ALG actively participated recently in a thought-provoking fishbowl session titled “Taking Stock of North-South Collaboration: Are We Doing Enough to ‘Localize’ Evaluation?” at the European Evaluation Society, EES-2024 conference held in Rimini, Italy (23-27 septembre). The session was facilitated by four professionals (evaluators and commissioners) coming from Europe, Africa, and Asia, who brought forward critical perspectives on the localization of evaluation practices.
The session illuminated several major barriers hindering localized evaluation efforts. Firstly, there is a lack of a uniform understanding of what localization entails; many grapple with defining the roles of “local” versus “international” evaluators. This ambiguity can lead to misalignment in expectations and objectives. Secondly, limited networking and collaboration opportunities between North-South evaluators exacerbate the challenges, often resulting in isolated efforts that fail to leverage diverse expertise. Additionally, institutional and cultural challenges can impede meaningful collaboration, as can the complexities associated with partnerships, procurement processes, and payment structures.
Conversely, the session highlighted pivotal enablers for localized evaluation. Access to key individuals and logistical support is crucial for ensuring culturally relevant, accurate data collection and analysis. Furthermore, mechanisms that foster collaboration between North-South evaluators can enhance the quality of proposals and evaluation outputs, ultimately leading to richer learning experiences.
For ALG, these insights reinforce our commitment to overcoming barriers to localized evaluation and improving North-South, South-South, and triangular collaboration. To address these challenges collectively, we are collaborating for the development of a project focused on mapping existing resources, building capacity, and creating a comprehensive database through an online B2B networking platform. This initiative would enable individual consultants and consulting firms to collaborate effectively with evaluation commissioners, fostering stronger business relationships and promoting sustainable partnerships across various contexts.
Given our firm’s substantial presence in over 30 African countries and the completion of numerous evaluations, we are confident in our ability to assume a critical role in the implementation of this initiative.
