African evaluation principles (AEP)

The African Evaluation Principles (AEP) have been developed in service to all who commit to evaluation that serves the people of Africa as they strive to chart a bright path to the future. They are to be used by individuals, organisations and coalitions who finance, commission, manage, conduct and educate about evaluation in Africa.

All stakeholders who have an interest in furthering evaluation in Africa have the responsibility to help ensure that they are widely applied.

The AEP 2021 replace the African Evaluation Guidelines that have been in use for two decades, and complement other evaluation guidelines and standards around the world, including the Indigenous African Ethical Protocol for Evaluation developed by EvalIndigenous.

The AEP 2021 reflect the demand for evaluation that is ‘Made in Africa’ – rooted in and tailored for African contexts, needs and knowledge systems, yet informed by international insights, theories and good practices. The AEP 2021 are intended to:

• Confirm the value of evaluation as an important practice that can help protect and advance African societies in unity with the natural ecosystems on which all life depends;
• Cultivate a common understanding and consistent application of the features of high quality evaluations that are valuable in Africa, and fit for the opportunities and challenges of the Anthropocene era;
• Support the design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation and learning systems and can inform decisions and strategy, 360-degree accountability, the generation of knowledge, and advocacy;
• Assist educators and mentors in preparing the next generations of evaluation professionals;
• Inform the professionalisation of evaluation in Africa and worldwide.

The AEP 2021 were developed between 2019 and 2021 under the auspices of the African Evaluation Association by a group of more than 30 Voluntary Organisations for Professional Evaluation (VOPE) representatives and volunteers from across Africa, and launched at the 10th AfrEA Conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 17-19 November 2021.