I read recently that we see diminishing creativity in society because we are too busy. We never take time to let our minds empty to allow those ‘ah ha!’ moments in. This is probably true. But I had a ‘seriously, it took me that long to realize that?’ moment this morning. Like, full on, I’d-like-to-go-back-and-rewrite-an-entire-evaluation …
Can donors promote reform while not undermining ownership? Is conditionality, or the requirement that aid recipients undertake certain actions in return for the provision of that aid, inherently inconsistent with an ownership agenda? So asks Matt Dornan in an interesting blog post discussing ownership and aid effectiveness. His post may focus on conditionality and ownership, …
Continue reading ‘Aid Effectiveness Triangle: The Type, Conditions and Delivery of Aid’ »
Recently, a friend asked me if I would take a look at a draft of the mid-term evaluation being undertaken for the programme he manages. It’s a large programme, some USD 35 million covering a number of countries. MTRs being, in theory, pretty straightforward exercises, I was keen to know why he needed my opinion. …
There’s been a lot of feedback on the last two articles on ‘breathing space’ in development programming. One particular question focussed on why the development system is so keen to avoid such ‘space’ and how we can rationalize not undertaking impact studies a few years after a project has been completed. The first thing that …
Continue reading ‘Our Control of Development Variables Inhibits our Ability to Learn’ »
Last week I wrote about the need for ‘breathing space’ in development programming – time for ‘beneficiaries’ to take the new skills, systems, policies and various tools imparted and go at it alone to see what happens. Because we can’t master something – or fit it to our own contexts – unless we are given …
Continue reading ‘Could We Actually Assess Impact and Sustainability?’ »
Back in January I wrote about how, as we enter the second year of SDG implementation, it’s time to stop talking and planning and start doing. Doing the actual hard stuff that we’re really good at putting off because it’s uncomfortable and removes ‘safe spaces’ of corner cubicles, spreadsheets and monitoring plans. It’s painstaking and …
Continue reading ‘In Need of Some Development ‘Breathing Space’’ »
Social media is both a saving grace and a thorn in the side of intelligent discussion. For all of its failings, people are certainly more, if not accurately, aware of the world around them. Politicians and government both bemoan the impact of social media (that fickle public needing more accountability and rapid change) and love …
Continue reading ‘What Social Media Can Tell Us About SDG Localization’ »
A quote grabbed my attention the other day: “Innovation won’t cure global inequality – political action will.” The idea behind this quote struck me so ferociously that I actually took the time to read beyond the headline, read the article and think about it. It was on healthcare, not a field that I can claim …
Continue reading ‘Innovation is good, but action is better’ »
I’ve spent years harking on about the need to ensure that development projects are designing indicators that are collecting the most necessary data as opposed to interesting data. My mantra, drilled into the heads of many colleagues over the years, has been ‘what do you need to know to know if you are making progress’. …
It’s full speed ahead on building capacity for resilience to climate change and other shocks like earthquakes and droughts and flooding. It’s the thing that everyone (ie: the development community and donors) wants to be good at, known for. Because of course. Of course no one in a country vulnerable to climate change, on the …
Continue reading ‘‘Autonomous Adaptation’ – Have We Logframed Ourselves into a Corner?’ »
