Posted: April 23, 2024: You are invited to the National Evaluation Talk scheduled for Thursday 25th April 2024, starting from 2:00PM. A summary of the presentation has been provided below. The presenter, Nicolas Uwitonze is currently a PhD candidate at Virginia Tech (at the Department of Agriculture Leadership and Community Education), studying evalpreneurship in Africa. He is native from Rwanda, East Africa. He currently lives in Christiansburg, Virginia in the United States with his wife and two children (daughter and boy).
Time: 25th April 2024 - 14:00hrs-16:00hrs EAT
Zoom Meeting link:
https://zoom.us/j/98646724299?pwd=cTFmUTBNUEVjOWVRTHd3Qkl5QWI2QT09
Meeting ID: 986 4672 4299
Passcode: 280029
About the Presentation:
- Setting the scene and introduction
- Contextual background leading to the research on evalpreneurship in Africa
- Evalpreneurship 101: Definition & why evalpreneurship in Africa: A discussion to help participants understand their self-perceptions regarding evalpreneurship
- Who are commissioners of evaluation in Africa, and how if at all they work with evalpreneurs?
- Who are the key players conducting evaluations in Africa? Who are evalpreneurs, what are their roles, and how do they contribute to the supply chain?
- What are the factors acting as enablers or barriers affecting the influence of entrepreneurs on the supply and demand of evaluation in Africa: We will highlight important aspects affecting the capacity of entrepreneurs to impact the supply and demand in Africa’s evaluation market, including historical factors such as the legacy of colonialism, white supremacy, power dynamics; culture and Made in Africa Evaluation Approach; diversity in problem-solving as measured by Kirton's Adaption-Innovation (KAI) Inventory.
- Challenges and opportunities facing evaluation entrepreneurs in Africa: A case example discussing strengths and opportunities facing solo & local evaluation firms in Ghana.
About the Presenter:
Nicolas Uwitonze is currently a PhD candidate at Virginia Tech (at the Department of Agriculture Leadership and Community Education), studying evalpreneurship in Africa. He is native from Rwanda, East Africa. He currently lives in Christiansburg, Virginia in the United States with his wife and two children (daughter and boy). In his current PhD. pursuit, Nicolas is exploring the entrepreneurial identity, practices, challenges, and experiences of Africa-based evaluation consultants and entrepreneurs engaged in M&E in diverse countries in Africa.
Nicolas concurrently serves as a graduate research assistant to Dr. Thomas Archibald, contributing to evaluation work and Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) within Virginia Cooperative Extension. Additionally, he supports Dr. Archibald in his role as the executive director of the Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED) at Virginia Tech.
Nicolas Uwitonze earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture extension Education at Alexandria University in Egypt (2013) and a master’s in integrated crop management at the university of Neuchatel in Switzerland (2020). Prior to his doctoral journey, Nicolas dedicated seven impactful years to various development projects and NGOs in Rwanda, focusing on agricultural development, extension services, capacity building, and climate change. He also did part-time consultancy, contributing to research and evaluation projects, either independently or in collaboration with other consultants and firms or through his own research, evaluation, and consulting firm. These ventures not only nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit but also laid the foundation for his ongoing entrepreneurial and dissertation journey.