In one of my recent posts I wrote about the pervasive influence of power on development, and the imperative to deal with it in our evaluations. Here I want to address the evaluation of "empowerment" - the support given to individuals in their efforts to empower themselves. In development
The Fourth Industrial Revolution? Klaus Schwab provides an intriguing analysis of the context within which the ambitions expressed in the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs have to be realised. He discusses the many potential benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution as well as the many real risks. He foresees very
Evaluation is entering an exciting period - one that will challenge us all to think in new ways and to focus on new things. This blog post is the first in a series aimed at highlighting some of the most interesting considerations for evaluation in an era where the Sustainable Development
I have come to the conclusion that nearly everything in life is influenced by power. Yet we almost never evaluate for it. It is difficult to be powerless and happy. The type and extent of the power we want will differ from person to person, depending on our circumstances and
What? Evaluation is not popular? We know that evaluation can be very valuable. We continue to emphasise its role in "decision-making", "improving interventions", "accountability", "knowledge generation", "planning", "budgeting", "advocacy" - and for "learning" about
We need to get much better at "selling" evaluation (the "E" in "M&E"). This is important especially in the Global South, where evaluation may be particularly valuable in helping those with little hope for a better life. Perhaps this means that we
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.
