From Audit Culture to Development Evaluation : A Reflection on the Use of Anthropology for Evaluation

Abstract

This article aims to reflects on applying an anthropological approach to program evaluation, specifically by comparing the underlying audit culture with anthropological methodology. The researchers’ experience evaluating a youth and child management unit, a systemic innovation designed to support local child-focused work, as data for the article's reflection. The analysis reveals that audit culture, which prioritizes quantitative outcomes, creates a burden by oversimplifying and standardizing the work of the unit being evaluated. This often overlooks their specific expertise and unique operational contexts. In contrast, anthropology helps reveal contextual differences, including varying capital, especially cultural capital, work processes, and outcomes. The article argues that an anthropological perspective provides a compelling alternative for evaluation, aligning more effectively with the principles of developmental evaluation that prioritize learning and improvement over mere accountability.