ABSTRACT Evaluation is a foundational element of democratic governance and U.S. government global leadership, yet its role is increasingly contested as institutions experience political centralization, weakened capacity, and shifting global influence. This article argues that evaluation must continue being understood as democratic and transparent infrastructure whose erosion may further reshape OECD‐focused accountability, public value, and collective decision‐making and standard setting. Framed by the normative guidance of OECD and USAID transparency frameworks, and drawing on the 2023 USAID/RFS Global Leadership Evaluation alongside analyses of philanthropic expansion, the article fast‐forward to the 2025 USAID closure. Using examples from Kenya and Zimbabwe, it highlights how bilateral shifts are redefining partnership models with implications for evaluation practices. It concludes with lessons for U.S. evaluators navigating a world where public evidence systems are fragile, private actors shape epistemic authority, and democratic accountability requires rebuilding independent evaluative capacity.
ABSTRACT This article develops the concept of “sentiment evaluation,” drawing on a mid‐term evaluation by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) of its program supporting Somali diaspora activism in Somaliland. Conducted in 2014, the evaluation revealed that “sentiment,” the emotional, identity‐based attachment linking diaspora actors to their homeland, constitutes a central motivational force shaping project outcomes. At that time, DRC struggled to operationalize sentiment as an evaluative criterion because sentiment evaluation had not yet been theorized as an approach contributing to improved effectiveness and sustainability of diaspora development projects. In this article the authors wish to begin the work of theorizing sentiment evaluation, starting with a reflection on the organizational learning that followed the 2014 mid‐term evaluation, and delving into ways in which a systematic integration of sentiment into evaluation practice would enable more nuanced support strategies and enhance the transformative potential of diaspora‐driven development. The authors conclude by offering an initial theoretical articulation of sentiment evaluation, providing a foundational framework for subsequent experimentation in development programming.
ABSTRACT The evaluation field faces a political tsunami threatening the foundations of evidence‐based practice and democratic transparency. This article argues that Research on Evaluation (ROE) must adopt a proactive, three‐pronged strategy: Document, Learn & Reflect, and Advocate. ROE should systematically document the destruction of data infrastructure and learn from adaptive practitioner strategies and innovative methodologies to build resilience. Finally, ROE must advocate for its necessity by demonstrating the “cost of ignorance” and building interdisciplinary alliances to re‐legitimize evaluation as an essential public good.
ABSTRACT This article reviews the main elements of the Designing Evaluation and Communication for Impact (DECI) project approach to enhancing the learning function of evaluation. A capacity development project that provided mentoring in utilization‐focused evaluation and research communication, the DECI project incorporated a dual role as service provider and researcher. The service aimed at capacity development in evaluation design and communication planning; the research focused on the capacity development process and its outcomes. In this article, much of the emphasis is placed on how the mentoring led to organizational learning. Research outputs included case studies, from which three primers were produced. This unique combination of training with team reflection represents a form of action research. Progress markers were identified with partners to assess project outcomes, along with a summary of factors explaining both the achievements and disappointments of the project. Key lessons include establishing organizational and evaluator readiness before mentoring begins, ensuring partners have the commitment, resources, and culture required to support learning‐oriented evaluations.
ABSTRACT This case narrative details the Vancouver Foundation's (VF) journey from ad‐hoc reporting to a core internal learning and evaluation function. Catalyzed by the pandemic and motivated by the increasing need, VF established the Engagement Department to house evaluation independently. Drawing on an analysis of organizational artifacts and the author's perspective as an internal evaluation practitioner, the study explores how the intentional adoption of Utilization‐Focused, Principles‐Focused, and Participatory evaluation is driving the shift. These approaches are deployed to generate strategic insights, build internal capacity, and rigorously test the organization's commitment to equitable values. Early successes, including the Evaluation Manifesto and Learning Days, demonstrate an apparent effort to transition VF from the matchmaker stage to the community leadership model, with evaluation serving as the essential structural mechanism for mutual learning and accountability.
