Dealing with Complexity in Development Evaluation: A Practical Approach
Los Angeles: Sage (2016), xliv, 429 pp.
ISBN 978-1-4833-4424-9
Signature commbox: 00-Management-E 2016
"Recognizing that complexity calls for innovative, conceptual, and methodological solutions, Dealing with Complexity in Development Evaluation offers practical guidance to policymakers, managers, and evaluation practitioners on how to design and implement complexity-responsive evaluations that can be undertaken in the real world of time, budget, data, and political constraints. Introductory chapters present comprehensive, non-technical overviews of the most common evaluation tools and methodologies, and additional content addresses more cutting-edge material. The book also includes six case study chapters to illustrate examples of various evaluation contexts from around the world. " (Publisher description)
I. DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY IN DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION: A FRAMEWORK
1 Complexity in Development Evaluation: The Framework of the Book, 2
2 Toward More Complexity-Responsive Evaluations: Overview and Challenges, 26
3 Management of Complexity-Responsive Evaluations, 48
II. DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY IN DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES
4 Impact Evaluation Approaches and Complexity, 62
5 Understanding What Is Being Evaluated: Theory-Based Evaluation, 88
6 Five Practical Evaluation Problems to Which TBE Can Contribute, 109
7 Dealing With Complexity by Unpacking and Reassembling Elements of a Complex Program, 127
8 The Importance of a Mixed Methods Approach for Evaluating Complexity, 144
III. EMERGING DATA AND INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES TO DEAL WITH COMPLEXITY IN DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION
9 Complexity in Review and Synthesis Studies, 166
10 Emergent Technologies and Creative Use of Multiple Sources of Information, 181
11 Applying Emergent Technologies to Complexity-Responsive Program Evaluation From the INGO Perspective, 200
12 The Evaluation of Complex Development Interventions in the Age of Big Data, 221
IV. DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY IN DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION: THE INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES
13 Dealing With Institutional Complexity: Implications for Evaluation Design, Process, and Use, 252
14 Gender Equality in Development Evaluation: The Intersection of Complexities, 273
V. COMPLEXITY OF EVALUATION IN PRACTICE: CASE STUDIES
15 Evaluating a Long-Term Effort to Prevent Gender-Based Violence, 294
16 Microcredit and Women's Empowerment: Complexity in Systematic Review, 312
17 Evaluation of Coordination Against Trafficking in Persons: A Case Study of a Complexity-Responsive Evaluation, 332
18 Complexity From the Perspective of Philanthropic Foundations and Their Evaluation Practices, 347
19 Evaluating General Budget Support, 363
20 Dealing With Complexity in a Realist Synthesis: Community Accountability and Empowerment Initiatives, 385
1 Complexity in Development Evaluation: The Framework of the Book, 2
2 Toward More Complexity-Responsive Evaluations: Overview and Challenges, 26
3 Management of Complexity-Responsive Evaluations, 48
II. DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY IN DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES
4 Impact Evaluation Approaches and Complexity, 62
5 Understanding What Is Being Evaluated: Theory-Based Evaluation, 88
6 Five Practical Evaluation Problems to Which TBE Can Contribute, 109
7 Dealing With Complexity by Unpacking and Reassembling Elements of a Complex Program, 127
8 The Importance of a Mixed Methods Approach for Evaluating Complexity, 144
III. EMERGING DATA AND INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES TO DEAL WITH COMPLEXITY IN DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION
9 Complexity in Review and Synthesis Studies, 166
10 Emergent Technologies and Creative Use of Multiple Sources of Information, 181
11 Applying Emergent Technologies to Complexity-Responsive Program Evaluation From the INGO Perspective, 200
12 The Evaluation of Complex Development Interventions in the Age of Big Data, 221
IV. DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY IN DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION: THE INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES
13 Dealing With Institutional Complexity: Implications for Evaluation Design, Process, and Use, 252
14 Gender Equality in Development Evaluation: The Intersection of Complexities, 273
V. COMPLEXITY OF EVALUATION IN PRACTICE: CASE STUDIES
15 Evaluating a Long-Term Effort to Prevent Gender-Based Violence, 294
16 Microcredit and Women's Empowerment: Complexity in Systematic Review, 312
17 Evaluation of Coordination Against Trafficking in Persons: A Case Study of a Complexity-Responsive Evaluation, 332
18 Complexity From the Perspective of Philanthropic Foundations and Their Evaluation Practices, 347
19 Evaluating General Budget Support, 363
20 Dealing With Complexity in a Realist Synthesis: Community Accountability and Empowerment Initiatives, 385
