This article draws on the sociological literature to (i) explore the intersection between evaluation and professionalism; (ii) identify the extent to which evaluation fulfills the main attributes of professionalism; (iii) apply logical models of professionalism to the practice of independent and self-evaluation; and (iv) speculate about the future of the discipline. It rests the case for evaluation professionalism on the imperative of occupational self-management without which specialized evaluation knowledge is highly vulnerable to capture by vested interests.

The promotion of human welfare in the zones of turmoil and transition can no longer be evaluated simply by examining the degree to which aid programs and projects achieve their relevant objectives efficiently. With globalization, the rules of the game that govern the international economy have become pivotal. Yet, the policies that govern trade, investment, migration, knowledge flows, environmental protection and human security have escaped systematic evaluation. To help ascertain the impact of rich countries’ policies on the economic and social prospects of poor countries, evaluators must broaden the scope of their assessments and examine the combined impact of aid and non-aid policies on poor countries. Following an overview of policy coherence for development (PCD) monitoring and evaluation concepts and activities, the article explores evaluation options designed to account for the development impact of rich countries’ policies and to encourage greater synergy among rich countries’ policies in support of global poverty reduction.

Bridging the current divide of opinion about experimentalism would help protect an evaluation brand currently under threat in international evaluation circles. In order to help settle a lingering and unnecessary controversy, this opinion article describes the policy force field that triggered the recent surge of interest in experimental methods in development evaluation; digs up the historical and philosophical roots of the long-standing epistemological debate; outlines the value and boundaries of experimentalism; and speculates about its prospects in development evaluation.

The evaluation discipline has long been put at the service of liberal democratic values. But contemporary evaluation practice is threatened by vested interests, western democracy is under stress and internationalization has propelled evaluation towards illiberal and patrimonial states. What is to be done in contexts where democracy is absent and/or evaluation has been captured by powerful interests whether globally, within countries or within organizations? Are existing democratic evaluation approaches still relevant? Is it time to try something new? This article reviews the evidence and recommends adoption of a progressive evaluation model designed to complement, update and renew existing democratic and social justice evaluation approaches.

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