Nov 13
The end has come. No, not the end of the Incan calendar, nor armageddon, just the end of the election. Evaluation and data has long been a campaigner’s tool. Focus groups are used to test speeches and arguments. Polls are conducted to track trends and predict outcomes. But one thing bothered me this year: instead …
Permanent link to this article: http://evaluatingeffectiveness.com/nate-silver-does-it-again/
Oct 07
I recently read an interesting article by David Henderson from Idealistics Inc., who tweeted the question “if you had to choose between an evaluator or a marketer for your #nonprofit org, which would you pick and why?” His blog post about responses he received shed light on the perspective many non-profits approach the decision of …
Permanent link to this article: http://evaluatingeffectiveness.com/marketing-vs-evaluation/
Oct 02
I was sitting in Yom Kippor services this week and flipped to the front of the prayer book to some texts for reflections. There I read an interesting quote on repentance: “How is one proved a repentant sinner? Rav Judah said ‘If the object which caused the original transgression comes before the repentant sinner on …
Permanent link to this article: http://evaluatingeffectiveness.com/yom-kippor-reflections/
Sep 24
As you begin the process of evaluation, a quick refresher of high school science can be a useful guide. No, we do not need to remember how to balance a chemical reaction or how to dissect a frog but we need to recall the basic steps to the scientific method. The process can often be …
Permanent link to this article: http://evaluatingeffectiveness.com/dont-forget-to-set-your-predictions/