The Oxford Handbook of Program Evaluation in the Global South: (Oxford Handbooks)

This handbook provides an examination of the theoretical foundations, methodological innovations, and practical applications that are redefining evaluation in the Global South. It explores how scholars and practitioners are challenging conventional evaluation paradigms by centering indigenous knowledge systems, participatory approaches, and context-specific methodologies. Organized around three core principles--decolonization, adaptation, and systemic transformation--the volume articulates what distinguishes Southern evaluation practices, traces their historical development, and charts their future trajectories. Engaging with critical debates in development studies, public policy, and social justice, the book addresses fundamental concepts in evaluation theory including power, equity, validity, and use, while examining their application across diverse domains such as climate resilience, gender justice, health systems, and post-crisis recovery. Collectively, these contributions establish this handbook as an essential resource for understanding how evaluation is being reimagined to address the complex challenges of our time.This volume stands as a definitive statement on the evolving field of evaluation in Southern contexts. It moves beyond technical debates about methods to confront fundamental questions about knowledge production, power relations, and the purpose of evaluation itself. Through its critical engagement with both theory and practice, the handbook not only maps the current landscape but also points the way toward more equitable, responsive, and transformative approaches to evaluation. For scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike, it offers an indispensable guide to understanding how evaluation can better serve the needs and aspirations of communities across the Global South while contributing to more just and sustainable futures.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: Evaluation Realities in the Global South: Challenges, Innovations, and Transformations Section I Introduction to Institutionalization of Evaluation in the Global South: National Systems, Policy Change, and Governance in the Global South Chapter 1 The role of National Evaluation Systems in Navigating Complexity in Seven African Countries Chapter 2 National Evaluation Policies and Systems in Asia Pacific Chapter 3 The Performance Evaluation System in Mexican Subnational Governments Chapter 4 New Evaluation Standards for Latin America and the Caribbean Chapter 5 Mapping National Evaluation Landscape in the MENA region Chapter 6 Evaluation Challenges, Practices and Use in the Commonwealth Caribbean Section II: Decolonizing and Youth-Centric Approaches to Evaluation in the Global South Chapter 7 Made in Africa Evaluation: Decolonizing the Past, Present and Future Chapter 8 Decolonizing Evaluation Teaching and Learning in the Global South Chapter 9 Strengthen Southern Voice: Elevating the Knowledge and Influence of the Global South Chapter 10 The Transformative Youth in Evaluation Movement Section III: Indigenous Evaluation in the Global South Chapter 11 The Case of the Missing Project Chapter 12 Empowering Evaluation through Empowering Communities in India: Experiments and Openings during the Pandemic and Beyond Chapter 13 Wholesome Evaluation for Bhutan Chapter 15 EvalParticipativa: A Community of Practice and Learning of Participatory Evaluation in the Latin America and the Caribbean Pandemic Context Chapter 16 Impact Evaluation of the Joven Program Chapter 17 Evaluation of the Implementation of the Remote Education Program in Minas Gerais, Brazil Section IV : Evaluating Development Challenges in the Global South Chapter 18 A Realist Synthesis of Evaluations on Climate Change Adaptation from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe Chapter 19 Evidence for SDG Progress in Brazil Chapter 20 Evaluating Gender Dynamics in Fragile Situations Chapter 21 Participatory Approach to Measure the Impact of Women Organizing and Political Participation in Conflict-Torn Syria Chapter 22 Health System Evaluation Approaches in Conflict-Affected Settings: Insights from Remote Qualitative Research in Syria. Chapter 23 Empowering Evaluation through Empowering Communities in India Section V: Evaluation Practices in the Pandemic Era: Adaptation, Transformation and Innovation Chapter 24 The What? The How? The What For? of Evaluation in Complex Times Chapter 25 Evaluation Research using digital methods: Case study of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Chapter 26 Discrimination in the COVID-19 Responses in Paraguay Chapter 27 Marcelo Clavijo Donoso: Evaluation of the impact of COVID 19 on Foreign Trade: Fighting the Pandemic from Adversity in Bolivia Chapter 28 Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning (MEAL) in Local-International Faith Partnerships in the Development and Humanitarian Sector: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean Conclusion: Evaluating Tomorrow: Anticipating Complexities and Innovations on the Horizon Index

About the Author :
Anis Ben Brik is Associate Professor of Public Policy at the College of Public Policy, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. His research focuses on the political economy of welfare systems, the institutionalization of evaluation, and governance reform in rentier states, the MENA region and Global South contexts. His recent books include Social Welfare in Qatar (Springer, 2025), Public Policy in the Arab World (Edward Elgar, 2024), and The Institutionalization of Evaluation in the Middle East and North Africa (Edward Elgar, 2025).