(TL;DR) Germany has invested heavily in decentralization in Africa and achieved real improvements at the local level, but national power structures remain largely centralized, so a strategic reset is needed to align future support with political realities, focus on fewer but stronger programs, and embed decentralization more smartly in democracy, service delivery, and sector reforms. … Read more
(TL;DR) Evaluations are no longer judged primarily by methodological rigor, but by how effectively their findings are communicated and used in decision making. In Germany’s current context of budget cuts, political polarization, and institutional reform, evaluation is gaining strategic importance as a tool for evidence-based steering, while also facing new risks such as political misuse … Read more
Working effectively in EU-funded international cooperation means staying connected to where knowledge, methodology, and institutional memory converge. Karsten Weitzenegger is an active member of Capacity4dev — the European Commission’s official online platform for international cooperation professionals and the central knowledge hub of EU development policy. What is Capacity4dev? Created in 2009 and managed by the … Read more
Karsten Weitzenegger is an active member of the DeGEval Gesellschaft für Evaluation e.V. (German Evaluation Society), specifically its Working Group on Evaluation of Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid (Arbeitskreis Entwicklungspolitik und Humanitäre Hilfe). About the Working Group The DeGEval Working Group on Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid was established in September 1998 at the inaugural … Read more
The Feminist Innovation in Monitoring and Evaluation (FIME) Small Awards have produced something very tangible for practitioners: six concrete toolkits that cover the full evaluation cycle, from policy design and crisis response to relocation, community projects, impact investing, and evaluator training. They were developed in real-world settings and respond to gaps most of us know … Read more
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. Impact Evaluation & Evidence Ukraine: Assessed the utilization and implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in trade as Lead Evaluator, funded by BMZ, EU, and NORAD via … 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
(tl:dr) EU aid for trade to least developed countries (LDCs) remains a critical aspect of the bloc’s development cooperation, aiming to address barriers to trade, foster economic growth, and contribute to poverty reduction. However, European Court of Auditors Special Report 17/2025 delivers a sobering assessment: needs are recognized and support is being delivered, but EU … Read more
The European Union’s vision for sustainable global partnerships is embodied in two key frameworks: Team Europe Initiatives (TEIs) and the Global Gateway (GG) strategy. These frameworks aim to foster coordinated efforts among EU Member States, mobilize investments, and drive transformative impacts in partner countries. However, bringing this vision to life requires the expertise and innovation … 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 leads the Saana Consulting Team for external evaluation of the Sida-funded capacity-building activities of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). BACKGROUND The launching of the evaluation follows a considerable period of preparation and consultation, and a competitive international tendering process that concluded with the contracting of the selected team in February 2019. The … Read more
