Oct 28, 2022Shifting MEL within philanthropyWhy a shift, specifically for philanthropy? Disproportionate resources automatically create power imbalances within the philanthropic dynamic. This disparity functions as an initial hierarchical relationship, which then permeates most processes and operations, showing up most often as power over. Exercising power over is easily accomplished via the production of, access to…Philanthropy9 min readPhilanthropy9 min read
Feb 18, 2022Outcome Harvesting — up close and personalLet’s chat about a specific methodology; Outcome Harvesting. It’s been a hot topic for a few years now. It is one of only a few complexity-aware approaches to monitoring and evaluation named by USAID, you’ve likely heard it mentioned. I love the name of it — Outcome Harvesting. Why…Outcome Harvesting9 min readOutcome Harvesting9 min read
Published inGood Thinking·Jul 10, 2021Designing games for changeComing from a company of some serious (and not so serious) game players, we’d like to share our passion for games, and how they can be a great tool for working with complexity, specifically, with behavior change and human development. We build core life skills through play such as social…Social Games5 min readSocial Games5 min read
Published inGood Thinking·Jul 6, 2021Reimagining accountability in international developmentWhat if being accountable were a daily and relational practice? The tools of evaluation are very often used for the purposes of accountability. In fact, the increased use of evaluation within international development has been driven largely by the frameworks of good governance and transparency. From this root a whole host of accountability lookalikes pop up. Accountability becomes technical and…Evaluation5 min readEvaluation5 min read
Published inGood Thinking·Jul 5, 2021Evaluation is pushing boundaries for today’s challengesOver the last 7 years, having intentionally built a business that blurs the lines between strategy, design, and evaluation, it is with great joy that I have watched the profession of evaluation bud and blossom well beyond the traditional Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning box. Some highlights include: Developmental Evaluation for…Evaluation3 min readEvaluation3 min read
Published inGood Thinking·Mar 11, 2021Dancing with ComplexityComplexity? Blech. I have come to think of myself as a complexity coach. Sure, I’m a social worker. An evaluator. A strategist. A technical writer. A behavior change designer. A facilitator. . . but it’s the ebb and flow of complexity (OK, complex adaptive systems, if you want to be technical) that…Complexity4 min readComplexity4 min read
Published inGood Thinking·Mar 11, 2021Beliefs that keep us from embracing complexityWe wish it were different As I consider the resistance to complexity which I see throughout international development, I have to ask, “Why?” There has been a conversation about complexity in this space for close to 20 years now. There have been conferences, white papers, research, working groups, etc. And yet so many of our…Complexity5 min readComplexity5 min read
