One of the systems thinking tools that I use a lot is a stakeholder analysis based on core systems concepts of inter-relationships, perspectives and boundaries. Inter-relationships: How do things connect with each other?This is the most familiar systems concept and the oldest. Inter-relationships can be dynamic, linear and nonlinear, have Read more…
I recently took on a project that included identifying the key elements of a successful intervention. This gave me the opportunity to use a rarely used tool in the evaluator tool box: qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Ragin, 1987) in a case-based method that allows evaluators to systematically Read more…
For the past year I have been lucky enough to be supporting Advising Communities as it delivered a pilot project called Money Well that supported people with mental health needs and low levels of well-being to become more financially capable through a mix of 1:1 support and group work. The Read more…
Recently I was asked by Itad to guest blog on an exciting piece of research that we had done together for PSI MozambiqueFunding PSI Mozambique. It was (obviously) on my favourite subject – core funding! Well head on over there and tell me what you think!
As I mentioned last week, Social Enterprise UK research suggested that the majority of Social Enterprises in the UK find measurement to be a key barrier to fully understanding their impact. While Social Enterprise UK has put forward four steps to integrating social value into any business or organisation, I Read more…
In my last blog I was talking about being aware of different perspectives. Actually perspectives is a key principle of systems thinking. I’m doing a lot of reading on systems thinking at the moment and reacquainting myself with three key systems concepts: Inter-relationships, Perspectives and Boundaries. This is because Bob Read more…
In two other recent blogs I’ve mentioned beneficiary feedback loops and implied they are a good thing and important for designing meaningful interventions. They are, but let’s look at them more closely. When I talk about feedback loops I am not talking about consulting focus groups and the end of the Read more…
I see a lot of tenders and evaluations that are stressing either qualitative or quantitative based approaches. As if in a backlash against the more complex evaluations that have been seen in the past five years or so. I do sympathise with a desire for simplicity in evaluation that can Read more…
So I have been hearing a lot about how evaluation is or should be part of an organisation’s work. Er, no. Monitoring is part of an organisation’s work; and a very important part too. It is crucial that an NGO knows how to monitor its work, use beneficiary feedback loops to improve Read more…
Last week I mentioned that NGOs should do lots of regular beneficiary testing (or user testing) when developing their projects, activities, products, interventions, etc. I thought I’d expand a little on that idea. You see we’ve spent over 50 years “doing development” in the global south and in some places people Read more…