Challenges and opportunities for an independent and influential evaluation practice: Findings of an exploratory study into the dynamics of evaluation professionalization in the Global South

Abstract Information: The internationalization and professionalization of evaluation practice has been underway for several decades. The 2015 UN Resolution as the Year of Evaluation gave impetus to furthering the institutionalization of evaluation among member states. The promotion of civil society capacity in demanding, supporting and participating in evaluation has also been supported, leading to the exponential increase in the number of evaluation associations in the world, from 32 in 2002 to 172 in 2023. EvalPartners and its Global Evaluation Agenda has presented both as an ambitious intervention with activities, and desired outputs and outcomes, as well as a social movement in the pursuit of evaluation professionalization across the globe.

The purpose of the study is to understand how the discourse on the development of an independent and influential evaluation practice is taking shape among local evaluation actors across a sample of countries within the Global South. A mixed method approach was used, involving a heterogeneous sample of four countries: Brazil, Ghana, Indonesia and Uganda. A literature review; study of artifacts; and semi-structured interviews were conducted with multiple groups of actors within each country, including independent evaluators, commissioners, evaluation association leadership, and key experts knowledgeable about the evaluation field and its development. Findings draw on within and across case analysis, and are presented in the form of stories or vignettes that depict tensions among differing agendas and various challenges faced. These vignettes point to implications for the further development and professionalization of the field globally.

Relevance Statement: Stories of efforts to professionalize evaluation in other parts of the world convey insight into the various factors at play within a given national context that influence how evaluation may be regarded, discussed and debated. Discussion of these stories will lead to reflection on aspects of professionalization, including independence in evaluation, role of evaluation associations in advancing professionalization, purpose of evaluation in supporting democratization and equality within society, and imported versus indigenous evaluation approaches. Understanding stories of professionalization within differing national contexts will lead to exploring professionalization within one’s own national context, as well as discussing possible theories or models of how professionalization may occur. Discussion of the research findings will highlight both challenges for the evaluation field as well as opportunities for its advancement.

The presentation is also very relevant for members of the AEA, as the AEA has demonstrated a commitment to actively engage as a member of the international evaluation community through its affiliation with multiple international bodies, including the International Organization for the Cooperation on Evaluation (IOCE), and EvalPartners.