S09_ Evidence for Climate and Environmental Action (E4CA): Evaluating What Works in Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, as well as in Environmental Sustainability.
S11_ From instruments to systems: Evaluating the private sector’s increasing role in development, climate and market transformation
S09_ Evidence for Climate and Environmental Action (E4CA): Evaluating What Works in Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, as well as in Environmental Sustainability.
S11_ From instruments to systems: Evaluating the private sector’s increasing role in development, climate and market transformation
S10_ Evaluations of, for, and in Transitions
Charlotte Halpern, Thomas Delahais
Rationale and Objectives
In recent years "transition" has quietly become a staple of the public debate on sustainability. At its core, transition refers to the process of shifting from the current, carbon-intensive society to a more sustainable world. Used by sustainability science since the 1990s, it has gained recognition, first through local ‘transition initiatives’ (TIs), and later through institutional policies at the national and European level – with the EU’s Green Deal.
Transition has now come to cover a lot of different things, from local systemic initiatives to industrial transformations and new democratic and institutional frameworks –can we speak of ‘transition washing’?– Yet, these interventions share several core characteristics: a focus on the process of change rather than on the results; a belief in socio-technical innovation to overcome systemic challenges; a recognition of the uncertainty of the process and a risk of failure; the role of dialogue and learning in transition processes; and the importance of value conflicts that surround and characterise transition processes. These challenges and conflicts –over goals, pathways, roles or values– mirror the tensions inherent to vibrant democracies.
The evaluation of transition processes has remained underexplored and is often overshadowed by neighbouring topics such as environmental, sustainability and transformational evaluation. Drawing on the conversation initiated in the context of the forthcoming special issue of Evaluation on transitions, this strand aims to strengthen and encourage the dialogue on the role of evaluation in:
• learning from transitions to inform democratic deliberation;
• supporting transition actors in navigating complexity and face difficult contexts and backlashes;
• making transitions happen, by becoming actors of the transitions ourselves.
Transition has now come to cover a lot of different things, from local systemic initiatives to industrial transformations and new democratic and institutional frameworks –can we speak of ‘transition washing’?– Yet, these interventions share several core characteristics: a focus on the process of change rather than on the results; a belief in socio-technical innovation to overcome systemic challenges; a recognition of the uncertainty of the process and a risk of failure; the role of dialogue and learning in transition processes; and the importance of value conflicts that surround and characterise transition processes. These challenges and conflicts –over goals, pathways, roles or values– mirror the tensions inherent to vibrant democracies.
The evaluation of transition processes has remained underexplored and is often overshadowed by neighbouring topics such as environmental, sustainability and transformational evaluation. Drawing on the conversation initiated in the context of the forthcoming special issue of Evaluation on transitions, this strand aims to strengthen and encourage the dialogue on the role of evaluation in:
• learning from transitions to inform democratic deliberation;
• supporting transition actors in navigating complexity and face difficult contexts and backlashes;
• making transitions happen, by becoming actors of the transitions ourselves.
Strand Overview
1.
Evaluation in, of and for local transition initiatives
Karine Sage, QC
What is the role of evaluation in these TIs? How does it differ from the more conventional evaluation of policies or programmes? What is there to learn from evaluations seen as long-term companionship instead of short-term assignments?
2. Policy learning from the evaluation of transition policies
Eva Kunseler, PBL
Beyond the provision of knowledge on the outcomes of action, how can evaluation facilitate a process of learning and reflexivity on transition? Can evaluators be knowledge brokers on complex topics such as climate or biodiversity? How can evaluators shape new, evidence-informed narratives in support of transitions?
3. Theories of change and causality underlying transitions
Thomas Delahais, QC
How can assumptions about social change be reflected in the theories of change used to evaluate transitions? How can these ToC be used to support dialogue and learning with evaluation stakeholders? Which causal frameworks or approaches appear more adequate to evaluate transitions and why? What evidence is relevant to test and update ToC?
4. Dealing with value conflict in the evaluation of transitions
Benoît Simon, Planètepublique
What is success when transitions are long and the outcome uncertain? How can evaluations deal with different and conflictual values about the necessity of transitions, their consequences for people and organisations? How can conflict be harnessed to create new opportunities for dialogue?
5. Evaluation systems in transition
Svetlana Negroustoueva, CGIAR
What are the new needs that evaluation systems must cover in support of sustainability transitions? How challenging is it to transform evaluation systems for that purpose? What are the pitfalls in the way?
6. Evaluators in transition
Charlotte Halpern, SciencesPo
What should be the role and posture of evaluators in transition processes? Should they be themselves engaged for transition? What are the new arrangements which allow for longer term or different relationships (vs. classical public procurement)? Can evaluation be ‘transition makers’ themselves?
Karine Sage, QC
What is the role of evaluation in these TIs? How does it differ from the more conventional evaluation of policies or programmes? What is there to learn from evaluations seen as long-term companionship instead of short-term assignments?
2. Policy learning from the evaluation of transition policies
Eva Kunseler, PBL
Beyond the provision of knowledge on the outcomes of action, how can evaluation facilitate a process of learning and reflexivity on transition? Can evaluators be knowledge brokers on complex topics such as climate or biodiversity? How can evaluators shape new, evidence-informed narratives in support of transitions?
3. Theories of change and causality underlying transitions
Thomas Delahais, QC
How can assumptions about social change be reflected in the theories of change used to evaluate transitions? How can these ToC be used to support dialogue and learning with evaluation stakeholders? Which causal frameworks or approaches appear more adequate to evaluate transitions and why? What evidence is relevant to test and update ToC?
4. Dealing with value conflict in the evaluation of transitions
Benoît Simon, Planètepublique
What is success when transitions are long and the outcome uncertain? How can evaluations deal with different and conflictual values about the necessity of transitions, their consequences for people and organisations? How can conflict be harnessed to create new opportunities for dialogue?
5. Evaluation systems in transition
Svetlana Negroustoueva, CGIAR
What are the new needs that evaluation systems must cover in support of sustainability transitions? How challenging is it to transform evaluation systems for that purpose? What are the pitfalls in the way?
6. Evaluators in transition
Charlotte Halpern, SciencesPo
What should be the role and posture of evaluators in transition processes? Should they be themselves engaged for transition? What are the new arrangements which allow for longer term or different relationships (vs. classical public procurement)? Can evaluation be ‘transition makers’ themselves?
