Pilot Testing Five African_rooted Frameworks and Tools

Abstract

This report presents Phase three of the study on mapping African-rooted frameworks and tools for evaluation. Phase three included five pilot tested African-rooted frameworks and technology integration across all the frameworks. Prior to the pilot tests, in Phase one, a systematic review was conducted to map African-rooted evaluation frameworks, methods and tools. This was followed by the co-creation and co-design of novel and innovative Africanrooted evaluation tools and frameworks in Phase two. The co-created frameworks were then pilot tested for applicability, usability and value added in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia. The frameworks developed were: ❖ Pamoja Safarini Indigenous Theory of Practice an African-rooted theory of change. ❖ People, Environment, Place, Space, Time (PEPST) a context-responsive evaluation framework. ❖ Engagement, Participation, Involvement, and Ownership (EPIO) a unique Afrocentric framework for planning, managing and evaluating projects that lead to people-centred solutions, ownership and sustainability of projects. ❖ Ngwanake, a youth-empowered framework, that engages youth in merging technology with indigenous knowledge to facilitate better youth participation. ❖ Community-Based Language Evaluation Tool which focuses on the use of proverbs to ground project planning design, implementation and evaluation in community value ❖ Tech-integration an additional framework to guide the integration of technology in future application of African-rooted frameworks in evaluation. During the pilot exercise, each framework was applied and tested on the four main project cycles of Initiation, Design, Implementation, and Impact Evaluation. The pilot testing was conducted in three countries: Malawi, Uganda and Zambia. The countries were selected by the Mastercard Foundation as there were ongoing programmes in these countries. In Zambia (Mbarara) and Malawi (Mulanje district), the frameworks were tested on the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) programme. In Uganda, the frameworks were tested on the Ripple Effect programme. The project team tested the instruments on three main groups of participants: project designers, project implementers and project recipients. Each group of participants responded to discussion questions, surveys, and simulation prompts directed towards them. Outcomes of the piloting of the frameworks are briefly discussed below.