Status: Completed

Contextualizing Impact Evaluation Pedagogy in Africa (CIPA) project

The “Contextualizing IE Pedagogy in Africa (CIPA) project" is a joint initiative between the Centre for Global Challenges based in Utrecht University (UU) and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) based at the United States International University (USIU-Africa). The project was conceived against evidence that academics from the global south have limited technical capacity to apply Impact Evaluation (IE) research in informing public policy. Further, a 2019 study conducted by NIERA to determine the demand and supply side of IE in East Africa (EA) disclosed limited capacity to undertake these vital studies.

The project aims to equip the next generation of African researchers and policy makers with solid knowledge of rigorous IE methods and their use for policy. CIPA’s objective is to develop and implement a scalable model that embeds rigorous training of IE methods in the curricula of selected EA universities and research institutions.

To achieve this – over a two-year period - the project has partnered with 12 fellows selected from eight universities and two research institutions across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia to design IE materials and embed the course curriculum into programs at these institutions.

Team Members

Aisha Nanyiti

Lecturer, Makerere University


Aisha Nanyiti is a Lecturer in the Department of Policy and Development Economics at the School of Economics of Makerere University Uganda. She has a PhD in Development Economics from Wageningen Un...

Samuel Muhula

Technical Lead-Research, Amref Health Africa


Samuel Muhula is the Technical Lead for Research at Amref Health Africa, providing policy guidance and implementation of the Amref Research Agenda in Africa. He is also the Monitoring, Evaluation an...

Christina Fille

Lecturer, Institute of Social Work Tanzania


Christina Fille is a lecturer and an economist at the Institute of Social Work in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Christina's  research interests are in development economics, labour economics, trade ...

Solomon Zena Walelign

Research Fellow, World Bank


Solomon Zena Walelign is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Visiting Scholar at the University of California Berkeley, Research Fellow at the World Bank, and Adju...

Getachew Mullu Kassa

Assistant Professor, Debre Markos University


Dr. Getachew Mullu Kassa is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Reproductive Health in College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia. He completed his Ph.D. in Reproducti...

Muthoni Ngángá

Assistant Lecturer, Kenyatta University


Muthoni Ng’ang’a (Ph.D) is an assistant lecturer at Kenyatta University and Strathmore University. She attained her PhD  in Economics from the University of Nairobi. She is a...

Werner Maokola

Research Coordinator,Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender. Elderly and Children/National AIDS Control Program, Tanz


Dr. Werner Maokola is a Program Officer with the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) in the Ministry of Health Tanzania. Prior to joining NACP, Dr. Maokola worked with Ifakara Health Institute in...

Damazo Kadengye

Research Scientist, APHRC


Damazo T. Kadengye (Ph.D) is a Statistician and Epidemiologist with over 17 years of research and practice in Public Health and Educational Sciences. Presently, Damazo serves as a Resea...

Alfred R. Bizoza

Associate Professor, University of Rwanda (UR)


Alfred R. BIZOZA is a PhD holder and an Associate Professor in Agricultural Economics from the University of Rwanda (UR) with extensive academic and policy research experience in areas of Agricultur...

John Sseruyange

Lecturer, Makerere University


John Sseruyange is a Lecturer of Economics at Makerere University. He holds a PhD in Development Economics from University of Wageningen, The Netherlands. John has worked as an independent consulta...

Condo U Jeanine

Managing Director, CII HIN


Associate Prof Condo U Jeanine is the Managing Director of the Center for Impact Innovation and Capacity building for Health Information and Nutrition (CIIC HIN), a non-profit organization – legall...

Alebel Bayrau Weldesilassie

Senior Research Fellow


Dr. Alebel Bayrau Weldesilassie is a Senior Research Fellow at the Policy Studies Institute (formers Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI). He is currently coordinating the Poverty and Socia...

Amos Njuguna

Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Network Chair, NIERA


Amos is the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension at United States International University - Africa (USIU-A) and a founding member of the Network. He has a background in fina...

Samuel Oji Oti

Senior Program Specialist (Network Secretary General), NIERA


Samuel Oti is a Senior Program Specialist with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). He is responsible for leading, developing and implementing IDRC’s food, environment and health pr...

Jennifer Nyakinya

Program Manager, NIERA


Ms. Jennifer Nyakinya is an International Development Professional with over 10 years of experience leading and managing delivery of projects in the public and social sector for a regional port...

Anne Maina

Program Assistant, NIERA


Ms. Anne Maina is the Program Assistant for NIERA. Prior to joining NIERA, Anne served as the Knowledge Management Associate at the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance - a network of ...

Joost de Laat (PhD)

Director, Utrecht Centre for Global Challenges


Joost is a Professor of Economics at the Utrecht University School of Economics and the director of the Utrecht Centre for Global Challenges. He previously worked as a Senior Economist at the World ...

Enric Vila (MSc)


Enric Vila is a Junior Researcher at the Utrecht Centre for Global Challenges at Utrecht University where he is a member of the team of Dr. Joost de Laat. He holds a BSc in Economics from Universita...

Lotte van der Haar

Junior Researcher, Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges


Lotte works as a Junior Researcher at the Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology (University of Groningen) and a master’s degree in Economic...

Anaya Dam

Research Assistant and MPhil. student, Utrecht University


Anaya is currently completing her MPhil in Economics and will start a PhD in economics at Utrecht University in the upcoming year. Her research aims at understanding behavioral variables (eg. prefe...