Moving Beyond Dichotomies: Integrating Relational and Western Frameworks in Applied Evaluation Practice

Evaluation design must be driven primarily by the core questions at hand and a deep understanding of local context. Embedding trust, relational accountability, and collaborative learning from a program’s inception is foundational and does not preclude the use of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) evaluation criteria. By integrating relational frameworks, deep cultural knowledge and ways of knowing with Western methodologies, evaluators can build more rigorous, relevant, and respectful evidence.