The fourth (and last) in the series of lunchtime dialogues on the Dynamics of Evaluation. A panel discussion between Dione Hills (Chair), Cristina Castellanos, Milena Stateva, Laura Stock and Richard Allen.
Communicating results A Dynamics of Evaluation Dialogue A panel discussion with Dione Hills (Chair) Cristina Castellanos Milena Stateva Laura Stock Richard Allen
The dynamics of evaluation series
• Bringing together evaluation and consultancy practice • Exploring this interface with others working in the field • Considering the potential for a future professional development offer
Why Problematisation is Important Communicating results through multiple channels. Today’s event
Would a clearer appreciation of dynamics – and politics – of communication help ensure that evaluation findings are better used? There are a number of different views on this… Simple message for a complex phenomenon Transacting Knowledge
Reform of parental leave system: Equal Non-Transferable Fully Paid Parental Leave A Case Study to estimate the overall benefits of policy reforms within the gender equality political agenda (EIGE 2014) Change chain (evaluation report: benefits of a policy reform)
Reform of parental leave system Effects of maternity and paternity leave on Gender Equality: Equal, Non-Transferable and Fully Paid Parental Leave Case study: evaluation of parental leave system
Case study: evaluation of parental leave system
• A simple message with the most relevant findings • Understanding of the broader context(s) of the policy/program and objective(s) • Understanding the audiences: who and how is affected by the findings and the recommendations? • Be ready to ADAPT tools and USE different APPROACHES to COMMUNICATE & EXPLAIN key ideas • Be ready to REFLECT, LEARN AND IMPROVE evaluation and way of communicating and engaging
Case study: evaluation of parental leave system
Examples of communication: different impacts • www.leavenetwork.org/ • www.equalandnontransferable.org • www.tavinstitute.org/news/ • www.tavinstitute.org/news/animation-lifecycle-of-poverty- and-relationships/ • Mass media (TV, journals,…) & social media http://goo.gl/MJk3Zp (Spanish video) http://www.economist.com/topics/parental-leave • Conferences, workshops, debates, individual/group talks… • Reports, scientific articles,…
The “three-minute elevator” test vs “old school” reports
• An increased demand for simplicity, summaries, “clear language”, audio-visual presentations of data and other forms of digested feedback. • The masked problem with “old school” reports: under-resourced projects have become the norm in this century. • Ease of assimilation work to the effect of putting our common senses to sleep and can be easily abused - the mesmerising effects of multi- media presentations should not be countervailed with over-stimulating messages and techniques, but by using the approach to present aspects rather than the whole picture. • The complexity is not only lost but replaced by a misleading sense of the real world as an orderly, beautiful, easy and ‘progressive’ place for us to be – including how interventions and policies are logical, linear and overall successful, even if this is was not the evaluators’ feedback.
• Keeping Social Media momentum – Family Poverty Field • New projects & animations – Adoption Support, others? • Capturing Learning – paper & dynamics evaluation course • Taking forward strategically – new strategic initiative?
References
• DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W., W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 14–160. • Duymedijan, R. and Rüling, C., (2010), "Towards a Foundation of Bricolage in Organization and Management Theory", Organization Studies, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 1333-151. • Nicholls, A. (2009), " 'We do good things, don't we?': 'Blended Value Accounting' in social entrepreneurship", Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 34, pp 755-769. • Weick, K., (1995), Sensemaking in Organisations, Sage, London.
Personal reflection (10’)
• Can you think of an evaluation that you were involved in where there were challenges of the kind discussed earlier? • If yes, how did you cope with this challenge? • Have any of the idea presented earlier suggested ways in which things might have been handled differently?
In whole table group (15’)
Discuss • How do you now feel about the ‘challenging situation’ you described • Did any new insights come up as you were discussing this in pairs? • Generally – how did you find this exercise?
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