Retrospective evaluation is essential for assessing impact and drawing lessons. However, in contexts shaped by climate change, it presents significant limitations, particularly in integrated landscape management approaches.
For example, costly infrastructure such as dams can be destroyed or become ineffective due to extreme climate events. In such conditions, it becomes difficult to measure the real impact of a project or to attribute observed results to the intervention rather than to external factors.
This uncertainty affects the use of evaluation results, as they may be perceived as unreliable or not representative, thereby limiting their usefulness for decision-making and future planning.
RE: From Hindsight to Foresight: How Evaluation Can Become Future-Informed
Benin
Alexis Adébayo ODOUN-IFA
Expert in MEAL
RAAF/ECOWAS
Posted on 25/03/2026
I would like to thank you for this initiative.
Retrospective evaluation is essential for assessing impact and drawing lessons. However, in contexts shaped by climate change, it presents significant limitations, particularly in integrated landscape management approaches.
For example, costly infrastructure such as dams can be destroyed or become ineffective due to extreme climate events. In such conditions, it becomes difficult to measure the real impact of a project or to attribute observed results to the intervention rather than to external factors.
This uncertainty affects the use of evaluation results, as they may be perceived as unreliable or not representative, thereby limiting their usefulness for decision-making and future planning.