This insightful Handbook delves into public policy evaluation in the Global South. Drawing on in-depth case studies, it analyzes the complex interplay of historical, political, economic, and social factors that shape evaluation practices in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Expert authors explore how colonial legacies, institutional frameworks, and international influences have molded public policy evaluation across diverse contexts. Chapters critically assess current challenges facing evaluators, including capacity constraints, political interference, and the tension between global standards and local realities. Integrating both political and technocratic perspectives, they consider emerging practices in the field, proposing innovative strategies for developing more effective and culturally responsive approaches to evaluation. Timely and perceptive, the Handbook ultimately emphasizes the need for more inclusive global discussions surrounding public policy evaluation. This Handbook is an important resource for students and academics in public policy, public administration, political science, international development, and sociology. Policymakers, government officials, and professionals will also benefit from the book’s theoretical and practical insights.

Table of Contents:
Contents Prefacex PART I INTRODUCTION 1 Public policy evaluation in the Global South: context and theoretical framework3 Anis Ben Brik 2 The politics of public policy evaluation in the Global South35 Anis Ben Brik PART II INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS, SYSTEMS, AND CULTURES 3 Policy evaluation in China: history, practice, and future prospects63 Rong Zuo and Xun Wu 4 Evaluation eco-system in India89 Rashmi Agrawal and Banda V. L. N. Rao 5 Public policy evaluation in the Global South: perspectives from South Africa109 Isioma Uregu Ile 6 Institutionalizing evaluations in South Africa and Uganda: progress and lessons learnt131 Adeline Sibanda and Seirah Ngcobo 7 The time is right: why evaluation is needed as the Caribbean recalibrates its quest for economic growth, development, prosperity, resilience, and sustainability149 Nadini Persaud 8 Public policy evaluation in Bolivia167 Marcelo Clavijo Donoso 9 National evaluation policies in the MENA region185 Anis Ben Brik PART III CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT 10 Evaluation capacity development in India: gaps, challenges, and opportunities211 Mahima Taneja, Rajib Nandi and Neeta Goel 11 Towards evaluation capacity development in four North African countries: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt227 Djelloul Saci 12 Evaluation in Pakistan: strategies for evaluation capacity development247 Hur Hassnain and Humayun Khan PART IV MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION 13 Policy evaluation in local governments: the case of Mexican municipalities273 Everardo Chiapa-Aguillón 14 Annual evaluation plans and their role in strengthening the institutionalization of evaluation: the case of Mexico293 Gabriela Rentería Flores 15 The performance evaluation system in Mexican subnational governments311 Juan Carlos Martínez Andrade PART V INDIGENOUS APPROACHES AND DECOLONIZATION 16 Evaluation ecosystem: a case of Bhutan331 Phuntsho Choden and Tashi Dendup 17 Evaluation standards for Latin America and the Caribbean: an up-to-date tool made in the Global South341 Celeste Ghiano 18 Accountability in governance through transformational evaluation and institutionalization readiness: a case of Sri Lanka’s evaluation policy351 Isha Wedasinghe Miranda 19 A social, humanizing, inclusive, and transformative vision of the institutionalization of evaluation in the Global South377 Ana Luisa Guzmán Hernández PART VI POLITICAL INSTABILITY AND INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE 20 Trajectory of evaluation institutionalization in Nepal393 Iván G. Somlai 21 Policy evaluation in failed states: the case of Yemen417 Ayid Sharyan and Hisham Al Hemyari 22 Promoting evaluation for effective development planning in Sudan443 M. Bashir PART VII SYNTHESIS AND FUTURES 23 Public policy evaluation in the Global South: a synthesis463 Anis Ben Brik 24 Future of policy evaluation in the Global South483 Anis Ben Brik