The transformational force of the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work and live, calling into question previously unchallenged notions and ideas, and requiring us to adapt to a new reality. The sphere of development and development evaluation has not been exempt. In this time of uncertainty, the role of evaluation as a guiding beacon, based on evidence, is more important than ever.
The COVID-19 crisis has affected development evaluation in several ways. This edition of eVALUation Matters explores three aspects:
Evaluation knowledge to improve responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and future crises. Africa is in a unique position to learn from crises. What evaluative lessons are there for the wider world? And what lessons can we
draw from the past to inform the response to the present pandemic and future crises?
Evaluating the response to COVID-19. How should the interventions by national and local governments, international institutions, and development partners to tackle the pandemic be evaluated?
How evaluation itself has had to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis. How has this disease changed the way we evaluate? Is evaluation adapting
appropriately to this pandemic?