On May 31, 2022, in the context of the gLOCAL Evaluation Week, an annual learning event hosted by the Global Evaluation Initiative, IDEV evaluators took part in a discussion on “Building a career in evaluation during uncertain times.” Najade Lindsay, Knowledge Management Officer, moderated the session. Evaluator General, Karen Röt Münstermann, gave the opening remarks. She reminded the audience that IDEV historically supported young and emerging evaluators, and was happy to welcome four such evaluators to discuss their career paths.
The four panelists, namely Fatima Moussas, Racky Balde, Stephanie Yoboue and Eric Yaï, are all young evaluators who have the responsibility of supporting the IDEV work program to produce independent evaluations of the Bank’s work.
Discussions focused on the skills, knowledge, and aptitudes needed to build a successful career in evaluation. Panelists shared their experiences on how they have steered their skill set and the challenges they have faced while pursuing their career path during the difficult period of COVID-19 pandemic.
Reflecting on her experience in evaluation, Fatima Moussas, part of the AfDB Young Professionals Program, which immerses graduates into different functional areas of the Bank where they gain hands-on experience in projects and various work assignments, said, “the evaluation function gives you this chance of continuous learning because it is constantly evolving and also because it is cross-cutting.” On gaining the necessary skills, Stephanie Yoboue spoke of the importance and interest of regular trainings to keep up with practices, while Racky Balde affirmed that having a mentor when working in evaluation is essential. On the required skills set, Eric Yaï spoke of the importance of being able to conceptualize issues when designing the methodology of an evaluation.
The session ended with Najade Lindsay giving her recommendations to young evaluators based on her personal experience of climbing the ladder in institutions through internships and junior positions to become a fully-fledged staff member of the AfDB.