RE: The pervasive power of western evaluation culture: how and in what ways do you wrestle with ensuring evaluation is culturally appropriate and beneficial to those who legitimise development aid? | Eval Forward

Hi Daniel and Pedronel,

I remember an intervention from John T. Njovu member of EvalIndigenous working in Zambia around "10 Questions Indigenous Communities Should Ask Evaluators", based on how  Indigenous knowledge has often been marginalised by colonisation or by development and in the idea that just as evaluators are asking Indigenous peoples to share their knowledge, evaluators should also be prepared to be both learners and teachers – sharing knowledge about evaluation with communities and enabling people to be part of the evaluation so they learn by doing

Here you have them, I really liked that approach! 

1. Who do you know in this community? Do the evaluators have any relationships with people in your community? Have they come with someone who can guide them in behaving respectfully? Is there someone in their team from your community?

2. What do you know about this community? Have the evaluators done ‘homework’ to get to know your community’s cultural, historical, political context? Do they understand your worldview and how you live? Do they know what it means to be Indigenous?

3. Where are you from? Are the evaluators willing to introduce themselves and share about themselves? Do they have an understanding of how their own background might differ from and be similar to the communities?

4. Do you speak our language? How will the evaluators communicate and understand you? Do they know your language or are they reliant on interpreters? What language will the evaluation be conducted in and the evaluation report be written in?

5. What do you know about the history of the initiative? Do the evaluators know how the initiative came to be in your community and whether or not the community needed or wanted it? Do they know about the decision-making behind the initiative? If not, are they curious?

6. What relationship will you have with us during this evaluation? Are the evaluators interested in working alongside community advisors? Will they be spending time in the community, both formally (for the evaluation) and informally (getting to know the community)?

7. Will people in our community get work in the evaluation? Will funding for the evaluation be spent locally, employing community members to help collect evaluation information? How will the community members be compensated for the time spent on this evaluation?

8. Will we have a say in the design of the evaluation? Has the evaluation design already been decided, or will the community be able to have input into the evaluation design, the methods used, the people who are talked to, and the way information is collected?

9. Who will be analysing the evaluation findings and writing the report? Will the evaluators collaborate with the community to analyse and report on the evaluation findings? Will community members be involved in dissemination activities (e.g., conferences, funder meetings)?

10.How will you support our use of the evaluation findings? Will the evaluation findings be available to the community? Will the community be supported to use the findings to improve the initiative and/or to advocate for change (including more funding)

 

If someone ever try this, I am sure he would love to receive feedback!

Here you have his contact: njovujt@gmail.com

Ana