The DE–Group Strategy (2022-2032) focuses on three key strategic objectives:
Strengthening the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems by helping development partners to set up robust MEL systems, policies, strategies and processes. Our work includes conducting assessments of MEL systems, institutional and staff capacities and facilitating the process of developing relevant systems, frameworks and plans and building the capacities of the institution and the individual staff to implement them.
Implementing high quality and transformative evaluations by providing critical expertise to development partners to carry out evaluation of policies, programmes, projects and institutional strategies. As an external evaluator, our work is aimed at providing evidence of what works, how it works and why it works through utilising context-responsive and effective evaluation methodologies and participatory approaches.
Mentoring the next generation of evaluators by providing a platform for the young and emerging evaluators to acquire contemporary skills in evaluation and bridge the evaluation theories and practice. We provide young graduates with opportunities to work alongside our Senior Evaluators to gain hands-on experience in designing and implementing evaluation
Our theory of change details the high-level outcomes and goal that the DE–Group plans to achieve through its three strategic objectives and delivery areas. The three delivery areas include strengthening MEL systems, strategies and processes for development partners, designing and implementing high quality and transformative evaluations and, mentoring the next generation of young and emerging evaluators on the African continent. By delivering the three – strategic objectives (sphere of control), we anticipate that our efforts together with the efforts of development partners will deliver high impact and equitable solutions to sustainably address development challenges in Africa and beyond (sphere of influence).
Although most of our partners come to us with pre-determined evaluation approaches, the DE–Group continues to promote best and promising practices in evaluation design and approaches. We therefore provide critical advice on context-specific approaches, methodologies and practices that will be most valuable to our partners.
The DE–Group has a bias for the theory – driven evaluation approach which is a shift from the traditional evaluation approaches. The theory – driven evaluation approach helps us to open the intervention’s “Blackbox” and examine mechanisms by which change or outcomes are generated by activities. The traditional evaluation approach uses the input-output-outcome model which yields evidence on what change has been generated by an intervention but it does not provide evidence on why and how the change happens. Using the theory-driven evaluation approach, DE–Group works with development partners to tease out their programme’s theory of change with the aim of understanding the causal rationale underpinning programme or project activities.
The DE–Group deeply cares about evaluation use. In a participatory manner, we work with the intended evaluation users to achieve their buy-in throughout the evaluation process and ultimately the evaluation findings
In the context of climate change adaptation, the DE–Group is using evaluation as a tool to support the understanding and prioritization of programme and policy actions to assist decision making. Through evaluations, DE–Group generates evidence on what is working and what is not, and this promotes effective adaptation. Importantly, the DE-Group includes consideration of environmental impacts in all evaluations by ensuring that whatever judgments and conclusions we make about the merit, significance and value of programmes do not ignore the environment. As an organisation, we have adopted technologies that reduce the carbon footprint.
through experience, the DE–Group understands that most, if not all, of the initiatives aimed at transforming people’s lives are implemented in complex cultural, socio-economic and political environments. Without adaptation, it is difficult to maximise the impact of programs and therefore the DE–Group leads in the application of a developmental evaluation approach and adaptive management by helping partners to develop and operationalise frameworks to aid in tracking and measuring the planned, emergent, divergent and realised processes and outcomes. Some of the lessons we have learned have helped us do things differently by supporting the application and adaption of new knowledge to program-specific contexts and documenting emerging learnings; establishing meaningful partnerships that foster mutual learning and, providing tools for understanding equity implications of decisions at each stage of evaluation.
The DE–Group is a team of innovative professionals with multidisciplinary backgrounds (including measurement and evaluation, education, statistics, public health, climate change, information technology, social sciences and international development) who are at the forefront in their respective fields of influence. Our unique approach to work enables us to collaborate with leading experts from the development worlds of health, education, the environment and climate change, livelihoods and protection. Our experience spans the thematic areas below:
Our work is guided by several principles which seek to address systemic inequities, institutional processes, structures and practices with the aim of optimising development outcomes in Africa. These principles include:
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