Security, Conflict and Peacebuilding

Khulisa, founded in 1993 in Johannesburg at the end of Apartheid, is one of Africa’s oldest
evaluation firms, with a strong focus on security, conflict, and peacebuilding. Recognizing
evaluation as a political activity, Khulisa integrates participatory and utilization-focused
approaches to generate meaningful insights. Over the years, the firm has conducted numerous
evaluations in human rights, governance, and security, developing equitable evaluation
methodologies that incorporate both quantitative and qualitative analytics. By leveraging
innovative storytelling and oral communication techniques, Khulisa ensures that its evaluations
remain adaptive and responsive to evolving challenges.
We have played a key role in addressing security and conflict-related issues across Africa,
including research on trafficking in persons in South Africa, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, as well as
evaluations of refugee youth protection programs. Khulisa has also assessed governance and
transparency initiatives, such as the DFID-funded Strengthening African Networks for
Governance, Accountability, and Transparency Programme. Additionally, the firm supports
efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) and contributes to strengthening
peace, and stability by enhancing decision-making through knowledge acquisition and
application.
Khulisa emphasizes the importance of community resilience in security and peacebuilding,
integrating conflict sensitivity and political awareness into its evaluations. Through monitoring,
adaptive research, and stakeholder convenings, we enhance collaboration across bilateral,
transnational, regional, and local levels. By providing reliable data and insights, Khulisa
empowers decision-makers to address security challenges, strengthen governance, and build
sustainable peace across Africa, ensuring that policy and programmatic choices align with
community needs and realities. And our support for the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and
Promote Stability (SPCPS) ensures that security initiatives are rooted in the lived realities of
those most affected, creating lasting and inclusive solutions.

Khulisa has conducted several evaluations focused on human rights and governance, creating thought partnerships and equitable evaluation approaches. Khulisa’s experience with quantitative and qualitative analytics has led to innovative storytelling and oral communication data approaches, allowing for iterative and adaptable approaches and outcomes.

Our spectrum of work includes implementing trafficking in persons research in South Africa, and we have conducted similar work in Ghana and Zimbabwe. We also conducted an evaluation of the U.S. Department of State Programs for the Protection of Refugee Youth in Urban Settings in Africa. Khulisa completed a continent-wide evaluation for the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) of the Strengthening African Networks for Governance, Accountability, and Transparency Programme.