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
Purpose of this note is to provide a frame of reference, which would facilitate an evaluator/monitoring expert to take into account the relevant cultural elements that ought to be incorporated into the evaluating or monitoring processes.
However, this is not as straightforward as it may seem, for evaluation can be divided into three distinct levels on whom cultural factors may have very different types of impact.
Let us begin with the top most level where the goal of a plan/project/programme is determined. Here, assuming the utility of achieving that goal is demonstrable, one is concerned with the question whether that goal is culturally neutral or not. As an extreme example, one may cite primary education for all children, but in some cultures, its inclusion of girls may lead to unforeseen results.
At the second level, one faces the challenge whether the strategic means used to achieve one's goal are culturally acceptable. For example, a decision to farm out the execution of a project to a highly technically advanced source may attain its objective for the moment, but the local beneficiaries may not be able to maintain it in the long run owing not only to the differences in technical competence and resources, but also because of divergent work ethics.
Finally, the actual operational methodology used in the field may contain culturally objectionable elements. Sometimes, it may not be possible to avoid them except by resorting to some other and less efficient methods.
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?
Greetings!
Purpose of this note is to provide a frame of reference, which would facilitate an evaluator/monitoring expert to take into account the relevant cultural elements that ought to be incorporated into the evaluating or monitoring processes.
However, this is not as straightforward as it may seem, for evaluation can be divided into three distinct levels on whom cultural factors may have very different types of impact.
Let us begin with the top most level where the goal of a plan/project/programme is determined. Here, assuming the utility of achieving that goal is demonstrable, one is concerned with the question whether that goal is culturally neutral or not. As an extreme example, one may cite primary education for all children, but in some cultures, its inclusion of girls may lead to unforeseen results.
At the second level, one faces the challenge whether the strategic means used to achieve one's goal are culturally acceptable. For example, a decision to farm out the execution of a project to a highly technically advanced source may attain its objective for the moment, but the local beneficiaries may not be able to maintain it in the long run owing not only to the differences in technical competence and resources, but also because of divergent work ethics.
Finally, the actual operational methodology used in the field may contain culturally objectionable elements. Sometimes, it may not be possible to avoid them except by resorting to some other and less efficient methods.
Best wishes!
Lal Manavado.