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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.
13
Jan
The DAC criteria, Part 12: Concluding summary

The DAC criteria, Part 12: Concluding summary

I argued that the DAC criteria should get due credit. As noted in Part 1 of this series, they have
5 min read
14
Nov
The DAC criteria, Part 11. From criteria to design principles

The DAC criteria, Part 11. From criteria to design principles

Evaluation criteria used in development contexts do not only show what evaluation commissioners, evaluators and other stakeholders value. They also
6 min read
07
Nov
The DAC criteria, Part 10. Sleepwalking towards irrelevance

The DAC criteria, Part 10. Sleepwalking towards irrelevance

We are sleepwalking towards irrelevance. Not because we do not do some worthwhile things. We do. But because those with
7 min read
30
Oct
The DAC criteria, Part 8. Global South, Global North 2

The DAC criteria, Part 8. Global South, Global North 2

In my previous post I started to make the case for the evaluation of transformative change and transformative development in
8 min read
26
Oct
The DAC criteria, Part 8. Global South, Global North 1

The DAC criteria, Part 8. Global South, Global North 1

Now that the concept of "developing" and "developed" countries is at last unfashionable, is a special
4 min read
10
Mar
Sustaining (development) impact

Sustaining (development) impact

These days we talk a lot about “sustainable development”. And about “evaluating impact”. But I continue to maintain that it is useless to evaluate the impacts of an intervention without focusing on whether such impacts have a good chance to sustain.
4 min read
21
Feb
No, I am NOT a “development evaluator”. I evaluate FOR development.

No, I am NOT a “development evaluator”. I evaluate FOR development.

I do not do "development evaluation". I do not practice the evaluation OF development. I evaluate FOR development.
6 min read
10
May
SDG Evaluation Call to Action 2: Consider macro influences on development

SDG Evaluation Call to Action 2: Consider macro influences on development

In 15 years I have not conducted a single evaluation where I did not ask many questions about the reasons why things were working well, or not so well – and triangulating from different perspectives and sources of information.
5 min read