Institutionalising the evaluation function: A South African study of impartiality, use and cost

Area of Science:

• Evaluation studies
• Organizational behavior
• Public policy analysis

Background:

• South Africa faces a significant gap between the demand for and supply of evaluation expertise.
• This scarcity necessitates careful consideration of how evaluation functions are structured and resourced.
• Existing literature often overlooks the institutional context of evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the implications of outsourcing the evaluation function in a context of limited evaluation capacity.
• To analyze the trade-offs between internal and external evaluation approaches.
• To challenge common assumptions about internal versus external evaluations.

Main Methods:

• The article draws on the author's diverse experience in evaluation roles (internal, external, management, capacity building).
• It presents a conceptual analysis of outsourcing evaluation functions.
• A case study approach, focusing on South Africa, is implicitly used to illustrate the context.

Main Results:

• Outsourcing decisions must be driven by the specific purpose of the evaluation.
• Hybrid models of collaboration can be explored to build internal evaluation capacity.
• Organizations face a direct trade-off between commissioning external evaluations and developing internal capacity.

Conclusions:

• Rethinking assumptions about internal and external evaluations is crucial for informed decision-making.
• Organizational structures significantly influence the use of evaluation evidence.
• The context, particularly in South Africa, plays a central role in shaping evaluation practices and outcomes.