New CLEAR-AA Publication, "Equitable Evaluation: Voices from the Global South" Coming Soon

In September 2022, the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Anglophone Africa (CLEAR-AA), a GEI implementing partner, initiated the creation of a two-volume book series with the primary goal of raising awareness among development evaluators, commissioners, designers, implementers, and decision-makers about the crucial role of evaluation in addressing inequality, but more importantly, inequity in Africa. The central theme of the book series is that to effectively drive transformation towards equitable development in Africa, evaluation must scrutinize the systemic and structural factors that have shaped development challenges and reflect on the limitations of mainstream evaluation theories and approaches in dealing with these intricate issues.

The book series explains that the inequalities and inequities in Africa are driven by complex systems, emphasizing the importance of understanding these systems and mechanisms when formulating evaluation questions, approaches, and methods. Furthermore, it touches on the power dynamics between the Global North and Global South, which have not only historically influenced development challenges but also shaped the evaluation agenda and its implementation. It posits the argument that the assessment of the success of development interventions in Africa has historically been influenced by the paradigms and cultures of the Global North, neglecting the value of indigenous knowledge systems, philosophies, and cultures in generating credible evaluation evidence.

The upcoming first volume of the book series is expected to be published in December 2023, with the second volume following in the new year. Both volumes will be unveiled and launched at the 11th AfrEA Conference early next year and at the SAMEA Conference later in the year, in addition to being accessible online. As a continuation of this two-book series, CLEAR-AA will develop a practitioner's guide to equitable evaluation in Africa, a course curriculum, and a public webinar series to foster dialogue within the evaluation community, stimulating efforts to transform evaluation on the continent in pursuit of social justice and equity.