To be or not to be an evaluator for transformational change: Perspectives from the global south

Abstract

In the current global neoliberal context, evaluation runs the risk of becoming another service that gives answers wanted by those who pay for it. Being a transformative evaluator entails extending the focus of action to con- tribute to public good, broadening its interest towards medium- and long-term results, and investigating the root causes of those social problems that pro- grammes and policies aim to deal with. This chapter introduces a theoretical framework on transformative evaluation based on theory and practice from the Global South. For that, it discusses a competencies profile for gender- trans- formative, context-relevant evaluations, a comprehensive approach built in Latin America. Then, selected cases are presented to identify the factors and evaluator competencies that facilitate usable evaluation and evaluations aimed at social betterment. The last section discusses the complexities underlying frequently invisible power issues and relations and the need to fine-tune one's ability to identify and address them in evaluations. The chapter stresses the importance of redefining the role and competencies needed to enhance the transformative potential of evaluators, ensuring gender responsiveness and power awareness under culturally diverse and complex realities, identifying evidence-based strategies and actions to conduct evaluations that have a pos- itive impact on people's lives.