Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) – Report – African Evaluation Association

Made in Africa
Evaluation (MAE)
Report

Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) Report

The African Evaluation Association (AfrEA), with support from the Mastercard Foundation, hosted the Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) Convening in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 9 and 10 June 2026.

The convening brought together evaluation leaders, academics, development partners, youth evaluators, policymakers, and practitioners from across Africa and beyond to validate and strengthen a unified Made in Africa Evaluation Framework. Discussions centred on bringing together the University of Botswana’s Indigenous and philosophical approaches to evaluation with the University for Development Studies’ (Ghana) practical monitoring and evaluation workflow, resulting in a living framework grounded in African values, Indigenous knowledge systems, and community ownership.

The gathering reinforced a shared vision: that evaluation in Africa must be rooted in African realities, responsive to communities, and driven by local knowledge and aspirations.

Below, you will find the full convening report along with photographs from the two days.

OFFICIAL REPORT

Moments from the Made in Africa Evaluation Convening held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Made in Africa Evaluation Handbook

The Made in Africa Evaluation Handbook, a landmark resource that centers African values, knowledge systems, and lived experiences in evaluation practice. This handbook is a declaration of intellectual sovereignty and a call to reimagine evaluation through an African lens.

The chapters within the handbook delve into critical themes, including the philosophical underpinnings of MAE, the integration of indigenous knowledge systems, and the pursuit of equitable evaluation through principles that honor Africa’s cultural and historical contexts. Through case studies and empirical research, contributors illustrate how evaluation practices across different African countries have evolved to embrace participatory, context- sensitive, and inclusive methodologies.

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