CLEAR-FA and CESAG Advance Evidence-Informed Policy in West Africa

From 7 to 10 July 2025, the Centre Africain d’Études Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG) hosted a Summer School on “Development Methodologies” in Dakar, Senegal. The event was organized in partnership with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Fonds d’Innovation pour le Développement (FID), and J-PAL Europe and Africa.

The event brought together over 100 participants from across Africa, including researchers, project leaders, senior civil servants and public sector partners, to explore how impact evaluation can inform and improve public policy. 

The program featured a keynote address by Nobel Laureate and J-PAL co-founder Esther Duflo, who emphasized the practical value of evidence in public policy making. “Knowing whether a policy works or can work better is a public good,” she said. 

Participants engaged in three tailored tracks: an academic module for researchers, a project incubator for initiative leaders, and a policy module for Senegalese and regional decision-makers. Discussions covered a wide range of topics, including local tax reform, education innovation, digital tools for public service delivery, and the development of national evaluation systems aligned with the Senegal 2050 Agenda. 

The Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Francophone Africa (CLEAR-FA), an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), based at CESAG, played a central role in the technical and scientific coordination of the event. The center contributed to the design of learning materials and facilitated peer-to-peer dialogue among participants. 

Professor Allé Nar Diop, representing the Presidency of the Republic of Senegal, underlined the strategic importance of evaluation: “Evaluation is no longer a technical exercise imposed by donors, but a strategic lever for steering economic and social transformation.” In his closing remarks, Professor Rosaline Dado Worou Houndekon, CESAG Director General added: “CESAG is proud to contribute to the emergence of a generation of decision-makers and researchers capable of using evidence to drive lasting change in our societies.” 

As a next step, CESAG and its partners will continue to support the institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices in West Africa, building on the momentum generated in Dakar. The Summer School reaffirmed the importance of collaborative learning and systems-based approaches to strengthen national M&E ecosystems and promote evidence-informed development. 

“The institutionalization of evaluation—and impact evaluation in particular—has become a necessity in a world where the effectiveness of public policies is more demanded than ever,” said Allé Nar Diop.