This panel examines critical and emerging challenges in public policy evaluation in the Global South, where traditional frameworks may overlook the socio-economic, environmental, and political complexities of diverse communities. As Global South nations navigate a rapidly evolving global order—marked by climate stress, economic disparities, health system pressures, and shifting power dynamics—there is an urgent need to rethink conventional evaluation paradigms. Predominantly shaped in Global North contexts, these frameworks often fall short of addressing the unique demands of Global South regions. This panel explores how both context-specific methodologies and technological innovation can bridge this gap and support resilient, inclusive public policy.
Emphasizing the dual approaches of contextually grounded methods and tech-enabled solutions, this panel highlights how decolonized and community-centered evaluation frameworks can promote epistemic justice and reflect the realities of local populations. Additionally, the panel will address the transformative potential of technologies like AI, big data, and remote sensing, which can facilitate more responsive and accessible evaluations in complex, resource-constrained environments. By integrating indigenous knowledge, youth perspectives, and systems thinking, this panel offers a multidimensional view of how evaluation can drive equitable development trajectories in the Global South.
Key research questions include:
1. How can we adapt evaluation practices to capture the cultural and systemic specificities of Global South contexts while maintaining ethical rigor?
2. What roles can emerging technologies—such as AI, IoT, and big data—play in advancing inclusive and sustainable evaluation practices?
3. How can decolonized methodologies in evaluation promote epistemic justice, enabling more equitable frameworks?
4. In what ways can indigenous knowledge systems, youth perspectives, and community insights be integrated effectively into mainstream evaluation models?
5. How does systems thinking, enhanced by digital tools, reshape our understanding of causality, impact, and the adaptive capacity of public policy in Global South evaluations?
This panel will bring together Global South scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss practical models and innovative frameworks. These discussions aim to bridge theory and practice in public policy evaluation, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by making evaluation a tool for adaptive, equitable, and sustainable governance.