Evaluation stares at new challenges in the rapidly changing milieu. It is all the more relevant now to keep the larger questions of ‘equity’ and ‘transformation’ in focus while we deal with evaluation in the challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the challenges facing evaluations in the ‘new normal’ times. Whilst innovations and partnerships in evaluations are critical to address the complex socio-economic issues, the restrictions and the emergence of virtual mode imposed by the pandemic have challenged the entire process of evaluations in a different milieu. In one of the most populous regions of the world with various social cleavages such as caste, class, gender, and ethnicity, it is imperative to have innovative evaluation approaches that address the challenges in the times of crises to enable us to understand how various population groups react to evaluations, and how they might be effectively engaged in difficult times, particularly as pandemics prevent or restrict community interactions.

The Evaluation Conclave 2022 on the theme, EQUITY AND TRANSFORMATION: Evaluation in Challenging Times will explore the experiences from evaluations undertaken under difficult conditions, and will examine novel techniques and tools used by the evaluators. What are the specific challenges that have come up, and what are the approaches that provided the best solutions? The Evaluation Conclave 2022 will be a forum for evaluation practitioners, commissioners of evaluation, academicians, and decision-makers to share their knowledge on effective, innovative and collaborative processes that have been used to enhance the value of evaluation in promoting equity and transmission at all levels, particularly during the pandemic and which may be useful for future crises times.