On brigding evidence with action; strengthening the link between impact evaluation findings and real-time decision-making requires the UN and its partners to embrace learning-oriented systems rather than compliance-driven evaluation cultures. From my experience leading MEL across multi-county PCVE and governance programmes, evidence becomes actionable only when it is intentionally embedded into programme management—through continuous feedback loops, co-created interpretation sessions, and adaptive planning processes. Structured learning forums where evaluators, implementers, government stakeholders, and community representatives jointly analyse emerging findings are particularly effective for translating insights into operational shifts.
In the PCVE space, real-time evidence use is especially critical due to the fast-evolving nature of threats and community dynamics. A recent example is my organisation’s Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur under the UNOCT call for inputs on definitions of terrorism and violent extremism, where we highlighted how grounding global guidance in locally generated evidence improves both relevance and uptake. This experience reaffirmed that when evaluation findings are aligned with practitioner insights and local contextual knowledge, global frameworks become more actionable on the ground.
Additionally, the UN can strengthen evidence uptake by integrating citizen-generated data (CGD) into SDG indicator ecosystems—particularly where local CSOs and think tanks already generate credible, validated datasets. Leveraging CGD not only accelerates access to real-time insights but also strengthens community ownership and localization.
Ultimately, bridging evidence and action requires mixed-method evaluations, rapid dissemination tools, psychological safety for honest learning, and a UN culture where evidence is viewed as a shared resource for collective decision-making, not merely an accountability requirement.
RE: Global Impact Evaluation Forum 2025: Forging evidence partnerships for effective action
Kenya
Dennis Ngumi Wangombe
MEL Specialist
CHRIPS
Posted on 08/12/2025
On brigding evidence with action; strengthening the link between impact evaluation findings and real-time decision-making requires the UN and its partners to embrace learning-oriented systems rather than compliance-driven evaluation cultures. From my experience leading MEL across multi-county PCVE and governance programmes, evidence becomes actionable only when it is intentionally embedded into programme management—through continuous feedback loops, co-created interpretation sessions, and adaptive planning processes. Structured learning forums where evaluators, implementers, government stakeholders, and community representatives jointly analyse emerging findings are particularly effective for translating insights into operational shifts.
In the PCVE space, real-time evidence use is especially critical due to the fast-evolving nature of threats and community dynamics. A recent example is my organisation’s Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur under the UNOCT call for inputs on definitions of terrorism and violent extremism, where we highlighted how grounding global guidance in locally generated evidence improves both relevance and uptake. This experience reaffirmed that when evaluation findings are aligned with practitioner insights and local contextual knowledge, global frameworks become more actionable on the ground.
Additionally, the UN can strengthen evidence uptake by integrating citizen-generated data (CGD) into SDG indicator ecosystems—particularly where local CSOs and think tanks already generate credible, validated datasets. Leveraging CGD not only accelerates access to real-time insights but also strengthens community ownership and localization.
Ultimately, bridging evidence and action requires mixed-method evaluations, rapid dissemination tools, psychological safety for honest learning, and a UN culture where evidence is viewed as a shared resource for collective decision-making, not merely an accountability requirement.