If you design or evaluate things, why not share what you know with people who design and evaluate things for a living? I believe designers and evaluators need to talk more. I’ve argued that the conversation between design and evaluation is worth having. As both a professional designer and evaluator, my work is a reflection …
My first in-person conference in almost three years yielded surprises, disappointments, and the expected awkwardness. This time of year is usually conference season. October and November are typically big for conferences (much like May and June). This year I ventured out and attended my first in-person conference since 2019: The American Evaluation Association conference in …
The story of learning through conferences and Twitter intertwines in a story that might be coming to an end for both. To say there’s a lot of change in the air is both cliche and an understatement in November 2022. Of the many notable changes, two of them are of particular importance to me this …
In this final installment on Principles Focused Evaluation, we look at how to connect our data with our designs. If I have principles and don’t follow them, do I have them at all? This question is something that Principles Focused Evaluation can help us to answer. It’s at the core of our work. The vehicle …
Principled or values-driven approaches to strategy only have value when we can put them into practice. In this latest post in our series on Principles-Focused Evaluation, we look at the nuts and bolts of putting principles into practice. It is a lot easier to speak of principles and values than to live by them. I …
A good principle can be a source of inspiration and guidance for action and accountability if we know how to develop it.
Systems and evaluative thinking are at the core of Principles-Focused Evaluation, and using both can help us think and act better.
This second in a series on Principles-Focused Evaluation (PFE) draws our attention to the concepts of systems and complexity and how can PFE help us navigate both. Systems (thinking), complexity, and principles all go together. Principles-focused Evaluation (PFE) brings them together in meaningful ways, but to understand that, we first need to understand what we …
Systems and Complexity: Implications for Evaluation Read More »
What is a Principles-Focused Evaluation approach, and what does it offer those seeking to support change, adaptation, and innovation? This first in a series of posts will introduce you to an approach to strategic innovation and evaluation for complex situations. Principles-Focused Evaluation (PFE) is an approach to generating value in complex situations. It is an …
Principles-Focused Evaluation: A Series Introduction Read More »
Data-driven strategy and decision-making are only as good as the processes we have to gather, synthesize and use to inform action. I am a strong advocate for using data to inform decisions. Good quality data, appropriately gathered and focused, can reveal patterns that save time, money, and even lives. But data is also another method …
