Centering African Philosophies: Five Transformative Indigenous Evaluation Frameworks

EMPOWERING YOUTH THROUGH  A CULTURAL EMPOWERMENT FRAMEWORK- (NGWANAKE): A TECH- AND YOUTH- INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EVALUATION

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

This is a youth/community cultural empowerment tool that combines the use of technology and cultural knowledge and skills; leveraging on appropriate accessible technology in the evaluation of interventions. Many developmental interventions or projects in Africa continue to use methods of project design and evaluation that do not fit local cultures or ways of life. This leads to exclusion and marginalization of youths and local communities in evaluation practice resulting in the projects not being relevant or meeting their needs and aspirations. Rooted in African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS) and underpinned by Ubuntu philosophy, the framework advocates for youth/community empowerment, ensuring that young people/key primary users actively shape the evaluation of interventions/projects that impact them. By prioritizing youth/key primary user- identified priorities and outcomes, the framework aims to address power dynamics and voice asymmetries in evaluation and technology integration

KEY INSIGHT FROM NGWANAKE

The Key insight of the framework is cultural empowerment through integration of culture and technology which makes evaluation more local, more meaningful, and easier to sustain.

WHAT DOES NGWANAKE OFFER? The Framework offers a new way to do evaluation that combines African culture, youth energy, and technology through; Cultural Integration, Cultural Innovation and Autonomy (Jitegemee- self-reliance):

Figure 1: Cultural Integration

Cultural Integration: This stage helps youth and communities incorporate their culture into project planning and evaluation. Communities incorporate their culture into project planning and evaluation

Cultural Innovation: This incorporates the integrations of culture and technology which promote creativity in project design and evaluation practice.

 

Figure 2: Cultural Innovation

 

  Autonomy (Jitegemee): This stage focuses on independence and pride. Communities use their culture to share success stories—through songs, proverbs, or videos—and keep improving their work. It builds self- reliance and ownership of results.

 

Figure 3: Autonomy ( Jitegemee)

The Key insights of the framework is cultural empowerment, leveraging on the integration of culture and technology which makes evaluation more local, more meaningful, and easier to sustain.

The Cultural Empowerment Framework “Ngwanake “is designed for multiple stakeholders who engage in youth/community-led initiatives. These include:

·       Youth/community: As the primary users, young people engage in conceptualising, designing, and implementing evaluation processes tailored to their contexts.

·       Governments: Policymakers leverage the framework for evidence-based decision-making and ensuring that youth perspectives are represented.

·       MCE Practitioners: Evaluators and researchers use the framework to develop culturally relevant evaluation methodologies.

·       Funders C NGOs: Organisations supporting youth initiatives use the framework to track impact and ensure accountability.

·       Educators: The framework serves as a learning tool to strengthen youth evaluation capacity-building efforts.

WHY FRAMEWORK MATTERS

·       When young people and communities integrate their own culture and technology in evaluation, they become active players in their own development. The Cultural empowerment framework promotes Intergenerational learning through innovation, inclusion, ownership.

       ·       Ngwanake cultural framework helps turn evaluations into tools for empowerment—not just for measurement. It shows that when people’s culture and technology work together, the results are stronger and longer-lasting. The Role of Technology in Implementing the Framework is particularly weaved in the following attributes :

Ø  Technology plays a crucial role in amplifying youth voices, facilitating data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings. The framework promotes the use of youth- friendly technology that aligns with African realities, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility. Examples include:

Ø  Social Media Platforms (WhatsApp, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) – Youth leverage these platforms to share insights, engage in discussions, and document findings in creative formats.

Ø  Mobile Data Collection Tools (Kobo Toolbox, ODK, WhatsApp Chatbots) – These tools enable real-time, mobile-based data gathering, making evaluations more accessible and efficient.

Ø  Podcasts C Digital Storytelling – Youth produce audio and video narratives to share evaluation findings in engaging and relatable ways.

Ø  Data Visualisation C Analysis Tools (Sense Maker, Infographics, Dashboards) – Helps in interpreting data in a visually compelling and easy-to-understand manner.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Ø  Include cultural empowerment part of all developmental programs.
Governments and NGOs should include the Ngwanake Framework in their project designs and evaluations.

Ø  Train and support youth.
Give young people the skills and resources to lead evaluations using both culture and technology.

Ø  Encourage community innovation.
Support projects that blend local traditions with new ideas.

Ø  Protect Indigenous knowledge.
Ensure communities receive recognition and benefits when they share their cultural Knowledge.

Ø  Work together.
Build strong partnerships between communities, government, schools, and funders to spread this approach

 

CONCLUSION

The framework helps turn evaluations into tools for empowerment—not just for measurement. It shows that when people's culture and technology work together, the results are stronger and longer-lasting. When young people and communities integrate their own culture and technology in evaluation, they become active players in their own development. The Cultural empowerment promotes Intergenerational learning through innovation, inclusion and ownership. The Cultural Empowerment Framework “Ngwanake” stands as a beacon for youth-driven, technology-integrated evaluation that is grounded in African Indigenous Knowledge. By prioritizing youth agency, cultural sensitivity, and technological adaptability, the framework ensures that evaluations accurately reflect the realities of African youth. While challenges exist, continuous capacity building, inclusive technology strategies, and community participation will be key to unlocking its full potential. This framework is more than an evaluation tool—it is a movement towards youth-centric, transformative learning and accountability.

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[i] [i] Ngwanake is a Setswana term meaning “my child”.

Similar terms are found across the region with related meaning. The name was chosen for the framework to symbolize youth as the focus of the framework, the inter-regional relevance, and the frameworks birth in Botswana.