Coordination in organizations – Evaluation Uncertainty

March 8, 2022 jamorell Coordination in organizations, What do research and theory in complexity and systems tell us about evaluation practice and evaluation theory?

What Does Complexity Have to Say About the Learning Organization?

This is the text of a post I recently contributed to Evaltalk, the listserv of the American Evaluation Association. Organizational Learning as Adaptation I see organizational learning in terms of potential for adaptation in a changing environment. Environments can change rapidly or slowly, which makes for two different kinds of adaptive capacity. (I’m a big … Continue reading What Does Complexity Have to Say About the Learning Organization?

November 5, 2021 jamorell Coordination in organizations

System Perspectives by Donors, Not Why, but How

We generate many pixels (no ink anymore) on how to help donors adopt systems perspectives. What is missing from this discussion is rigorous analysis of why they don’t. If we want to help our stakeholders and do better evaluation, we should pursue this question. Donors understand themselves.I have no doubt that donors know better. I … Continue reading System Perspectives by Donors, Not Why, but How

Eat dessert first. Life is uncertain.
Good advice. True observation.

Any yet, we must soldier on, trying to predict what will happen and to explain why things work out as they do. My professional life has grappled with prediction and explanation through the lens of program evaluation. I have come to appreciate how much, and how little, evaluation can tell us. Sometimes it is “much”. Sometime is “little”. Sometimes it is “much” and “little” at the same time. This blog expresses my engagement with what evaluation can do, what it cannot do, what it should do, and what it should not do. About the graphic.