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 »
Our understanding of situations are co-constructed and that means our future is, too. Shaping our future — at least one we want — requires not only thinking about our present situation, but our past, too. This means listening to the stories we tell ourselves and others — and paying attention to the ones we’ve missed
Pasts, Presents, and Futures Read More »
Without connecting monitoring of our programs with our principles and strategy, we are simply creating impotency in our organizations. The events of January 6th, 2021 at the United States Capitol were appalling to anyone who cares about that republic, democracy, and decency. While a mob incited by the sitting president stormed the building and forced
Monitoring, Principles and Impotent Strategy Read More »
Strategy in chaos is like whitewater rafting — it needs stillness among the motion. Sometimes the best transformation and boldest action is doing nothing.
Doing Nothing: An Innovation Paradox Read More »
A greater push for inclusion of evaluation data to make decisions and support innovation is not generating value if there is little usefulness of the evaluations in the first place. A design-driven approach to evaluation is the means to transform utilization into both present and future utility. I admit to being puzzled the first time
Design-driven Evaluation Read More »
Developmental evaluation holds promise for product and service designers looking to understand the process, outcomes, and strategies of innovation and link them to effects. It’s the great promise of DE that is also the reason to be most wary of it and beware the traps that are set for those unaware. Developmental evaluation (DE), when
Developmental Evaluation’s Traps Read More »
Planning is something that is done all the time, but the shape in which these plans unfold is often complex in hidden ways. Without the same resources to evaluate those plans (and make different ones should they change) many organizations are left with great expectations that don’t match the reality of what they do (and can
Systems thinking and the simple plan Read More »
In social innovation we are at risk of confusing our stories of success for real, genuine impact. Without theories, implementation science or evaluation we risk aspiring to travel to the moon, yet leaving our rockets stuck on the launchpad. There is a Buddhist expression that goes like this: Be careful not to confuse the
The Finger Pointing to the Moon Read More »
The term evaluation has at its root the term value and to evaluate innovation means to assess the value that it brings in its product or process of development. It’s remarkable how much discourse there is on the topic of innovation that is devoid of discussion of evaluation, which begs the question: Do we value
Do you value (social) innovation? Read More »
Developmental evaluation is an approach to understanding and shaping programs in service of those who wish to grow and evolve what is done in congruence with complexity rather than ignoring it. This requires not only feedback (evaluation), but skills in using that feedback to shape the program (design) for without both, we may end up
Bringing Design into Developmental Evaluation Read More »
