CLEAR-AA Releases Book on Importance of Equitable Evaluation in Africa
In February 2024, the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Anglophone Africa (CLEAR-AA), an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), released the first volume of Equitable Evaluation, Voices from the Global South. The two-volume book aims to shed light on the crucial role of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in addressing inequality and inequity in Africa.
Evidence from various sources shows that inequality is prevalent on the African continent, hence the need to focus on evaluative solutions that address the structural issues that contribute to the different forms of inequality, such as economic, political, and social inequality. Despite a plethora of development interventions in Africa, a large proportion of the population on the continent is still lacking access to basic goods and services for survival. The effectiveness of developmental programs in sub-Saharan Africa has been elusive, and minimal inroads have been made in addressing key challenges such as poverty, inequality, and the effects of climate change.
Equitable evaluation contends that conducting evaluation practices with an equity approach is more powerful, as evaluation is used as a tool for advancing equity. It emphasizes that context, culture, history, and beliefs shape the nature of evaluations, specifically in the diverse and often complex African reality. Equitable evaluation can render power to the powerless, offer a voice to the silenced, and give presence to those treated as invisible.
The CLEAR-AA publication aims to invigorate academic discussions surrounding developmental programs, with the goal of generating insights that can be utilized by evaluation commissioners and decision-makers to help address inequality and promote a more equitable society in Africa through improved evaluation processes.
The recently published first volume of the book will be launched at the 11th AfrEA International Conference, which will take place March 18 to 22 in Kigali, Rwanda. The second volume is currently under peer review.