Evaluation's Journey towards the Future, Part 3. The tributaries that make up our field
Evaluation does not flow from a single source. Like a river fed by countless tributaries, it draws from government accountability, Indigenous wisdom, professional practice, academic research, digital innovation and activist movements.
Evaluation’s Journey towards the Future, Part 2. How did we get here?
From ancient aquifers to modern canals: how evaluation evolved from intuitive human practice into a structured profession. Tracing the currents that carried evaluative thinking from millennia-old traditions into the formalised field we know today.
Evaluation’s Journey towards the future, Part 1: Ancient tributaries
As we chart evaluation’s future, its earliest beginnings continue to shape the field. From ancient Egypt’s Nile governance to China’s imperial examinations, from Indigenous knowledge systems to Athenian civic audits – a vivid journey through five millennia of evaluative practice.
“What went wrong with woke?” The problem of measurement and influence.
How twisted narratives and simplistic measures can destroy a major effort to do good. This post examines what the backlash against ESG and ‘woke’ culture reveals about the dangers of poor measurement, ideological capture, and evaluation’s role in defending evidence-based progress
Nine Reasons for Hope and Optimism. And why we need to seize this moment.
Despite the polycrisis, this is also a time to celebrate. Nine reasons for genuine hope – from shifting power dynamics to regenerative movements – and why evaluation professionals and change-makers should seize this exceptional moment.
Seven Reasons for Outrage. And why anger is not the answer.
From broken multilateralism to rising authoritarianism, there are powerful reasons for outrage in our hyperconnected world. But anger alone will not serve us. This post names seven structural failures demanding our attention — and argues for channelling outrage into purposeful action.
The Power(lessness) of Evaluation: The case of Afghanistan
Thanks to more than 60 evaluation reports over 13 years by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), we
Leaving no-one behind?
I re-post this post - originally published on Evaluating Sustainable Development Goals.
"To accomplish great things, we must not
