Ian Goldman
About Ian Goldman
Ian is an International Advisor in Evaluation and Evidence Systems working with the Global Evaluation Initiative, CLEAR Anglophone Africa, and is a professor at the University of Cape Town. Ian has been a board member of 3ie since April 2012, a Board member of SA M&E Association since October 2020, and is on the International Evaluation Academy Council. He has worked in 20 countries and works in 3 international languages. From 1978-9 Ian worked in Mexico as a soils/agronomist. Ian spent 1982-7 in Zambia on IRDP/DDSP Mpika, a pioneering project strengthening the capacity of local government to plan and implement a decentralised rural development programme. This led to a change in the approach to rural development and decentralisation of DFID and other donors. From 1988-1995 Ian was at the National Rural Enterprise Centre, a UK NGO, working in rural economic development, ending up Director, and a founder of the European Rural NGO Network, VIRGIL. From 1995-98 Ian was a Management Adviser with the Free State Minister (MEC) of Agriculture reforming the rural sector in South Africa. He wrote this up for his doctorate, awarded in 2001. From 1998-2009 Ian founded and became CEO of Khanya-aicdd (formerly Khanya-managing rural change), using action-learning partnerships to transform development systems in Africa, promoting sustainable livelihoods and community-driven development. In October 2009, Ian joined an EU-funded evidence-based policy programme with South Africa's Presidency and in January 2010 joined the newly established Dept of Planning, M&E (DPME) where he was Head of Evaluation and Research, and later DDG of the Evidence and Knowledge Systems Branch. From July 2018 Ian has worked with CLEAR Anglophone Africa, researching on evidence use, training and consulting in planning/M&E internationally. He published a book on evidence use in Africa in July 2030. He is currently on assignments with the Global Evaluation Initiative snd UN agencies. Ian is a facilitator of Biodanza, a system of music, movement and dance. He is also a climate activist. Specialties: Evidence-informed policy and practice, strategic planning, evaluation, M&E, action learning, decentralisation, change management, local economic development, rural development, community-driven development, sustainable livelihoods