Sara Dewachter is a (part-time) post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Development Policy (IOB) of the University of Antwerp. She holds Master in Political Science, Master in Policy Economics and a PhD in Political science of KU Leuven, Belgium.
RESEARCH & OUTREACH
Her research interests focus on (political) participation, civil society, social capital, social network analysis, cash transfers and Monitoring and Evaluation, national evaluation societies (VOPEs), community based monitoring, citizen science, among other topics. She has extensively published on these topics in journals such as World Development, Social Policy & Administration, Water International, Evaluation, Evaluation and Program Planning, Population Health
[ORCID: 0000-0001-9339-2856]
Together with Prof. Nathalie Holvoet, she has been coordinating several (action) research projects on these topics jointly with several partners universities, such as Mzumbe University (Tanzania), Uganda Christian University (Uganda), De La Salle University (Philippines) as well as with alumni involved as co-researchers.
Recent / Ongoing research projects:
- Impact of unconditional cash transfers: FWO research project| UCT in Uganda
- Community Based Monitoring of water services: Fuatilia Maji| VLIR-UOS
- Women empowerment through citizen science: Women Water Watch |EU, COESO
- Impact of development studies education programmes: Alumni barometer project |Global Minds
Linked to these projects, various outreach activities, seminars and events have been organised (e.g. citizen science seminar Tanzania 2023). She is one of the founding members of the Community of Practice 'COMMUNITOR+' , bringing together expertise, knowledge and experience on CBM, citizen science and more broadly Monitoring and Evaluation to facilitate exchange, peer learning and networking among its members.
EDUCATION:
- Sara is co-promoter of four (IOB) PhD students working on topics of community based monitoring, citizen science and cash transfers.
- Sara is (co-) lecturer in the subunit on Community Based Monitoring (in Module III LIPR) organised jointly with mzumbe University and also actively supports the subunit 'Mobility window: research stay" in the course Research Methods II in the IOB advanced Master Programmes
- Additionally, she is intensively involved in IOB collaboration with international partners through the ICP CONNECT programme, both as a member of the general ICP CONNECT task force as well as one of the leading members of the ICP CONNECT DEM programme.
- Moreover, she is a co-promoter of a training programme focusing on Strengthening National Evaluation Capacities and related South seminars.
Sara is also (part-time) IOB alumni and education innovation (UFOO) coordinator.
As such, in cooperation with education and communication team, IOB alumni policy has been developed and several activities, networks and services (alumni magazine, chapters, activities, Life after IOB) are organised. Likewise, education innovation is a continuous process at IOB, also supported through the UFOO project and the UFOO coordinator.