The African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) has recently published its Handbook on "Made in Africa Evaluation" (pdf, epub). Authors Miché Ouédrago, Mjiba Frehiwot, Mark Abrahams, Awuor Ponge, Florence Etta, Bagele Chilisa, and Emmanuel Nii Adotei redefine evaluation practices by centering African epistemologies, values, and methodologies. This volume challenges dominant Western frameworks and advocates for a transformative, culturally grounded approach to evaluation.
From the back cover:
Divided into three comprehensive sections-Epistemology and Foundations, Theory and Methods, and Case Studies-the handbook brings together leading scholars and practitioners from across Africa. It explores a range of themes, including epistemic injustice, participatory evaluation approaches, and the African Peer Review Mechanism. Through frameworks such as the African Relational Evaluation Paradigm, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and the Swahili Evaluation Approach, contributors provide alternative perspectives that reflect African contexts and realities.
Emphasizing community empowerment, contextual relevance, and ethical accountability, this handbook not only documents the evolution of Made in Africa Evaluation but also serves as a political call to reclaim African agency in development evaluation. A vital resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, this work offers insights that bridge theory and practice, ensuring that evaluation in Africa remains authentically rooted in indigenous knowledge and transformative change.