Impact Evaluation & Evidence

Where EU Development Knowledge Lives: Karsten Weitzenegger on Capacity4dev

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

DeGEval German Evaluation Society

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

New Tools for Feminist Evaluation Practice

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

Jürgen Habermas and the Case for Evidence-Based Policy Advisory

Graphic showing the thought landscape of Habermas

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

Portfolio: Impact Evaluation & Evidence

World map with 40+ project locations marked

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

AI with a clear position: How NGOs can develop intelligent strategies

Visualisation of AI Policy Making in CSO

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

Evaluation Insights: Private Sector Development in North Macedonia

Series Evaluation Insights for Policy and Programming Evaluation Report: IPA II 2017 and IPA II 2019 Annual Action Programmes Policy-Oriented Synthesis for Decision-Makers, Practitioners, and Stakeholders Context The Republic of North Macedonia is a candidate country for European Union membership, and private sector competitiveness is a cornerstone of its accession agenda. The country’s economy is … Read more

Empowering Global Partnerships: The Role of Consultants in Team Europe Initiatives and the Global Gateway Strategy

EU Global Gateway

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

Evaluation Insights: West African Competitiveness Programme in Sierra Leone

Series Evaluation Insights for Policy and Programming Increasing Sierra Leone’s Competitiveness through Enhanced Productivity and Trade Compliance in Selected Value Chains Context Sierra Leone’s economy is heavily dependent on mining, making it structurally vulnerable to external shocks. Agriculture accounts for nearly half of GDP and employs more than three-quarters of the population, yet micro, small, … Read more

Some thoughts on Learning from Evaluations

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

Evaluation Insights: Green Markets and Sustainable Consumption in Brazil

Series Evaluation Insights for Policy and Programming Context The Amazon rainforest faces accelerating deforestation driven by conventional agriculture, illegal land use change, and the absence of economically viable alternatives for local communities. As Brazil committed under the Paris Agreement to halt illegal deforestation by 2030, promoting sustainable production systems in Amazonia became both a national … Read more