Short Abstract

This session explores developmental evaluation (DE) as a tool for driving systemic change at the intersection of climate, social justice, and development. Through case studies, we show how DE enables real-time learning, adaptation, and policy influence in complex, multi-stakeholder contexts.

Description

Systemic change in climate and development programming requires adaptive, learning-oriented approaches that go beyond traditional evaluation models. This panel presentation explores developmental evaluation (DE) as a tool for influencing policy and programme change at the nexus of the climate crises, social justice and development. DE emphasizes real-time learning, iterative adaptation, and stakeholder engagement—critical elements for navigating complexity and uncertainty. Drawing on two case studies, we illustrate how DE has informed strategic shifts and strengthened resilience in diverse contexts:

Ford Foundation’s BUILD Programme: A global initiative to enhance the institutional capacity of social justice organizations. The evaluation demonstrated how DE can support long-term systems change by embedding learning into organizational strengthening strategies.

Climate Ambition Support Alliance (CASA): An ongoing evaluation of a multi-country programme aimed at accelerating climate ambition in vulnerable regions. Here, DE facilitates adaptive management and policy engagement in response to evolving climate and geopolitical crises.

The session will highlight practical insights on:

How DE fosters systemic change by influencing programme design and policy dialogue.

Lessons for applying DE in both domestic and international development contexts.

Challenges and opportunities in integrating DE within complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

Participants will gain actionable strategies for leveraging evaluation as a driver of systemic change, particularly in programmes operating at the intersection of climate, crisis, and development.