Developmental Evaluation Week – Over So Soon But Still in Our Hearts
We cheered last week for the American Evaluation Association (AEA)’s daily blog, AEA365, and its week-long focus on Developmental Evaluation. As we know from all-too-frequent experience, the term needs some ‘splainin’. Here’s a pretty snappy summary from Kate McKegg and Nan Wehipeihana. For obvious reasons, we like their use of “What? – So what? – Now what?” as a guide to “adaptive reflection and action.”
Social Return on Investment – Makin’ it Real
We’re not the only folks at the Aspen Institute tackling tough measurement challenges. Our colleagues at the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs know that “impact investors” want a quantifiable return. Their workshop on Social Return on Investment (SROI) with Jeremy Nicholls, director of the SROI Network, is open to the great unwashed public. It ain’t free – but they promise it’s a good investment.
Accountability Gets a Useful Push from the USG
Like you, gentle reader, we memorized every line of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for FY 2014 before the President signed it on January 17th . But you too might have forgotten one intriguing provision: the Keystone Accountability blog notes that the law requires “independent and systematic collection and reporting of information obtained directly from [humanitarian aid] beneficiaries…regarding the quality and utility of such assistance.” Nick van Praag of Ground Truth speculates that the requirement will lead to exciting new efforts to scale up efforts like theirs to gather—and act on –“constituent voice.”
