Insights | Series II | No. 3 | February 2014

Surrvey Error: Why Development Professionals Under-Use Their Best Evaluation Tools

We got a surprise from our Development Evaluation Survey: beneficiary surveys remain the least-used evaluation method, despite all the emphasis on better evaluation, results-based management, and value for money from funders.

When we did a follow-up survey to find out why, we got even more surprising findings – and clues to improve use of the most powerful evaluation methods.

Read more

After the Arab Spring: Democratic Consolidation in Tunisia’s Elections?

Tunisia has been touted, rightly, as the Arab Spring’s success story – but questions still hover over the country where the revolts against Middle Eastern dictators began.

After three years of struggle and crises, North Africa’s most developed country has a consensus constitution and a caretaker government steering it to its second democratic election. Yet this means the country now faces the acid test for the consolidation of a new democracy: will it establish meaningful electoral competition and the alternation of power?

Read more

Ask the Survey Doctor: Non-Economic Evaluation – Measuring Outcomes and Impact of Governance, Social, or Security Programs

If you are struggling with surveys, evaluations, assessments, or market research in developing countries, click here to email the Survey Doctor with your question.

Q: I’m stumped by the lack of standard methods to measure and evaluate the non-economic outcomes and impact of development projects, particularly in the social, governance, or security spheres. How can we measure the results?

A: It’s tough enough to estimate the return on investment for economic development projects – so it’s understandable that development professionals tear their hair about showing results from other types of programs. Indeed, the scarcity of hard data on the outcomes of democracy, health, or security sector reform work is one of the pretexts for claims that development aid is a waste of funds.

But the right kind of evaluation can solve this problem.

Read more