The importance of ‘looking behind the numbers’ in performance management systems May 30, 2010
Posted by Paul Duignan in : Evaluation debates, Reporting systems, Performance management, Measurement, Communicating outcomes models, Easy Outcomes, Using the approach, DoView , 1 comment so farA colleague Stan Capela recently highlighted the importance of ‘looking behind the numbers’ in performance management systems. Pointing out that, if this is not done, false conclusions can be drawn from such systems. I think that most people would agree with this sentiment. The key issue for me is what is the most effective way of us ‘looking behind the numbers’ when measuring people’s, project’s or organization’s performance. (more…)
Moving past the debate about randomized experiments May 25, 2010
Posted by Paul Duignan in : Impact evaluation, Evaluation debates, Doing evaluation more efficiently, Using the approach, Evaluation planning, Easy Outcomes , 2commentsA colleague Bob Williams recently drew attention to articles on the New Yorker about the use of randomized experiments and particularly one from an economist advocating their widespread use in a range of program areas.
I’ve been involved in a number of seemingly endless discussions and presentations about the pros and cons of randomized experiments and the rise of what are being called the Randomistas - those advocating for a much wider use of randomized experiments. In this post I want to talk about how we can move beyond these seemingly endless discussions. (more…)