mediadev library

"This is a practical and well structured manual aiming to use self-evaluation for organisational learning. The book consists of four parts. "The evaluation context" introduces the role of monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment as part of the project cycle logic. "The evaluation process" descri ... more

"This report covers a research study of Dgroups which took place during September 2006-July 2007. Dgroups is a number of things at the same time: (1) it is a web-based technical platform which supports and provides for the creation and use of discrete e-mail based discussion lists and web workspaces ... that are used to support knowledge networking by people and institutions working in development; (2) it is also the plural name for these online networks, individually known as a dgroup; and (3) it is also a partnership of development organizations who share a commitment to collaboration in development and who are developing a common vision of the need for such a platform and such online groups. The Dgroups platform currently supports 2,308 dgroups and 88,700 individual users (15 July, 2007), but there has not yet been an analysis of the development role of dgroups on a global scale. Many partners and members of the Dgroups Partnership continue to support the platform, not only because of the access to online knowledge networks with which it provides them, but also because of an intuitive understanding of the processes supported by dgroups. The study examines whether and how dgroups: • facilitate the spread of information and knowledge among the actors (individual and institutional) working in the thematic areas of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); • facilitate learning processes (individual, social, and organizational learning) in the diverse institutions working in areas related to the MDGs; and • facilitate the bridging of the multitude of ‘knowledge divides’ in development between the North and South, and South-South; between different sorts of institutions (multilateral, bilateral, NGOs, universities, ministries) and professional groups (practitioners, researchers and policymakers); and in terms of language [...] It has been concluded that dgroups facilitate information and knowledge sharing within the subject areas of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and that they also facilitate individual, social and organizational learning within these subject areas. Dgroups also play an important role in bridging the ‘knowledge divides’ between North and South, between different types of institutions, and between different professional groups, as well as crossing the digital divide. An ability to bridge South-South divides and to forge links between different language groups has not been demonstrated. In terms of development impact, Dgroups was found to represent a very cost-effective manner of hosting groups (an average of Euro 60.70 per dgroup per year) and most moderators felt that participation in dgroups was an ‘effective’ use of their time. Dgroups were also found to have had an organizational impact on the way many of the partner and member organizations work. It is argued that Dgroups provides a unique resource: there is nothing comparable within development that facilitates information and knowledge sharing on such a large scale. Finally, some recommendations are made for the future development of Dgroups." (Executive summary) more

"This manual has two parts: the first looks at the aspects of a good manual. We argue that a good manual must have the right contents, to make it usable (right for the reader, and of good quality) and applicable (can be applied in the work of the user); it must have the right method, form and struct ... more

"This ambitious, broad-ranging study of one of the world's most interesting genres laudably tries to cover the telenovela industry, its creative process, the contents of novelas, and their reception by the working class. Besides having the descriptive richness one might expect of a book-length case ... more

Smart Toolkit for Evaluating Information Products and Services
Key Guides

Development Through Dialogue: Report of a Research Initiative

Gender and ICTs for Development: A Global Sourcebook

Testing and Evaluating Manuals: Making Health Learning Materials More Useful

Women's Information Services and Networks: A Global Source Book