ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to promoting evidence-based policymaking and decision-making, emphasizing that robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems are vital to transparency, accountability, and efficient public service delivery.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the African Evaluation Association’s (AfrEA) 25th Anniversary Celebration and Conference, Planning and Development State Minister Tirumar Abate underscored Ethiopia’s drive to embed evaluation at the core of its development strategies.
“For the past three days, Addis Ababa has served as a regional hub for knowledge sharing, policy dialogue, and innovation in evaluation practice,” Tirumar said. “The discussions here reinforce that evaluation is not just a technical too. It is a catalyst for good governance, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.”
She stressed that Ethiopia is committed to strengthening national evaluation systems, improving institutional capacity, and integrating M&E into the entire policy and development cycle.
“Evaluation is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity,” she said. “In a time of limited resources and high public expectations, it helps prevent costly policy failures. We are institutionalizing M&E across government agencies to ensure informed, data-driven decisions and continuous improvement.”
Tirumar also reaffirmed Ethiopia’s alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognizing evaluation as a key enabler for tracking progress and ensuring no one is left behind.
Since its founding in 1999, AfrEA has been instrumental in promoting African-led evaluation practices, establishing professional standards, and amplifying the continent’s voice in global evaluation discourse.
The Ethiopian Evaluation Association (EEvA) President Dereje Mamo highlighted the country’s advances in building national evaluation capacity. He called for greater inclusion of youth and women in the evaluation sector to ensure sustainability and relevance.
“Evaluation in Africa is not just a profession.It is a movement,” Dereje stated. “Let this conference be remembered as a turning point, where we moved toward stronger collaboration, innovative homegrown methodologies, and inclusive practices that empower women, youth, and emerging evaluators.”
The conference concluded with a unified call to action: strengthen Africa’s evaluation ecosystem, promote innovation in locally rooted approaches, and ensure inclusivity in shaping the future of evaluation across the continent.
BY HAILE DEMEKE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 19 JUNE 2025
