Sustainability-Inclusive Approach to Country-Led Evaluations
In view of global ecological crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and deforestation, incorporating ecological sustainability into all types of evaluations is increasingly important.
To promote the adaption of environmentally sustainable approaches, we at the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) we have been facilitating the first-ever country- led Sustainability- inclusive Evaluation , implemented by the Colombian National Planning Department.
The evaluation draws on the so-called Footprint evaluation approach, which was developed by a group of internationally renowned evaluators – the Footprint Evaluation Initiative (FEI). It describes an innovative approach that systematically incorporates environmental sustainability aspects into all types of evaluations while also taking social aspects into account.
Since early 2024, the evaluation team has been piloting a national evaluation of government IT systems to explore the practical application of this innovative approach. This effort is carried out in collaboration with the Footprint Evaluation Initiative and the Global Evaluation Initiative. Through this project, we aim to strengthen the relevant evaluation capacities while sharing insights from this pioneering exercise to inspire and guide other governments, as they embark on a similar path towards sustainable inclusive evaluations.
For those interested, check out the following resources where we share exciting insights and learnings from this journey:
● Colombia’s Journey in Sustainability-Inclusive Evaluation: Key Insights and Lessons Learned
This document reflects on Colombia’s first application of Footprint Evaluation's approach, focusing on key lessons on feasibility, favourable contextual factors, ECD, and how sustainability-inclusive evaluation can promote conceptual use of evaluation findings.
This guide presents a Footprint Evaluation Tool for formulating clear evaluation conclusions about how interventions affect the environment, from destructive to restorative.
Drawing from the lessons learned, the Colombian Planning Unit is now conducting its second Footprint Evaluation, with expanded scope and enhanced design, while exploring the implementation and linkage to participatory processes. Once more, EvalConnect is providing support for the evaluation, this time focussing on an agricultural intervention.
Two core concepts are at the heart of the sustainability inclusive evaluation approach
The nexus concept and sustainability-inclusive key evaluation questions. They have been designed for broad applicability, and provide evaluators with tools to integrate environmental aspects into the evaluation process at an early stage.
To evaluate the environmental effects of programmes and policies, we must understand how human and natural systems relate to one another and situate the intervention within this. With the Nexus concept, we emphasizeise the critical issues within an intervention that lead to complex and often adverse, sometimes beneficial effects on natural systems.
The infographics show the core principles of the sustainability- inclusive eEvaluation approach, and were developed jointly by DEval, the Footprint Evaluation Initiative, and the Global Evaluation Initiative. They were designed to support learning and the adoption of the approach beyond Colombia.
Contact
Sarah Desiree Klier
Telefon: +49 (0)228 336907-943
E-Mail: sarah.klier@DEval.org
Dr Sven Harten
Telefon: +49 (0)228 336907-950
E-Mail: sven.harten@DEval.org