Digital tools in evaluation: Addressing ethical risks and policy gaps in South Africa

Digital tools have enhanced efficiency, scalability, and real-time insights in evaluation practices. Yet, these advancements introduce serious ethical risks—especially in South Africa—such as data privacy violations, coercive consent mechanisms, algorithmic bias, and diminished evaluator autonomy. This study aims to critically examine these ethical risks and identify gaps in existing policy and practice frameworks. Using a qualitative research design, it draws on semi-structured interviews with evaluators across government, non-governmental organizations, Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation, academia, and private consultancies. The findings reveal that ethical risks are systemic and worsened by the absence of clear, context-specific digital evaluation guidelines. Although frameworks like the Protection of Personal Information Act and the National Evaluation Policy Framework offer a legal baseline, they fall short in addressing digital complexity. The study proposes a dedicated ethical governance model tailored to digital evaluation, supported by local artificial intelligence standards and enhanced evaluator training. It contributes actionable insights to support ethical, inclusive, and accountable digital evaluation practices in South Africa.