✔ Inputs: Exactly two months ago, on July 26, 2024, we celebrated the unforgettable Graduation Night of the 24th IPDET, Global Evaluation Initiative's executive training program on #monitoring and #evaluation. I’m only writing this post now because I’m just starting to process its full impact! From July 15 to 26 at the Université de Berne, 180 participants from 71 countries came together for two intense weeks of learning. That night, we didn’t just receive recognition for our efforts; we also paid a heartfelt tribute to the final global IPDET program conducted in Bern, a closing chapter for this extraordinary initiative. 🌍🏔
✔ Outputs: This experience was far more than a training. It was filled with inspiring lectures, specialized workshops, and invaluable exchanges:
- Geeta Batra, Anupam Anand, and Jeneen R. Garcia, MSc, FMCHC from GEF - IEO inspired us to integrate climate change into evaluation.
- Sven Harten, Martin Noltze, and Alexandra Köngeter from DEval - German Institute for Development Evaluation shared insights on the Evaluation of Climate Change and Development.
- I had the honor of meeting people I had followed online, like Ann-Murray Brown 🇯🇲🇳🇱, Dugan Fraser, and Chitou Bassirou.
But IPDET was also about joy, fun, and human connection: happy hours, cultural exchanges, spirited discussions, and moments of relaxation. These human connections made this experience profoundly meaningful. 💬🎉
✔ Outcomes: IPDET was transformative, shifting my perspective on evaluation. As an independent evaluator, I now embrace more holistic approaches, especially concerning #climatechange. 🌍
The incredible people I met have left an indelible mark on me. 🌟 Mentors like Dr. Stefanie Krapp, Dr. Reinhard Stockmann, Dr. Dr Candice Morkel, and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Meyer guided us as we climbed the mountain of evaluation. 🏔 Their expertise, humility, and open-mindedness taught me that evaluation is more than a science—it’s an art, serving social change. 🎨✨ They are truly “aliens” .. in the professoral paradigm! 👽 😉
And the organizing team! Matthias, Hilde, Clara, Ercan, Dzoara, Elin, Veronika—you were amazing, attending to every detail with such a clear helicopter view, allowing us to climb that mountain without stumbling. 🚁💪🏾
✔ Impact: Looking back, I feel nothing but gratitude. IPDET wasn’t just about #certification, it was life-changing. I leave with an even stronger conviction to evaluate for a better world—using evidence-based, human-centered approaches. 🌍📊❤️
Though I’m back in Senegal, a part of me stayed in Switzerland, amidst those stunning alpine mountains. 🏞 I’ve learned that evaluation does not survive as an island, as Prof. Reinhard Stockmann so wisely said. 🌍 I am deeply thankful for the scholarship that allowed me to participate. To everyone who made this possible, I am forever grateful. 🙏🏾✨
Now more than ever, I’m ready to take on new challenges and contribute to a more just, sustainable, and human world. 💫
