Zenda Ofir

Switzerland

South African scientist, evaluator and transformation specialist. Working locally to globally on evaluation, transformation & foresight from a Global South lens. Challenging orthodoxy, bridging divides. PhD in ecological chemistry. Based in Geneva.

May

Evaluation's Journey towards the Future, Part 3. The tributaries that make up our field

Evaluation does not flow from a single source. Like a river fed by countless tributaries, it draws from government accountability, Indigenous wisdom, professional practice, academic research, digital innovation and activist movements.

13 May 2025

5 min read

May

Evaluation’s Journey towards the Future, Part 2. How did we get here?

From ancient aquifers to modern canals: how evaluation evolved from intuitive human practice into a structured profession. Tracing the currents that carried evaluative thinking from millennia-old traditions into the formalised field we know today.

06 May 2025

7 min read

Apr

Evaluation’s Journey towards the future, Part 1: Ancient tributaries

As we chart evaluation’s future, its earliest beginnings continue to shape the field. From ancient Egypt’s Nile governance to China’s imperial examinations, from Indigenous knowledge systems to Athenian civic audits – a vivid journey through five millennia of evaluative practice.

10 Apr 2025

9 min read

Apr

“What went wrong with woke?” The problem of measurement and influence.

How twisted narratives and simplistic measures can destroy a major effort to do good. This post examines what the backlash against ESG and ‘woke’ culture reveals about the dangers of poor measurement, ideological capture, and evaluation’s role in defending evidence-based progress

03 Apr 2025

4 min read

Mar

The E-T Nexus: Connecting Evaluation and Transformation

Evaluation professionals increasingly work where evaluation and transformation meet – yet few truly navigate this space. This post introduces the evaluation-transformation nexus - evaluation OF, FOR, AS and In transformation - and its use when working on complex change.

19 Mar 2025

6 min read

Mar

Nine Reasons for Hope and Optimism. And why we need to seize this moment.

Despite the polycrisis, this is also a time to celebrate. Nine reasons for genuine hope – from shifting power dynamics to regenerative movements – and why evaluation professionals and change-makers should seize this exceptional moment.

19 Mar 2025

11 min read

Mar

Seven Reasons for Outrage. And why anger is not the answer.

From broken multilateralism to rising authoritarianism, there are powerful reasons for outrage in our hyperconnected world. But anger alone will not serve us. This post names seven structural failures demanding our attention — and argues for channelling outrage into purposeful action.

19 Mar 2025

8 min read

Sep

The Power(lessness) of Evaluation: The case of Afghanistan

More than 60 evaluation reports over 13 years by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR): a perfect example of evaluation’s power, and its powerlessness. The damage done — hundreds of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars — when evaluation evidence is ignored.

01 Sep 2021

8 min read

Jun

“No Lines”. For Blue Marble Evaluation.

"Between me and not-me there is surely a line, a clear distinction, or so it seems. But, now

14 Jun 2021

4 min read

Jun

Leaving no-one behind?

I re-post this post - originally published on Evaluating Sustainable Development Goals. "To accomplish great things, we must not

03 Jun 2021

6 min read