The Problem with Development Evaluation and what to do about it

Date: 30/03/2017
Type: Evaluation Matters Magazine

Development evaluation has become a strategic tool that provides a basis for organizational learning and decision-making. Organizations are better able to reflect upon their work and improve upon their future initiatives. However, learning and decision making based on evaluations continues to be a challenge for many development programs and organizations. 

Why is there poor assimilation of the lessons learned and recommendations from evaluation? Where do the problems really emanate? Is it from the users of evaluations, or from the evaluators? Is it from the policy or the process? Contributors to this issue approach the challenges of development evaluation from various perspectives, drawing on their wealth of evaluation knowledge and experience, and their grasp of the evaluation landscape in Africa.