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Narratives

Stories shape what we see and understand, and what we miss. Posts here examine how narratives about progress, development, evidence, success and failure frame thinking and action about transformation, evaluation, systems, and the future, and determine whose reality counts. A Global South lens infuses the posts.
14
Apr
Learning from China's transformation, Part 1. Why learn from China?

Learning from China's transformation, Part 1. Why learn from China?

We can learn from one of the greatest transformative development success stories of all time. For the first time in history a country has lifted 850 million people out of poverty at a pace never seen before. Why evaluators have an imperative to learn from this achievement.
6 min read
09
Jan
Snippet: How data visualisation can mislead

Snippet: How data visualisation can mislead

We live in an era of 'big data' and 'big information'. We work in an increasingly
2 min read
03
Jan
Towards Transformation, 3. A grand narrative for evaluation in this era

Towards Transformation, 3. A grand narrative for evaluation in this era

In its very essence, the concept of evaluation is beautiful, I argued long ago in one of my first blog
5 min read
09
Feb
Definitions and glossaries

Definitions and glossaries

Definitions of terms are crucial for common understanding in any field of human endeavour. The diversity of actors entering and
3 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 consider
4 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
14
Mar
Valuing evaluation and elevator pitches - Part 2

Valuing evaluation and elevator pitches - Part 2

What? Evaluation is not popular? We know that evaluation can be very valuable. We continue to emphasise its role in
4 min read
10
Mar

Valuing evaluation and elevator pitches - Part 1

We need to get much better at "selling" evaluation (the "E" in "M&E&
2 min read
09
Mar
Evaluation – a Beautiful Practice

Evaluation – a Beautiful Practice

Is evaluation beautiful? This post argues that evaluation as profession and practice is intrinsically beautiful — rooted in millennia, engaging our deepest capabilities. But how we practise it is often not. A meditation on evaluation’s true value proposition.
6 min read