Cabo Verde Builds Evaluation Capacity through Participatory Evaluation of Sustainable Development Plan

The Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Lusophone Africa and Brazil (CLEAR-LAB), an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative, leads the evaluation of Cabo Verde's Sustainable Development Strategic Plan.
Evaluators in Cabo Verde aim to build evaluation capacity by participating in the evaluation of the government's sustainable development plan. The Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Lusophone Africa and Brazil (CLEAR-LAB) is overseeing the evaluation.
news
04 April 2024

In January 2024, a team of consultants visited Cabo Verde to conduct data collection for the evaluation of the Sustainable Development Strategic Plan of the Government of Cabo Verde (PEDS). PEDS is a comprehensive plan comprising 35 programs implemented by the government between 2017 and 2021.  

"This evaluation is not solely about performing external work and sending the final results to the government," said Priscilla Bacalhau, an evaluation coordinator working on the project. "Our goal is also to engage public servants so that they can take ownership of the techniques and ensure continuous progress in the analyzed programs." 

The Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Lusophone Africa and Brazil (CLEAR-LAB), an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative, is overseeing the PEDS evaluation, which started in 2023. External consultants and government representatives are also participating in the project. The evaluation process emphasizes participation and aims to build the capacity of evaluators in the West African island country. 

"There is a pedagogy and a humility in how this evaluation has been conducted," said Arciolindo Pinheiro, an external consultant working at the National Planning Directorate of the Ministry of Finance and Business Promotion of Cabo Verde. "In previous evaluations, we only received templates to fill out, without learning anything from the process. It is essential to give people the opportunity to express their opinions, discuss concepts, and align the models afterwards." 

Although the evaluation of PEDS is ongoing, the results of the process are already evident to Arciolindo Pinheiro. "Many managers currently view the evaluation favorably," he said. "By participating in this process, I am learning a lot, and this will be reflected internally later on, as I will pass on the knowledge to the local team, enabling a more effective participation in the evaluation process."