I wanted to honour the idea landscape that Jürgen Habermas left us for democracy, public debate, and evidence-informed policy and evaluation. Many of my senior colleagues trained in Germany are influenced by his work. For all others I produced a little Habermas Toolbox. A Tribute to a Philosopher Who Shaped How We Think About Science … Read more
The following references reflect a track record of Karsten Weitzenegger built over more than 30 years of consulting and evaluation work across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Governance & Democracy Department Head AGEG Human Rights and Governance department leading expert services and policy dialogue role Department Head country Germany donor mixed including BMZ EU … Read more
As an organizational developer keenly focused on AI integration, I observe that civil society organizations (CSOs) globally are grappling with a complex, urgent task: defining clear, ethical, and practical positions on the use of artificial intelligence. This is not merely an IT challenge; it is a fundamental discussion about organizational values, risk tolerance, and future … Read more
The 2025 Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) emerged as a pivotal forum for advancing global sustainability agendas amid escalating geopolitical fragmentation and economic uncertainty. With 1,600 participants from 110 countries, the conference prioritized actionable outcomes, producing landmark agreements such as the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs and the Global Alliance against Inequality[1][2][3]. This … Read more
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful tool for economic development and policymaking across Africa. As African nations explore ways to leverage AI, there is a growing focus on ensuring its responsible and ethical implementation. This approach aims to harness AI’s potential while addressing unique challenges and opportunities in the African context. The Promise … Read more
Speaking evidence to power Reporting evaluation results and communicating them effectively to policymakers and program managers is critical for improving uptake at the policy level and programming. By following the recommendations outlined in this article, evaluators can safeguard that their evaluation results are clear, concise, and actionable, and that they are communicated in a way … Read more
Karsten Weitzenegger is contracted by German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) to carry out a meta-analysis of poverty-related reports done in Costa Rica recently. The meta-analysis will serve to systematize achievements, favorable and unfavorable factors and recommendations in relation to the objective of the fight against poverty. During the period 2015-2017, Costa Rica has made … Read more
The European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) is the heart piece of the EU’s new External Investment Plan (EIP). Its role is to help boosting private and public investment in our partner countries to address some of the obstacles to growth and some root reasons for irregular migration. The EFSD Strategic Board includes the EU … Read more
