by Graham Teskey Author's garden I spent much of the weekend gardening. Or more specifically I spent much of the weekend providing labour to the horticulture adviser in my household, a.k.a. my wife. Last month we had the garden ‘landscaped’ by professionals, a deal which included the delivery of 65 small trees, shrubs, and other …
Category: Monitoring Evaluation and Learning
Can we understand COVID-19 fast enough – and well enough – to make a difference?
By Lavinia Tyrrel, Linda Kelly, Chris Roche and Elisabeth Jackson In Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez plays on the themes of love and passion, comparing them to a plague like cholera. Referring to the two lovers in the story he notes “…if they had learned anything together, it was that wisdom …
Continue reading Can we understand COVID-19 fast enough – and well enough – to make a difference?
Why aren’t aid projects making better use of research and evidence, and what can we do about it?
By Lavinia Tyrrel and Priya Chattier Does research and evidence really make a tangible difference in Australian aid for development? Or are we just kidding ourselves that we are solving complex development challenges and making a lasting impact? And if we are, how can we make better use of research and evidence that not only …
Hanging out in men’s bathrooms: is it time to rethink what ‘evidence’ means in international development?
What constitutes ‘sufficient evidence’ for aid program and policy makers to take decisions – about budgets, activities and so on – in aid and development? Have been talking about this with academics, officials, NGOs, project managers and donors for a number of years now. Ever since working with The Asia Foundation (TAF) where the question …
The one that Australian aid forgot? Trying to put the R back in MERL
By Priya Chattier and Lavinia Tyrrel Spent last week at the second of three workshops on how to better use research in aid and development[1]. Lots of good discussion, but seemed we were all tip-toeing around the elephant in the room: does anyone else care about this (prioritising research and analysis in aid) other than …
Continue reading The one that Australian aid forgot? Trying to put the R back in MERL
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for Complex Programs in Complex Contexts: Three Facility Case Studies
By Tara Davda and Lavinia Tyrrel Aid is complex, and it is delivered in complex contexts. Any seasoned development practitioner would agree with this. For most of us, aid is about supporting positive change, and change necessarily means a renegotiation of power and resources. It means understanding the interests, motivations and incentives of those with …
Governance and Development Soapbox 