Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) approach
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The MAE seeks to identify and develop a uniquely African approach to evaluation. It emphasizes that context, culture, history, and beliefs shape the nature of evaluations, specifically in the diverse, often complex African reality. The MAE was developed by the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA). Its objective is to promote and adapt to an African evaluation framework – an approach initiated from inside the continent and overwhelmingly supported from outside Africa. The main aspects or focus of the approach:
- Decolonisation of evaluation and evaluators, which means the transformation of evaluation knowledge and practices from global North dominance.
- Indigenisation, which means to make it African focused.
- Participation and evaluation based on mutual respect.
- Use of local knowledge, philosophy of Ubuntu, theories etc.
- Contextuality which means relevance to local situation, aspirations and priorities.
- Internationalisation of MAE.
Chilisa, B., 2015, A synthesis paper on the Made in Africa evaluation concept, African Evaluation Association, Accra.
Chilisa, B., Major, T.E., Gaotlhobogwe, M. & Mokgolodi, H., 2016, ‘Decolonizing and indigenizing evaluation practice in Africa: Toward African relational evaluation
approaches’, Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation 30(3). https://doi.
org/10.3138/cjpe.30.3.05
Dlakavu, A., Mathebula, J. & Mkhize, S., 2022, ‘Decolonising and indigenising evaluation practice in Africa: Roadmap for mainstreaming the Made in Africa Evaluation approach’, African Evaluation Journal 10(1), a620. https://doi.org/10.4102/aej.v10i1.620
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