During Glocal Evaluation Week 2025, the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Pakistan and Central Asia (CLEAR-PCA), a GEI implementing partner, hosted a series of interlinked sessions examining inclusion across linguistic, methodological, and systemic dimensions in Pakistan and Central Asia. The discussions aligned closely with this year’s Glocal theme, “Evaluation for a Better Future: Environmental Sustainability, Inclusion, and Peace,” by posing critical questions: Who participates in evaluation systems? Whose voices are reflected in the data? And how can knowledge be made more representative and accessible in multilingual, multi-stakeholder environments?
Across the CLEAR-PCA region, a total of sixteen events were organized during the week, reflecting a diverse array of experiences, themes, and collaborators. Three sessions are highlighted here for their critical engagement with the theme of inclusion and their relevance to local and regional challenges.
The first session, which marked the regional launch of Glocal in Pakistan and Central Asia, looked at a foundational challenge in building inclusive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. Practitioners shared how conceptual mismatches—such as confusing “evaluation” with “audit,” or misinterpreting terms like “impact” and “theory of change”—can compromise both the legitimacy and utility of evaluation. In multilingual settings, such as Pakistan and Central Asian countries, where institutional language often lacks resonance, these gaps are especially pronounced. As Dr. Saltanat Rasulova, Regional Evaluation Adviser for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States at the United Nations Development Programme’s Independent Evaluation Office (UNDP IEO), noted, “When language fails to resonate with local actors, evaluation stops being a tool for learning and becomes an exercise in translation.”
Panelists emphasized the importance of co-creating shared vocabularies, using donor-supported glossaries, and adapting training materials to local contexts. They also cautioned against the uncritical application of externally designed frameworks without contextual alignment.
The second session built on this theme by examining the shortcomings of existing data systems in capturing the lived experiences of marginalized groups. Although Pakistan is one of the most frequently surveyed countries in the Global South, certain populations—such as women engaged in unpaid care work, persons with disabilities, and home-based workers—remain statistically invisible. The session, “Data for Inclusive Development: Confronting Blind Spots in Evidence-Based Policy,” explored how institutional biases, restrictive definitions, and design flaws in data collection processes perpetuate exclusion. Dr. Hadia Majid, Associate Professor and Economics Department Chair, Lahore University of Management Sciences, powerfully articulated the stakes: “If care work isn’t counted, it doesn’t count in policy making—and that tells us everything about whose lives are considered policy-relevant.”
Moving beyond critique, the session also highlighted concrete steps to address these gaps, including revising survey categories, investing in better training for field teams, and embedding participatory approaches into data collection processes.
The third session, “Understanding and Applying Mixed Methodologies in Evaluation,” shifted focus from what is counted to how it is counted. Serving as an introduction to mixed methods in evaluation, the session explored how qualitative and quantitative approaches can be combined to capture the full complexity of interventions, particularly those targeting marginalized communities. Drawing on case studies in maternal health and girls’ education, participants examined practical and ethical issues—from ensuring cultural sensitivity in enumerator training to managing methodological trade-offs.
Together, these sessions conveyed a clear message: inclusion in evaluation is not a procedural requirement but a principle that must be embedded throughout every stage of the evaluation cycle. From language that resonates with local stakeholders, to data that reflects diverse experiences, to methodologies that enable meaningful participation, inclusive evaluation requires sustained and deliberate effort.
For CLEAR-PCA, Glocal 2025 was more than an event—it was a platform for collective reflection, cross-country learning, and regional solidarity. It advanced the case for evaluation systems that are not only methodologically rigorous and results-oriented, but also equitable, representative, and just.
This Blog was originally published by the Global Evaluation Knowledge
