A week-long Made in Africa Evaluation training workshop has opened in Tamale, bringing together young and emerging evaluators from six African countries to champion an indigenous approach to development evaluation rooted in African values, knowledge systems, and culture.
The intensive hands-on training, which began on Monday, is being organized by the University for Development Studies (UDS) in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation and the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA). Participants from Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Mali, and Ghana are taking part in the program aimed at replacing Western evaluation frameworks with Africa-centered methodologies.
Project Lead, Prof. Mamudu Akudugu, commended the participants for their commitment and enthusiasm in redefining evaluation on the continent. “I want to welcome you all to Tamale. For some of you, this is the tenth time you are coming on this project. For others, it’s the second time, and for some, it’s your first,” he said.
He explained that the in-person training was designed to help participants apply lessons from several weeks of online learning. “Over the last five to seven weeks, we have been meeting electronically. We have known one another only by names on paper and on screens. But we thought it was important to have this physical gathering so that we can interact face-to-face,” he noted.
Prof. Akudugu encouraged the participants to take full ownership of the week’s activities. “From today until we leave here, this gathering will be led by you, the youth, the young women and men leaders. Ours is to sit back and enjoy the ride,” he said.
He further urged them to be critical and proactive in applying what they have learned, saying, “If this enterprise is to succeed, it rests on your shoulders as young and emerging evaluators. You have the opportunity to start right.”
The Made in Africa Evaluation project, co-led by UDS and the MasterCard Foundation with support from AfrEA, seeks to transform how development programs are assessed by integrating indigenous wisdom and African perspectives. AfrEA has contributed to the intellectual foundation of the initiative through its Handbook on Made in Africa Evaluation.
To ensure effective implementation, UDS has assembled a consortium of four African consultancy organizations: the Miller Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies (MITDS) in Ghana, the Centre for Evaluation and Development (CAED) in Cameroon, OKT-Consult in Mauritania, and Africa Consultants International (ACI) in Senegal. The project’s outcomes are expected to reflect perspectives from Western, Central, and parts of Northern Africa.
The Tamale workshop combines theoretical presentations, plenary sessions, field evaluations, and community engagement. It will conclude with a graduation ceremony to celebrate participants’ achievements.
The Made in Africa Evaluation project represents a significant shift in how development initiatives are measured across the continent. It promotes decolonized, Africa-led evaluation systems that are credible, contextually relevant, and capable of driving sustainable development.
Source: www.KumasiMail.Com/JosephZiem & Prince Dawda
