Evaluation services

The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) is an independent public good organisation with decades of experience and expertise in evaluation. We are sector-leading experts in education, with a deep understanding of curriculum and assessment, teaching and learning, and how education systems function more generally. Our work is driven by a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity.

We apply this expertise in evaluations for public, private, non-governmental and Māori organisations, as well as providing strategic advice on evaluation for clients wanting to shape their education work or conduct their own evaluations. Our services include:

Formative and process (implementation) evaluation
Outcomes and impact evaluation
Kaupapa Māori approaches
Mixed methods approaches
Theories of change / transformation and programme logic
Data analysis and visualisation
Rapid and in-depth literature reviews
Consulting and advice
Capability building for groups and organisations
Facilitation services including sense making workshops
External policy reviews.

Our evaluations can support your evaluative capability, enhance your knowledge base as well as that of the education sector, and deliver the clarity you need. To find out more, contact us here or make an enquiry using this form (also available at the bottom of this page).

Why choose NZCER for your evaluation?

Highly regarded educational experience

NZCER has been producing high quality evaluation and research for over 90 years. We have extensive experience working with schools, kura, children, ākonga and young people, working in multicultural environments, and engaging all stakeholders in a way that delivers robust, actionable insights for you.

A kaupapa Māori research unit, Te Wāhanga

Te Wāhanga has evaluation specialists who are guided by tikanga Māori and mātāpono Māori. We deliver evaluations in kaupapa Māori, Māori-medium and English-medium settings. Our work is by Māori, with Māori, for Māori, and is inclusive of individuals and collectives. We also form teams with tangata Tiriti colleagues and use methods that are compatible with kaupapa Māori approaches.

Our own independent ethics committee

NZCER has its own independent ethics committee, ensuring that all evaluation projects protect the safety of participants and adhere to our evaluation standards.

Our team of statisticians and psychometricians

Our psychometricians and statisticians are highly regarded in Aotearoa, with work ranging from national assessment projects to small-scale data analysis.

Sector-leading experts in the evaluation space

NZCER’s evaluation experts are leaders in their field, regularly presenting at ANZEA conferences and collaborating with other organisations on evaluation projects. We have relationships with partners who can undertake value for investment approaches.

Through our publishing arm, NZCER Press, we also produce Evaluation Matters – He Take Tō Te Aromatawai, supported by ANZEA (of whom we are an organisational member).

Direct relationships with our evaluators

When you work with NZCER, you will work directly with the evaluation team. They have worked with a huge range of stakeholders. They bring education, teaching, curriculum and assessment expertise and they are experienced in evaluation work involving children, young people, adults and whānau.

Independent, not-for-profit organisation

As a public good organisation, NZCER is driven by its strategic visions and goals, approved by an independently elected Board and Electoral College. We are education- and equity- driven rather than profit-driven, and have a lengthy history of delivering trustworthy, evidence-based work.