Local knowledge as evidence

Mamadou Ndiaye OFADEC Executive Director

ALNAP’s 28th Annual Meeting 5th -6th March 2013 Washington, D.C

Introduction

For years this sector is struggling to demonstrate relevance and costs effectiveness.

It seems affected population has a role play . Affected population needs, expectations and

values seem critical in evidence demonstration.

Can the sector survive the evidence demand?

Questions

• I s the sector equipped to address the high demand of evidence?

• Can we expect help from affected people ? • Where affected people sit in evidence

gathering?• What stop us using local Knowledge?• How we can we overcome those questions?

Is there an added value # local knowledge in evidence gathering?

• Local ownership (design implementation evaluation).

• Gain of time in implementation /cost reduction /Adaptation to needs.

• Richness in problem analysis.• Accountability to affected population (art 9 c. conduct)

Local & Evidence

What is an evidence

• Evidence is comprised of research findings derived from the systematic collection of data through observation and experiment and the formulation of questions and testing of hypotheses.

Evidence: affected people expects, concerns, and values

• Do they matter in evidence search ?• Are there difficulties to integrate in our data

collections, observations, listening exercises ? • At the end of the day do the delivery respond

to needs and expectations? (Quality )• Who can better prove affected people

satisfaction?

The challenges • “Everything that can be counted does not

necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted” A. Einstein

• Do data tell all or part of the story?• Do collection of statistics to review and

understand is the answer?• Do we have systems in place that can

accurately assess the information?• Do context integration in analysis help?• Beneficiaries role in data collection?

Conclusion In a challenging and complex world with a high demand of proof on resource use (value for money) evidence . The way forward to relevance lays in:•Put context , affected people in assessment and analysis.•Rigorous data collection with affected people •Develop systems that can accurately assess information flux to demonstrate evidence.

Thanks you