I’d like to think that we are all working in civil society because we want to see a better world: fairer, equal, sustainable communities that have a better quality of life and opportunity to fulfil their purpose in life; a sustained environment that protects biodiversity and manages climate change. I’d Read more…
How many times have you heard me say that! Yes I know, sometimes I can go on and on about how useful workshops can be – probably because they are and they are a great, time efficient way to get views and opinions out in the open. Workshops are more Read more…
We all respond to the situation that we find ourselves in, and that is true of any intervention that you might design: it is a response, framed in a particular way to a situation that you and others have identified as needing improvement, challenge, changing. But how much do you Read more…
Ok, I know, most consultants wouldn’t really like to be referred to as glue or ‘stuff’ (stuff is currently my favourite word). But it is a useful way to think about the value that consultancy can bring to an organisation. Most external consultants will work across a broad range of Read more…
Once again it was my honour to host the EUConsult Autumn Congress, this time in Edinburgh. This year we focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they are being implemented in Europe. It is easy to think of the SDGs as just being relevant for the developing world, Read more…
When you’re building a new monitoring and evaluation strategy or plan for an organisation the one thing that you need to ensure is that the whole team – from the CEO down – understands why M&E is needed and why it is part of their role. Everyone at some point Read more…
A few months ago I included a throw-away comment that clients often determine what the key evaluation questions are going to be before hiring an evaluator. Well, a client took me at my word and asked me and a colleague to help them design, and then deliver an evaluation! Hooray! Read more…
I can see you sitting there thinking “yes I know my stakeholders, what is he on about?” It is one thing to know who your stakeholders are, but do you know why they are involved in your project – what’s in it for them? I had the privilege recently of working with Read more…
It is still too often the case that evaluators write recommendations and then leave them in a report that sits idling away on a server somewhere (let’s get real: no-one prints our reports anymore so the proverbial dust-ridden shelf is a digital myth). It is still too often the case Read more…
Being a consultant is fantastic and frustrating. You get to work with loads of organisations and different teams who are all trying to make the world a better place, and making the world a better place is more important now than ever! But it is also frustrating because you often Read more…