Decolonizing evaluation: From theory to practice

Seminar co-organized by LIEPP and CEPED, in partnership with Sciences Po’s Africa Programme.

June, 27th, from 2PM to 4:30PM
Sciences Po, salle du conseil, 5th floor
13 rue de l'université, 75007

Abstract

To what extent are common evaluation frameworks embedded in western and Eurocentric modes of thinking? How can we concretely alleviate structural inequalities, notably asymmetries between the global North and the global South, in evaluation practices? This seminar co-organized by LIEPP and CEPED will combine theoretical reflections on epistemic inequalities and alternative evaluative frameworks with discussions of practical initiatives to decolonize evaluation.

Presentations

• Fanny Chabrol (CEPED) and Anne Revillard (LIEPP) | Introduction
   
• Sofia Meister (IRIS, CEPED) | How do epistemic inequalities inform methodological reflexivity in the social sciences? 

Since the publication of Miranda Fricker’s seminal work Epistemic Injustice (2007), the academic debate has contributed to formalizing a new field of inquiry into social inequalities and power relations as they pertain to knowledge and epistemic authority, approached through the lens of social interactions and, in particular, the social conditions of speech — a domain already explored by Pierre Bourdieu. This presentation aims to revisit the conceptual framing of testimonial and hermeneutical injustice and epistemic objectification, drawing on the body of feminist epistemologies. These theoretical contributions help reinvigorate and deepen long-standing methodological reflections on fieldwork practices in the social sciences. In doing so, they open space for new forms of critical experimentation, especially within radical participatory research (Godrie et al., 2022). 

• Chloé Alexandre (CIRAD) | Promises and Limitations of Outcome-Oriented Approaches to Develop More Equitable Research Interventions in a Post-development Context: The Case of the ImpresS ex ante Participatory Approach for Intervention Strategic Planning in West Africa 

In 2020, CIRAD (the French Research Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development) developed the ImpresS ex ante approach for intervention strategic planning, a participatory approach that aims to support transdisciplinary research groups in building the intended impact pathway of an intervention and then monitor its implementation. Based on two case studies in West Africa, this presentation explores the potential and limitations of this approach for building more equitable research interventions by ensuring greater inclusiveness in the framing of issues addressed, objectives and planned activities, and in their implementation. Drawing on literature from development socio-anthropology, participatory evaluation, and critical management, we examine how equity and power asymmetries are perceived by the actors involved in these interventions, which actors were most influential in the overall process, which objects or issues generated disagreement or negotiation, and which factors hindered the initial ideal of participation and equity. Overall, this study aims to promote critical reflection on how to operationalize the decolonization of research by analyzing if and how management tools used to plan, monitor and evaluate research interventions can mitigate power asymmetries. 

• Almas Mazigo (University of Dar es Salaam) | Made in Africa, Made from Proverbs: Building Evaluation Frameworks from Indigenous Wisdom 

This talk presents a methodological framework for transforming Swahili proverbs into culturally grounded evaluation theory, contributing to the broader agenda of decolonizing evaluation. Drawing on indigenous oral traditions as legitimate sources of knowledge, the approach repositions proverbs as theorists of value, ethical guides, and indicators of change. Through a three-phase process—Identification, Interpretive Mapping, and Philosophical Synthesis—the framework generates ontological, epistemological, axiological, and methodological foundations rooted in African worldviews. Rather than adapting Western paradigms to local contexts, this model builds theory from within indigenous wisdom systems. It offers a practical and replicable methodology for evaluators seeking to engage meaningfully with local knowledge, ethical priorities, and cultural narratives. By treating proverbs not as folklore but as frameworks, the talk challenges epistemic hierarchies and advances methodological innovation. This work affirms that oral traditions can ground rigorous, reflective, and contextually resonant evaluation—opening new pathways for practice, training, and theory-building across diverse cultural settings.