nagaland, and Uttarakhand with SEWA Bharat and LSST in Gujarat.  

Phase 1 Report - SEWA Bharat Aagewan Vikas Program: An Evaluation of Women’s Grassroots Leadership across Four States of India

 

2. Report on Study to assess the impact on Mental Health and Emotional Well-being of Students across Schools in Delhi due to closure of schools on account of Covid-19 and shift to online education. 

 

3. Catalysing collective action towards a violence-free world of work for women home-based workers (HBWs) in South Asia

This project is a three-year initiative led by HomeNet South Asia Trust (HNSA) in collaboration with partners in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Led by HomeNet South Asia (HNSA), in partnership with their affiliates in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, the initiative “Catalysing collective action towards a violence-free world of work for women home-based workers (HBWs) in South Asia” embraces a multi-dimensional approach towards addressing the issue of violence and harassment in the world of home-based work ISST is engaged as the monitoring and evaluation partner for the project, assessing partner data, coordinating data collection, conducting field visits, and preparing consolidated evaluation and learning reports over a three year period 2022- 2025. ISST has shared its findings and recommendations with HNSA and the affiliates in the three countries after each year, with the final report being submitted in 2025.