Category Archives: Techniques

Lifting the quality of evaluation #1: Savvy clients

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Jane Davidson

What key elements are needed to seriously drive up the quality and value for money delivered by evaluation? Earlier this year at the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association (anzea) conference, I reflected on this question and came up with three … Continue reading →

Posted in Commissioning evaluation, The client's role, Use of evaluation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Rise and Risk of Evidence

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Katherine Hay

Our guest blogger this week is Katherine Hay, a senior member of the Evaluation Unit of the International Centre for Development Research. Based in New Delhi, India, she is an expert on the role of evaluation in development in South Asia. … Continue reading →

Posted in Appropriate inference, Causal inference, Causal inference strategies, Development | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Simple, complicated and complex perspectives on accountability and Three Cups of Tea controversy

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Patricia Rogers

I’m hopeful that the current controversy over Greg Mortenson’s book ‘Three Cups of Tea’ and the operations of the related NGO ‘Central Asia Institute’ (detailed in John Krakauer’s book Three Cups of Deceit and a 60 minutes story)  will lead … Continue reading →

Posted in Appropriate reporting, Development, Value for money | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The risks of using choropleth maps

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Patricia Rogers

Choropleth maps use existing spatial units (such as census blocks, cities, countries) to map statistical data. They are commonly used to map census data, which is where I was introduced to them in the 1980s. One of the risks of … Continue reading →

Posted in Appropriate reporting, Environment and natural resources, Mapping | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Appropriate simplicity? Discussion tonight San Francisco

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Patricia Rogers

Multiple deadlines and travel have been getting in the way of either Jane or me posting on the many evaluation issues in the news at the moment. But I hope to see some Genuine Evaluation readers at tonight’s panel discussion … Continue reading →

Posted in Evaluation Theory, Evaluative questions & answers, Professional development, Synthesis of findings | Tagged | Leave a comment