The Community of Evaluators – Nepal (CoE-Nepal), with the support of the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA), EvalIndigenous, and EvalPartners, successfully organized a workshop titled “Strengthening Indigenous Evaluation Practices in Nepal and Formation of National Network for Evaluation in Nepal” on 4th February 2025, in Kathmandu, Nepal. The workshop aimed to address the challenges and opportunities in Indigenous evaluation practices in Nepal.
Objectives of the Workshop
The main objectives of the workshop were:
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- Share findings from the SDG 3 indicators study conducted by CoE-Nepal
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- Facilitate discussions on Indigenous evaluation practices and the challenges faced in Nepal
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- Form a National Network for Evaluation in Nepal and
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- Develop an action plan for the way forward in strengthening Indigenous evaluation practices
Workshop Sessions
The workshop was divided into two main sessions: the Opening Session and the Technical Session.
Opening Session
The Opening Session was chaired by Mr. Prabin Chitrakar, Chairperson of CoE-Nepal. The Chief Guest and the Keynote Speaker of the session was Hon. Prof. Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission of Nepal. Dr. Sushila C. Nepali, Vice-Chairperson of CoE-Nepal delivered the Welcome Remarks. Dr. Fiona Cram, Co-chair of EvalIndigenous delivered the Opening Remarks with her insightful presentation. Prof. Yoko Ishida, President of APEA delivered her inspiring Concluding Remarks.
The session featured remarks from distinguished guests and speakers as follows:
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- Mr. Gopal Lopchan, Representative from Konjyosom Rural Municipality Indigenous Community
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- Former Minister Hon. Ananda Prasad Pokharel, Founder Chair of National Parliamentarian Forum on Development Evaluation Policy in Nepal (NPFDEPN) and Steering Committee Member Global Parliamentarian Forum for Evaluation
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- Hon. Ramesh Paudyal, Steering Committee Member, Asia Pacific Parliamentarians Forum
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- Mr. Lovemore Mhuriyengwe, Multi-country Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF ROSA
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- Dr. Ram Chandra Khanal, Former Chairperson and Adviser, CoE-Nepal
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- Dr. Bhuban Bajracharya, Chairman, Nepal Evaluation Society (NES)
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- Ms. Juhi Adhikari, Member, EvalYouth Nepal
The session was moderated by Ms. Sunaina Sharma Gyawali, Treasurer of CoE-Nepal.
Technical Session
The Technical Session focused on sharing findings, lessons learned, and facilitating group discussions on Indigenous evaluation practices. Key presentations and discussions included:
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- Findings of the Study on SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-being” – Presented by Mr. Prabin Chitrakar, Chairperson, and Ms. Mahendra Laxmi Sharma, General Secretary of CoE-Nepal and Study Team members.
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- Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Indigenous Evaluation in Nepal’s Education System – Presented by Mr. Loonibhah Chitrakar, Lecturer, Bajrabarahi Campus, TU, and Mr. Biswash Chepang, Program Coordinator, CIPRED.
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- Findings and Lessons Learned from the Feminist Collaborative Evaluation of UN Women’s Approach to Social Norm Change – Presented by Mr. Rabin Rai, Monitoring and Reporting Analyst, UN Women.
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- Group Discussion: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities in Indigenous Evaluation in Nepal – Facilitated by Dr. Sushila C. Nepali, Vice-Chairperson, and Ms. Mahendra Laxmi Sharma, General Secretary of CoE-Nepal. Participants engaged in group work and presentations.
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- Formation of the National Network for Evaluation in Nepal and Action Plan on Way Forward – Facilitated by Dr. Sushila C. Nepali, Vice-Chairperson of CoE-Nepal. In the session background, objectives, scope, and way forward of the network were discussed and decided to have follow-up meetings with key stakeholders including government of Nepal, UN Agencies, etc. to establish the network.
The workshop concluded with a Wrap-up and Vote of Thanks delivered by Mr. Ujjwal Krishna Mali, Executive Board Member of CoE-Nepal.
Participants
The workshop was attended by over 40 participants including:
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- Government of Nepal and the National Planning Commission
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- Parliamentarians Forums
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- UN Agencies (UNICEF ROSA, UNICEF Nepal, UN Women, UNFPA)
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- Universities
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- International NGOs (INGOs)
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- Voluntary Organization for Professional Evaluation (VOPEs)
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- EvalYouth Nepal
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- Indigenous Organizations
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- Professional and Indigenous Evaluators
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- Young and Emerging Evaluators (YEEs)
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- Representatives from Indigenous Communities
Key Outcomes
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- Sharing of Findings: The workshop successfully shared preliminary findings from the SDG 3 indicators study.
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- Discussions on Indigenous Evaluation: Participants engaged in meaningful discussions on the current status, challenges and opportunities in indigenous evaluation practices in Nepal.
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- Discussion on the integrating Indigenous evaluation practices into Nepal’s education system and broader development frameworks.
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- Formation of National Network for Evaluation in Nepal: During the session key aspects such as the background, objectives, scope, and way forward of the network were discussed, marking a significant step toward the establishment of National Network for Evaluation in Nepal. The fruitful discussion were conducted and decided for a follow-up meetings with key stakeholders including the government of Nepal, UN Agencies and others for the formation of the network.
The workshop was an important step in strengthening Indigenous evaluation practices in Nepal. It brought together diverse stakeholders, fostering collaboration and forwarding a step for establishing the National Network for Evaluation in Nepal.
