What matters to whom?

You're probably running a lot of programs, executing a ton of strategies, harnessing the efforts of various teams of hard-working service providers, and achieving all kinds of impacts on all kinds of targeted folks. One of my questions is: Who among all the "performers" needs to know what?  We'll get to who all the performers are in due time, but in the meantime, let's just say they include everybody with "skin in the game," and not that old game with its traditional cast of worn-out "stakeholders." Yes, we need flip-chart paper at this point because the meaning of the information that each and every performer may need, want, deserve will depend upon who he or she is and how he or she might make use of it.  We need to craft a little matrix and keep a big eraser on hand to keep up with these moving targets; and yes, we'll do this on a routine basis, like many of the other new customs in this new learning culture.

Test post from iPhone. Connecting the dots like cyber-kudzu!

Coming soon:

This is a test: The Top 10 List of Things Evaluators Don’t Like to Hear

To initiate my blog - and to test out the act of creating a post for the first time - I'd 

like to share something from EVALTALK, the listserve of the American Evaluation 

Association.  Roger Miranda compiled the following “Top 10 List of Things Evaluators 

Don’t Like to Hear” from a considerable number of entries offered by evaluators over 

a certain period of time.   It's lighthearted, and you'll see quickly, if you don't already 

know, that "evaluation" belongs not only at the finish line, but also at the starting block 

(if not before), and while we're at it, at just about every step of the way; furthermore, it 

doesn't up and happen automatically or for free!  

And now, the Top 10 Things Evaluators Don’t Like to Hear:
10.“Our program has been implemented worldwide, in six languages, with over 
50,000 beneficiaries; we need the evaluation report in two weeks and have a 
$3,000 budget.  By the way, we didn’t collect any baseline data. Can you do it?”

9.“An evaluation won't tell us anything we don't already know.”

8.“We never got round to preparing a Logical Framework or a Theory of Change. 
We’ve been busy implementing our program from Day one!”

7.“Our organization doesn’t need an evaluation policy; we figure things out as 
we go along.”

6.“There’s no need to waste time by testing the survey instrument. Responses 
don’t have to be that precise.”

5.“Your work is just a sham -- we know it’s going to be used to justify cutting 
our program.”

4.“We are not really interested in the evaluation. We just have to comply with 
funder rules and send them a report. As a matter of fact, they get so many that 
they don’t even read them.”

3."I know our programme had tremendous positive impact and your evaluation 
report is not telling us that. Change your report. Don’t forget that I am the 
person writing the check."

2.“Let’s hope that we don’t get shot or kidnapped during our field visit.” 

1.“Evaluation? What the heck is that?”