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Transformative Development

Development that fundamentally alters the trajectory of a country or society — not through the incremental logic of aid, but through accumulated change that shifts what is possible. Posts here explore what transformative development looks like in practice, how countries like China have achieved it outside Western frameworks, and what evaluation must understand about long-term development trajectories.
07
Aug
Modernising on our own terms

Modernising on our own terms

This post reflects on what it truly means to modernise development, and flourish on our own terms in the Global South – honouring heritage while embracing innovation, without imitating Western models.
4 min read
17
Apr
The Non-sense of Evaluating 'Development'

The Non-sense of Evaluating 'Development'

I am re-posting here a blog post I wrote in 2017 (Part 5 in my DAC Evaluation Criteria series). I
6 min read
28
Apr
Guest Post: Dynamic Evaluation for Societal Transformation

Guest Post: Dynamic Evaluation for Societal Transformation

Osvaldo is one of the most knowledgeable professionals I have ever met - a veritable walking encyclopaedia of all matters
5 min read
30
Apr
Learning from China’s Transformation, Part 6. Co-evolution - a ‘first principle’.

Learning from China’s Transformation, Part 6. Co-evolution - a ‘first principle’.

Co-evolution – the mutual shaping of institutions, markets, society and governance over time – emerges as a first principle in understanding China’s transformation. This concluding post draws together the series’ lessons for evaluation and development practice
5 min read
26
Apr
Learning from China's Transformation, Part 5. Directed improvisation

Learning from China's Transformation, Part 5. Directed improvisation

China’s development story is an extraordinary example of complex adaptive systems thinking applied to political-economic transformation. ‘Directed improvisation’ – combining top-down strategic vision with bottom-up experimentation – holds vital lessons for us.
8 min read
16
Apr
Learning from China's Transformation, Part 2. Towards an ecological civilisation

Learning from China's Transformation, Part 2. Towards an ecological civilisation

China’s ambitious vision for an ‘ecological civilisation’ offers a striking counterpoint to Western development models. This post examines how Confucian philosophy, environmental policy and systems thinking converge in China’s approach to sustainable development.
7 min read
18
Dec
When can we claim 'success'?

When can we claim 'success'?

I have long thought that evaluators don't define 'success' in meaningful ways. Now highly respected economist
4 min read
28
Jul
Economists, Aid and RCTs

Economists, Aid and RCTs

"Aid projects might yield satisfying micro-results, but they generally do little to change the systems that produce the problems
5 min read
10
Jul
Towards Transformation, 1. The buzzword

Towards Transformation, 1. The buzzword

Can evaluation help enable and support transformative development? We know we need the latter. Yet like sustainability, transformation (or transformative
5 min read
08
Feb
Capacity development

Challenging narratives: Capacity development

How good are we at defining and judging 'success' - the essence of what evaluators do? Let us
4 min read