ABSTRACT
Evaluators should have been first in line to notice the magnitude of the human rights issues that the pandemic ushered in. And yet, as this chapter argues, human rights law and human rights-based approaches have not been centered within evaluation practice, even in the post-crisis era.
This chapter begins by examining why that might be, through an inquiry into the weak role that human rights play in practice in most of evaluation's ethical frameworks. It also argues for a substantive strengthening of both human rights and human rights-based approaches as central load-bearing beams in evaluation practice. The chapter also sets out the case for why human rights matter to evaluation practice. This is not just because of the imperative of lawfulness in evaluation practice and ethics, but because human rights form part of the global legal order, starting with the United Nations Charter. They are essential for ensuring the rule of law and the coherence and legitimacy of public policy. Consequently, human rights should be front-loaded in evaluation practice, despite the acknowledged challenges. Finally, the chapter examines what evaluators need to know about the particular rules that apply to times of emergency.
