Evaluation can help us to be more effective in curbing climate change and environmental degradation. But this requires evaluation to take a new, broader perspective. We need to look at programs and projects holistically – from a systems theory perspective, as part of a broader structure, says Juha Uitto, Director of the GEF Independent Evaluation Office, a GEI Network Partner.

The Footprint Evaluation Initiative is an international collaboration grounded on the premise that all evaluations should include consideration of environmental sustainability, even when this is not a stated goal of the intervention.

Takunda Chirau, Deputy Director of the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Anglophone Africa (CLEAR-AA), reflects on CLEAR-AA's journey to a systems-based approach for strengthening M&E in the countries where the Center works.

When we talk about a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, what sort of system are we thinking about? Do we have a narrow or broad understanding? And how should we design, plan and implement a system that effectively supports monitoring, evaluation and evidence use?

While the data revolution is unlikely to fundamentally transform the field of evaluation in the next few years, in many ways it will change the way evaluations are conducted and how data are used. What are some of the implications for evaluation training and professional development?

At the onset of the pandemic, activities of the Primeira Infância Melhor Program (PIM), which center around in-person home visits to support early childhood development, were abruptly interrupted to comply with social distancing measures. The Rio Grande do Sul government had to act quickly to figure out an alternative approach to connect with target families. CLEAR-LAB helped their governm...

If diagnostics are important to address the complexity in sports competitions, then they are certainly crucial in public policy – including the development of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, a key need for any government interested in improving public policy and bettering the lives of its citizens.

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) may seem a superfluous worry in times of fragility and conflict. The complexity and urgency of issues that countries with such challenges face are overwhelming. When the focus is on helping get food to the hungry, providing basic services to displaced populations, or restoring peace and dealing with the devastating consequences of war, how important cou...

As the Global Evaluation Initiative community sets off on its journey, a crucial question to keep track of is: how will we know if we are making a difference?

While we live in a reality where multiple evaluation models are being put into practice - some complementing each other, some being at odds with each other - one should ask the question, what are the core skills and knowledge elements that evaluators and other evaluation stakeholders should be equipped with?