Across the development and evaluation landscape, youth participation is no longer optional. It is a necessity for building robust systems, diverse perspectives, and sustainable solutions. At Cloneshouse, our commitment to youth in evaluation has evolved into a strategic priority that informs our work, partnerships, and long-term vision for the evaluation ecosystem in Africa and globally.
From structured internship programmes to capacity-building initiatives and multi-stakeholder partnerships, Cloneshouse is intentionally creating pathways for young and emerging evaluators to thrive. This blog highlights the many ways we are investing in youth leadership, strengthening evaluation systems, and shaping a vibrant community of practice.
A Strong Commitment to Youth Engagement
Since 2019, Cloneshouse has consistently embedded youth inclusion into its identity and practice. Our work has been guided by our commitment to the Youth in Evaluation Manifesto and strengthened through our alignment with global movements such as Eval4Action.
Through the Cloneshouse Internship Programme (CIP) and YouthPrep, we have provided 128 young evaluators to date with practical experience, mentorship, and opportunities to contribute to real evaluation assignments. These programmes have created meaningful avenues for youth across countries in Africa and Europe, including Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), DR Congo, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, the Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Sweden, and Uganda, to build skills and transition into professional roles within and outside the evaluation field.
“As a young program officer in a thriving non-profit organization in Nigeria, I had the opportunity to be on some development projects, supporting the organization in supervising and managing her programs and initiatives. But there was something missing; the ability to effectively conduct monitoring and evaluation assessment on these projects with other team members. I applied for the Cloneshouse Nigeria Monitoring and Evaluation Internship programme, believing that it will afford me the opportunity to acquire the requisite knowledge on M&E. I consider this opportunity an invaluable one. The team took me through some courses with rich practical case studies that deepened my understanding of the concepts, theories and practices of M&E. It was a decision I was glad I made.’
Joshua Arogunyo – International Fertilizer Development Cooperation (IFDC)
We have also completed multiple self-assessments under the Youth in Evaluation (YiE) Standards, earning recognition as an Emerging Super Champion and a Champion in the Human Resources dimension, reinforcing the depth of our commitment.
Youth Included at Every Stage of the Evaluation Process
Youth at Cloneshouse are not passive participants; they are active contributors and co-creators in the evaluation process. They play meaningful roles across the entire evaluation cycle, including contributing to proposal development, shaping evaluation design, supporting data collection and analysis, engaging with stakeholders, and participating in reporting, dissemination, and learning.
Their roles are substantive and meaningful, often involving leadership of tasks under mentorship from senior evaluators. Many interns transition into consultant roles and lead assignments across regions, demonstrating the strength of the professional pipeline emerging from CIP.
Diversity and Inclusion at the Center of Our Work
Cloneshouse intentionally designs evaluation opportunities to include youth from diverse backgrounds, including varying genders, socio-economic groups, nationalities, and regions. Opportunities are shared transparently through open calls, newsletters, and partner networks.
Our evaluation designs incorporate diverse youth voices as both informants and evaluation team members, ensuring that evidence reflects the lived experiences and realities of the communities we serve.
Multi-stakeholder Partnerships That Strengthen the Ecosystem
We recognize that advancing youth in evaluation requires collaborative action. Cloneshouse works closely with a diverse range of partners, including Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation (VOPEs), civil society organizations that champion inclusive development, youth networks that mobilize and amplify young evaluators, government institutions that shape policy and practice, and regional and global evaluation bodies that set standards and drive collective action across the field.
These collaborations have resulted in mentorship structures, co-hosted learning events, joint advocacy efforts, and shared commitments to promoting youth participation in evaluation systems. We have supported initiatives with the Nigerian Association of Evaluators (NAE), EvalYouth, LEAP Africa, and several African youth networks.
One notable achievement is our role in connecting YEE Nigeria with the National Monitoring and Evaluation Department to advocate for youth inclusion in national systems.
Building Skills Through Project-based Capacity-Building
Cloneshouse invests heavily in youth capacity-building by designing and delivering a range of learning opportunities tailored to emerging evaluators. These include the Online Basic M and E Course, the Advanced Project Evaluation Management Course, the AI in MEL Bootcamp, and a variety of customized training workshops that equip young professionals with practical skills and exposure to evolving trends in the evaluation field.
‘What stood out most for me was the exceptional quality of the course contents, the deep expertise of the instructors, and the flexibility of the course structure. Each module was thoughtfully designed, making complex concepts easy to understand and apply in real evaluation contexts. The instructors brought a wealth of practical experience, and the adaptable learning pace made it possible to fully engage despite a busy schedule’
Sitan Konaré – CARE International, Mali
“Being part of Cloneshouse has genuinely shaped my growth as a young professional. The training, especially the AI in MEL Bootcamp, has opened my eyes to new, practical ways of working and pushed me to level up my skills. You can tell Cloneshouse is intentional about empowering young people in the MEL space, and I’m grateful to be one of those who have benefited from that commitment.”
Oluwatobilola Oludimu – Global Youth Skills Acquisition and Poverty Eradication Organization (GYSAPEO)
Through case studies, capstone projects, structured feedback loops, training needs assessments, and engagement with youth networks, we ensure that our learning opportunities remain relevant, practical, and impactful.
Youth participation in these courses has grown significantly, reflecting increasing demand and the effectiveness of our training approaches.
Celebrating Global Achievements and Recognition
Our focused investment in youth engagement, capacity-building, and evaluation leadership has resulted in notable global achievements.
Cloneshouse has been honored by the Youth in Evaluation movement for its continued leadership:
- In 2024, Cloneshouse was recognized as a Youth in Evaluation Emerging Super Champion.
- In 2025, Cloneshouse was selected as a Youth in Evaluation Super Champion, one of the highest recognitions awarded within the movement.
In addition to these organizational recognitions, several Cloneshouse interns have excelled on the global stage through the World Evaluation Case Competition:
- In 2022, a cohort from the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works programme secured third place.
- In 2023, our interns representing Nigeria, Kenya, and Ivory Coast secured second place.
The Cloneshouse capacity-building team provided mentorship and coaching for these teams, demonstrating the strength of our training model and our commitment to preparing youth for global evaluation platforms.
These achievements reaffirm Cloneshouse commitment to excellence, leadership, and the long-term development of young evaluators.
Sustained Investment Through Budgeting and Resource Allocation
Cloneshouse, through its Foundation, allocates annual budgets to support the recruitment of young professionals, implement capacity-building programmes, provide sponsorships for conferences and learning events, advance youth-in-evaluation activities, and sustain collaborative initiatives with partners and Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation (VOPEs).
Furthermore, through the Cloneshouse Foundation, we maintain dedicated budget lines for youth employment, training, and career development. Young professionals recruited into evaluation assignments are fairly and competitively remunerated, reflecting our commitment to professionalising youth participation.
Looking Ahead
Cloneshouse remains committed to strengthening youth leadership in evaluation through innovation, partnership, and long-term investment. Our initiatives are building a confident, skilled, and practice-ready generation of evaluators who are shaping evidence culture across Africa and globally. We look forward to expanding our programmes, deepening global partnerships, and continuing to prepare emerging evaluators for leadership roles in public, civil society, and private sector evaluation spaces.
As part of this commitment, we invite readers to watch out for our Global Internship Programme, launching in the first quarter of 2026, which will further broaden opportunities for young evaluators worldwide.
About the Author
Noelle Uloko is a dedicated operations and business development leader at Cloneshouse LLC. She oversees organizational planning, human resources, partnerships, and strategic growth. Her work champions youth leadership in evaluation, driving programmes that equip young professionals with the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to thrive in the global evaluation landscape.
