The challenges surrounding the monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian assisatnce arise from both the context of the emergency at hand and substantive and methodological issues that impact standard evaluation practices. However, the political and institutional dynamics within the humanitarian sector exacerbate these difficulties significantly, leading to a range of additional complications.

The context of humanitarian crises is typically not viewed as conducive to evaluation. The primary focus on saving lives and alleviating suffering is considered by many aid workers to take precedence over secondary activities, such as monitoring and evaluation. Practical challenges also arise from the chaotic conditions in the field, where people are displaced. Furthermore, these emergencies often involve security and protection issues that must be addressed.

The fundamental notion that humanitarian assistance should be monitored and evaluated is accepted. Evaluation processes can be seen as arenas where various interests are contested. In this perspective, the multiple actors involved in humanitarian programs—both directly and indirectly—have their own interests that they seek to fulfill. A second perspective depicts evaluation as encounters at the intersections of knowledge and power. From this viewpoint, the focus shifts to the differing interpretations and meanings that actors attribute to themselves, each other, the emergency situation, and the humanitarian program. This approach is often linked to discourse analysis, which seeks to uncover the overt and underlying assumptions and values inherent in humanitarian policy and practice. Finally, evaluation can be viewed as a platform for negotiating different interpretations and interests. This perspective is closely associated with participatory and stakeholder approaches. A participatory evaluation offers all relevant stakeholders the opportunity to define the objectives, processes, outcomes, and impacts of a program.

Moderacja: dr Olha Krasovska

Paneliści: TBA