EVALUATING IN MIGRATION SETTINGS: FIVE COMMON DILLEMAS

Have you ever wondered how it is like to practice M&E in the migration space? Is it just like any other field? In this article, i briefly unpack what to expect when you venture into the migration space. Whereas the challenges we experience may not be new to the evaluation community, there are some peculiarities that are worth gaining a perspective on.

We are living at an age of unprecedented human mobility. ?The International Organization for Migration (IOM) World Migration Report (2022) indicates that by the end of 2020 migrants all over the world totaled 281 Million. That is 3.6% of the world’s population! If the migrant ‘nation’ was a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world. There is currently no universally agreed definition of a migrant. The International Organization for Migration(IOM), however presents a working definition of a migrant as “a person who moves away from his or her place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons”. ?Migrants are people, professionals, entrepreneurs, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, neighbors just like us-only in a space different from their place of birth or habitual residence. Inspite of this they face peculiar challenges, some completely undeserved.

Practicing evaluation in the challenge ridden migration space also comes with some peculiar problems. In this article, I enumerate five common dilemmas that evaluators in the migration space face and offer some tips on how to navigate them. The typology of dilemmas that we face can be broadly categorized as geographical, status related, political, cultural and ethical. Now a quick look at each of these. I will try to make it short but precise, so read on.

Dilemma #1: GEOGRAPHY:

Mobility is the hallmark of migration. Migrants are always on the move and may be unavailable when needed. In many ways they are a hard-to-reach population due to their shifting geographical location. Undocumented migrants can deliberately locate themselves in proximal oblivion to avoid contact with authorities. Migrants involved in an intervention today, may have moved on to new destinations especially in countries of transit and may not be available for evaluations that are periodic. indeed migrants may never be available for latter summative or impact evaluations. Sometimes you therefore hardly have a static cohort of beneficiaries to observe changes overtime.

• Hot tip: Embedding evaluative practices into migrant programmes can be a solution. strong monitoring activities that give constant feedback can also access migrants while they can be found. Developmental Evaluation approaches can also be appropriate. ICT tools can connect you with migrants wherever they are. IOM has a publicly available app (MigApp) among others, that can link previously supported migrants with programmes under evaluation. Migrants can also use this app too to find services near them. It is available for free at your device’s app store.

Dilemma #2: STATE

Migrants can sometimes be found in very deplorable settings, such as in displacement camps, refugee camps, detention camps, temporary shelters or for undocumented migrants in insecure or remote areas away from authorities. The face of suffering and misery can obtrude on an evaluator and make them question the value of conducting measurements when the priority appears to be to provide the much-needed assistance. It can be quite a dilemma.

• Hot tip: A useful disposition to bear is viewing evaluation as part of the solution rather than a peripheral activity. Even in life saving situations, we need to know whether we are doing it right, with the right people, at the right time. Evaluation is therefore part of the response, not an optional luxury. If we do not review what and how we are doing, we might be doing more harm than good. It also elevates the need to ensure recommendations are fully implemented to demonstrate value of evaluations to beneficiaries.

Dilemma #3: POLITICS

In recent years, migration though necessary and inevitable, has unfortunately become a controversial political and security topic. When anti-migration narrative is used as a rallying call in political contests, a toxic environment is created. The securitization of migration makes it a no-go-zone even for players in the field. In such toxic political and security contexts, evaluation exercises can easily be misunderstood and misinterpreted and more often than not end up being quashed or receive lacklustre support from authorities. Evaluation utility suffers at the end.

• Hot tip: Evaluation data is itself an effort to contribute to a fact-based narrative. Involve political leaders in evaluation planning and execution to reduce suspicions. Highlight positive stories of impact to show the value that migrants add in societies so as to counter anti-migrant narratives. The IOM migration data portal and Evaluation Repository can provide up-to-date data and evaluation results to demonstrate the positive outcomes of well managed migration. The Migrant Storyteller website documents stories of migrants' impact across the globe.

Dilemma #4: CULTURE?

Migrants, being from elsewhere, may bear different social and cultural identity and practices which can clash with the evaluator’s. Evaluators from a different culture may not know how to engage or interact with migrants productively. Language barriers are also common problems we face.

• Hot tip: Cross-cultural tolerance and understanding is a core evaluator competence that evaluators can cultivate (See more on this including tips to develop cross cultural competence from the “Cracking the M&E Career” book).?Migrants have some capabilities that can be utilized for evaluation. Migrants have skills, talents, education and abilities that can be tapped for evaluation. Amongst migrants, just as in any community are: evaluators, researchers, translators, enumerators, statisticians, and mobilizers, that we can engage and forge positive working relationships with. Respect for people as people and, their culture is a foundational aspect.

Dilemma #5: ETHICS

Evaluators, being products of society may possess prejudices and misconceptions about migrants or migration in general that can clash with evaluation norms and standards of ethics. In a world where inequality and asymmetrical power relations are prevalent, it calls on us to be vigilant of our own biases, prejudices and how we use the power that we have while dealing with migrants, a vulnerable group. ?

• Hot tip: An evaluator must keep their own prejudices in check. Value people (all people) based on their humanity and in line with their unalienable and indivisible rights. Evaluators can familiarize themselves with migrant rights and international migration law instruments that justify working with and supporting migrants irrespective of their migration status. Check out the IOM’s International Migration Law page.

It is difficult but not impossible!