Teaching Africa-rooted evaluation: Using a “model client” innovation to help shift the locus of knowledge production

Abstract

Evaluators working on the African continent are increasingly tasked with reflecting critically on how they might integrate African methods, culture, and knowledge systems into both evaluation teaching and practice. This practice note reflects on one small but potentially significant step toward this: revisiting how we deliver our Principles of Programme Evaluation module at the University of Cape Town. Our idea, which we call a “model client” approach, was to bring on board the evaluation client as a co-learner in the classroom environment. Through a series of instructor-facilitated client-student engagements, which unfolded within the classroom space, we (the instructors, students, and client) arrived at a co-created understanding of the program logic and co-determined the evaluation questions and evaluation approach. Key challenges in implementing this approach included managing the client's sense of vulnerability, student inexperience in evaluation theory and practice, and a conspicuous shortage of African-generated evaluation case studies and texts.