Oxford Handbook of Program Evaluation in the Global South

This handbook provides an examination of the theoretical foundations, methodological innovations, and practical applications that are redefining evaluation in the Global South. It explores how scholars and practitioners are challenging conventional evaluation paradigms by centering indigenous knowledge systems, participatory approaches, and context-specific methodologies. Organized around three core principles--decolonization, adaptation, and systemic transformation--the volume articulates what distinguishes Southern evaluation practices, traces their historical development, and charts their future trajectories. Engaging with critical debates in development studies, public policy, and social justice, the book addresses fundamental concepts in evaluation theory including power, equity, validity, and use, while examining their application across diverse domains such as climate resilience, gender justice, health systems, and post-crisis recovery. Collectively, these contributions establish this handbook as an essential resource for understanding how evaluation is being reimagined to address the complex challenges of our time. This volume stands as a definitive statement on the evolving field of evaluation in Southern contexts. It moves beyond technical debates about methods to confront fundamental questions about knowledge production, power relations, and the purpose of evaluation itself. Through its critical engagement with both theory and practice, the handbook not only maps the current landscape but also points the way toward more equitable, responsive, and transformative approaches to evaluation. For scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike, it offers an indispensable guide to understanding how evaluation can better serve the needs and aspirations of communities across the Global South while contributing to more just and sustainable futures.

Anis Ben Brik is Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Institute of Communication and Public Policy, University of Italian Switzerland, Lugano, Switzerland. His research focuses on the political economy of welfare systems, the institutionalization of evaluation, and governance reform in rentier states, the MENA region and Global South contexts. His recent books include Social Welfare in Qatar (Springer, 2025), Public Policy in the Arab World (Edward Elgar, 2024), and The Institutionalization of Evaluation in the Middle East and North Africa (Edward Elgar, 2025).