One thing is certain: the proficiencies and abilities that will help us deal with the world in an era defined by the Anthropocene, the SDGs and the Fourth Industrial Revolution are quite different from those of past decades. There are many similarities between the competency frameworks that the experts in
Skill 6. Deep Generalists In order to be a good evaluation professional, it is essential to see connections. We have to be able to analyse, integrate and synthesise - what we know from past research and evaluation literature, what we derive from different sources and methods used during the evaluation, and
"Are modernity's blueprints for evaluation theory and practice exhausted?" Only now and again one finds provocative questions and insights during an evaluation conference keynote. A keynote that is Innovative. Thought-provoking. Visionary. In 2018, renowned evaluation scholar Thomas Schwandt delivered one of these rare speeches at
We live in an era of 'big data' and 'big information'. We work in an increasingly quantified world devoid of the nuance that qualitative information provides. We also live in an era of 'scanning'. We don't want to read or know detail.
A while ago Michael Quinn Patton urged us in one of our Young and Emerging Evaluator posts to share the 10 evaluation classics that inspire us most. And now we have the great phenomenon on Twitter - #SHELFIES! That special shelf of books you most often refer to in your work,
In its very essence, the concept of evaluation is beautiful, I argued long ago in one of my first blog posts. Evaluation is also in principle powerful, more so than scientific research. Just like science, it aims to produce evidence and useful insights that can improve aspects of the world
I have long thought that evaluators don't define 'success' in meaningful ways. Now highly respected economist Matt Andrews has just released a very useful working paper that confirms how much more carefully we need to think about this important concept. Most of our definitions and measurement
As Professor at King's College London on evaluation of sustainable development I encounter many students who hesitate or ponder whether to become a "young and emerging evaluator". Their thirst for knowledge is great and I will certainly recommend them to read the blogs on top tips
What is the responsibility of evaluators in the era in which we live today? This is one of the issues I raised in my keynote presentation at the UK Evaluation Society earlier this year, and which I want to address here. This question has been with me for a long
Deborah is a highly successful, dynamic and influential evaluation professional with boundless energy that inspires wherever she goes - including many young people, as I observed when I had the pleasure of teaching earlier this year in her Executive Leadership Programme for Evaluation and the SDGs at the Claremont Evaluation Centre
