M&E Specialist with over 7 years of experience in research, programme evaluation, and data-informed decision-making within the non-profit and government sectors. Contributed to more than 10 national evaluations, primarily focused on government policies related to economic development and transformative equity.
My contributions
- The current challenge Although communication is always discussed as a key soft skill in any organisation, the jarring information on UN reports going unread reveals that this skill is often lacking or rather simply ignored. According to the UN Secretary-General, in 2024 alone approximately 1 100 reports were produced by the UN Secretariat; however, nearly 65% of these were downloaded fewer than 2 000 times (United Nations, 2025). While 2 000 maybe a significant number of downloads, depending on context, type of evaluation and number of stakeholders; it is important to note that downloading...Read more
- Who counts as an emerging evaluator? Emerging Evaluator? What does that even mean? The concept of the Emerging Evaluator (EE) is not as straightforward as it may appear. Unlike established professions such as medicine, accounting, or teaching, where professional identities are widely understood and require little explanation, the notion of an EE often prompts questions and uncertainty outside the evaluation community. This ambiguity is compounded by the absence of a universally accepted definition of the term, leading to varied interpretations across professional bodies and initiatives. For...Read more
South Africa
Sibongile Sithole
Evaluation Consultant
Posted on 07/12/2025
My experience with the Three Horizons (3H) Initiative at the International Evaluation Academy (IEAc) has reinforced a key lesson: evaluation practice must become more transformational and shift away from conventional approaches that have long been shaped by Global North ideologies.”
In trying to find solutions on how evaluations can be fit for purpose, various points on localising evidence were brought up.
Firstly, localising impact evaluations means shifting power towards local actors and local knowledge. Components such as evaluation questions should be shaped by communities, local governments, and indigenous knowledge holders.
Secondly, particularly in the Global South context, approaches such as storytelling, oral histories, communal dialogue, and participatory narrative methods should sit alongside quantitative and experimental designs. These reflect how many African communities make sense of change and offer culturally grounded insights that traditional methods often miss.
Last but not least, respect for cultural protocols, indigenous and community consent ensures that the evaluation serves the people it studies, not external agendas.
Using the Three Horizons framework while centring African and indigenous knowledge can help create evaluations that are culturally rooted, locally owned, and better aligned with the futures communities themselves envision.