Yan Lam

Background

About Yan Lam

I'm a seasoned policy and evaluation professional with a track record of leading evaluation initiatives across all phases of the policy development cycle. I connect policymakers and decision-makers with the evidence and analyses they need to make sound decisions. In doing so, I help my colleagues tackle problems, see their impact, and come to new courses of action with confidence. I'm a persuasive communicator who is able to build trust and translate complex policy initiatives to diverse audiences, including senior government and political officials, system partners, stakeholders, and funders. I have extensive experience in stakeholder relationship management, horizontal collaboration within and across ministries, strategic planning, partnership building, and development and implementation of significant social policy strategies. Informing what I do is a deep understanding of the policy development cycle, public administration, strategy, and how data, research, and evaluation can be leveraged to achieve policy and programming success. Alongside a career in public service, I teach, consult on, and write about evaluation. I currently serve on the adjunct faculty of both the Faculties of Education and Health Sciences at Queen's Universities, teaching evaluation methods and techniques to professionals working in the broader public sector. I also maintain an active program of research; you can find my past publications in the American Journal of Evaluation, Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, Teacher Education Quarterly, and the Canadian Association of Principals Journal. In blending both careers, I am able to bring the latest thinking on evaluation to my work, which in turn, shapes my writing and teaching.