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Complexity and Evaluation Report Out. Colin Kirk Director, Evaluation Office UNICEF. New Ways of Thinking. Cannot work within linear theories of change There is no linear relationship between cause and effect False dichotomy between thinking and doing
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Complexity and EvaluationReport Out Colin Kirk Director, Evaluation Office UNICEF
New Ways of Thinking • Cannot work within linear theories of change • There is no linear relationship between cause and effect • False dichotomy between thinking and doing • Should evaluation look more like monitoring? • What if communities owned both the implementation andmonitoring of SDGs? • (does evaluation need to be independent?)
Systems Thinking Dimensions Bob Williams and Sjonvan’t Hof, Wicked Solutions: a systems approach to complex problems, 2015, http://www.bobwilliams.co.nz/Systems_Resources.html
Boundaries • We create boundaries with every definition and decision • In setting boundaries, should be careful and reflective • Who decides on the boundaries? Who is left out? • Trade off: narrow boundaries allow deeper study but leave people out
Perspectives • Stay open to many different perspectives beyond scope boundaries • Be mindful of the power balance in evaluation • Who decides? Who participates? Who speaks? Whose measures? Whose questions? Whose decisions? • Work through principles • Gender equality, human rights, ethics, equity
Interactions/Channels • The process is the outcome • We need different forms of communication for different stakeholders and purposes • Evaluation must understand dynamic interrelations in context – don’t assume • The scale of effort and cost may not be related to the scale of effect (reality gets in the way)
New roles for evaluators • The evaluator illuminates the system to infuse accountability • Communities may play the role of evaluator and action researchers • Evaluator as facilitator • The Evaluator’s role as a Communicator • Advocate for evidence-based decisions
SDG-aware evaluation • Where will we learn these new ways of doing evaluation? • Expand the evidence universe – not just rely on Results-Based Management • Through evaluation, challenge expectations • Be clear for the audience and relevant to the discourse-get support from advocacy experts • Look for what is not there • Bring evaluators, policy makers, civil society together for collaborative learning
Policy Makers • Policy is an “ongoing contract” • Democratic accountability never finishes • Evaluation should be a partner to policy • Localize the SDGs – starting with marginalized groups