MEMBERS ONLY: What Does It Mean to Decolonize Evaluation and Research?

In recent years, there has been a growing discourse on the topic of decolonizing evaluation and research. But what does it mean to “decolonize” evaluation and research—in theory and in practice? How have evaluation and research historically been “colonized”, and what are the impacts of that colonization? And, importantly, how can evaluation and research be decolonized?

During this session, panelists will discuss these questions and more, combining theory and practice to offer insights to what it means to decolonize evaluation and research, why it is important, and how it can happen.

This session is the first in a five-part series that will explore what it means to decolonize evaluation and research and will serve as the foundation for the following sessions, which seek to put this information into practice through case studies and a peer learning workshop.

Moderator

• Gunjan Veda, Senior Advisor & Coordinator of Global Collaborative Research, The Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD)

Panelists

• Dr. Bagele Chilisa, Professor of Evaluation, Theory and Practice, University of Botswana
• Tom Aston, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant
• Julie Rajaratnam, Director of Strategy, Measurement and Learning, PATH
• Dr. Jori Hall, Professor, Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methodologies program, University of Georgia

Questions to be explored

• What does it mean to “decolonize” evaluation and research—in theory and practice—in the context of international development and humanitarian programs?
• How have evaluation and research historically been “colonized”? What are the consequences/impacts of that colonization?
• How can evaluation and research approaches, tools, and methods—often seen as “one size fits all”—be adapted to ensure that they are contextually relevant and culturally appropriate?
• Evaluation and research have long been viewed as the domain of trained “experts”. How do we change that? How can we make evaluation and research more accessible to others?
• And more!