My name is Rajib Nandi, serving as the Chairperson of the Community of Evaluators South Asia. Our mission is to promote the effectiveness of evaluation practices in the region, fostering positive social change and inclusive, equitable growth.
As an evaluator and development researcher from India, I have observed a growing debate among the young members of our community regarding the role of evaluation in instigating change within systems. They question the limitations of the current evaluation system and view dominant agencies and program theories from the global north with skepticism. The evaluation practice has, at least in this part of the world, failed to facilitate effective decision-making within programs. To establish a truly inclusive, equitable, and sustainable society needs to reform its evaluation processes by catalyzing a transformation in practices, placing human agencies at the center of evaluation, and scrutinizing the existing systems of resource distribution and power dynamics.
Currently, evaluation remains largely donor-driven in an environment lacking indigenous evaluation criteria, a national evaluation policy, or an institutionalized evaluation system. It’s also crucial to acknowledge that evaluation goes beyond assessing program effectiveness or efficiency. It also involves understanding and influencing the broader systems and structures that contribute to social problems. Therefore, discussions about transformation should consider the context of decolonizing knowledge and practices, recognizing and addressing historical power imbalances, and promoting non-western epistemic perspectives and indigenous voices.
The literature informs that within a decolonizing framework, evaluation undergoes transformation by empowering communities with agency, enabling them to establish priorities, define success, and actively participate in the design of their evaluations. The decolonization of evaluation entails questioning traditional approaches rooted in colonial perspectives. The evaluation process must incorporate local knowledge, values, and ways of knowing, while respecting diverse cultures.
It would be exceptionally challenging for a country like India to undergo the decolonizing process, given that its educational, legal, and bureaucratic systems often mirror colonial structures. Effecting the transformation of these institutions to align with decolonized principles necessitates a substantial shift in mindset, policies, and practices. Dismantling colonial institutions and fostering a voice for self-determination is an exceedingly formidable task.
India, at the same time, boasts incredible diversity, encompassing a multitude of cultures, languages, and traditions. Each region has a unique history and experience with colonialism. As decolonizing processes unfold, it is crucial to consider the diverse perspectives of different communities regarding how this process should proceed. Caste systems, deeply ingrained in India’s social fabric, represent forms of internal colonization that have historically marginalized certain groups on both social and economic levels. Here the decolonizing process involves addressing not only external colonial legacies but also dismantling deeply entrenched social hierarchies within the country. These power dynamics can be profoundly embedded, influencing not only the government’s relationship with citizens but also the interactions among social, economic, and educational institutions.
The challenges of decolonization in a country like India require thoughtful strategies that include society, institutions, and individuals. The role of evaluators in this process can be crucial if they apply decolonial approaches in their work. Despite differences regarding the value of local knowledge systems, the decolonization discourse introduces a unique dimension to philosophical foundations and methodologies. Consolidating various locally developed evaluation attributes within non-western knowledge systems poses a significant challenge for members of the evaluation communities.
Limited literature explores the theoretical and practical implications of decolonization for evaluation aligned with Indigenous paradigms, acknowledging the interconnectedness of cultures, and considering the historical context of colonization and resource distribution in South Asia. The absence of discussions on structural, legal, political, and human rights issues specific to India’s adivasi sovereigns and adivasi states in the evaluation literature complicates the task. Training initiatives emphasizing decolonial evaluation practices, along with mentoring and support for emerging evaluators from diverse backgrounds, are essential to cultivate a cadre of professionals who comprehend and apply these principles. This cadre can then develop evaluation models grounded in local contexts, encompassing both social and ecological dimensions. The decolonization of knowledge production requires the disruption of institutionalized and growth-centric neoliberal logic, as well as the reinstatement of humanitarian epistemologies.
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