Education
Cloneshouse recognised as 2026 youth in evaluation legacy champion – EnviroNews
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Cloneshouse has been honoured as a 2026 Youth in Evaluation Legacy Champion (YELC) for its continued commitment to promoting youth leadership, enhancing professional development, and fostering inclusion in monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
The organisation was acknowledged during the global inauguration of the Youth in Evaluation Forum 2026 and Champion Awards, which took place online on May 19, 2026, and was organised by the Eval4Action campaign and partners.
This recognition places Cloneshouse among a select group of establishments globally recognised for their sustained commitment to embedding the Youth in Evaluation (YE) standards into the way they design, conduct, and use evaluative evidence.
The 2026 award cycle featured participation from 42 organisations across academia, governments, voluntary organisations for professional evaluation, youth networks, international bodies, the private sector, and United Nations agencies.
At the global event, 15 organisations were distinguished across two categories, Legacy Champions and Champions. These comprise Cloneshouse, the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association, the UNFPA Independent Evaluation Office, the Mongolian Evaluation Association, United Nations Human Rights, Lady Irwin College, Delhi University, and other institutions advancing youth participation in evaluation globally.
Oludotun Babayemi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Clonehouse, commented on the recognition, saying it means a lot to his organisation because it affirms the work it has continued to do to create space for young people in evaluation.
According to him, Cloneshouse believes that youth participation should go beyond simple invitations; they should be equipped, trusted, mentored, and given real opportunities to contribute to the generation and use of evidence.
He promised that his organisation, the Cloneshouse Foundation, would keep expanding opportunities for young people, professionals in the early stages of their careers, and aspiring evaluators to acquire pertinent skills in monitoring, evaluation, research, learning, data, communication, development practice, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
The M&E specialist went on to explain that these initiatives are a part of Cloneshouse’s broader dedication to strengthening the evidence ecosystem and making sure that young people actively participate in the processes, evidence, and decisions that define development work in addition to being its beneficiaries.
“Being named a Legacy Champion strengthens our resolve to keep building pathways for the next generation of evaluators,” Babayemi stated.
The Clonehouse’s boss added that the award reaffirms his organisation’s commitment to advancing inclusive evaluation practices, supporting youth leadership, and developing a stronger pipeline of skilled young professionals. These individuals can contribute to more accountable, effective, and evidence-informed development outcomes.
The Youth in Evaluation Champion Awards were launched in 2024 as a global benchmark for institutional commitment to advancing young people’s meaningful participation in evaluation. It recognises organisations that actively apply the youth in evaluation standards in their systems, practices, and use of evaluative evidence.
Beyond recognition, the awards catalyse systemic change by helping bridge the intergenerational gap in evaluation and strengthening benchmarks for youth participation across the development sector.
By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja
