The Obsessive Accountability Disorder (OMD) in Evaluation 

December, 2024. Accountability is essential, but an OAD fixated on desired results and metrics overshadows and detracts from evaluating broader and more consequential impacts.

Tipping Evaluation's Transformational Potential

January, 2022. This opinion piece was published in journal, Evaluation, reflecting on key lessons from the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) for evaluation practice.

Organizational Maturity Modelling in Evaluation

June, 2021. We often evaluate discrete programs and projects, but organizations deliver these, and I’ve found it useful to integrate OMM into evaluations to help organizations understand how a particular capacity area, (e.g., gender equity or M&E) affects the object of evaluation. 

Top 10 Tips for Evaluation Capacity Development

November, 2017. Much of my work has not simply been practicing evaluation, but developing the capacity of others to practice, manage, support and/or use it. This post identifies 10 key considerations for ECD in organizations.

Context Analysis Checklist for Evaluation Capacity Development

April 2017. ECD requires a realistic understanding of the context in which capacities are to be developed and used. This post presents a checklist of key considerations to inform context analysis for ECD.

Adult Learning Principles for M&E Training

January, 2017. Drawing upon our book, Monitoring and Evaluation Training. A Systematic Approach, this post summarizes 14 key adult learning principles for M&E training, with brief tips to put them to practice. 

Counting People Reach

October, 2016. One should not underestimate the importance of and challenges for measuring basic output-level indicators, such as people reached by services (AKA “beneficiaries”).  This blog will examine this, focusing on the challenges presented by direct and indirect recipients, as well as double counting.

"Beneficiary" Revisited

May, 2016. What we call the people we target in development and humanitarian work may strike one as mundane, but for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) it is essential to clearly define and understand what we are to measure and report. 

Logical Bridge Activity

March, 2016. Everyone can relate to a bridge, and I’ve found this activity a fun, useful springboard to discuss concepts about the logical hierarchy of results for whatever design framework (and semantics) used.