Monthly Corner
Claudy Vouhé shared GRB in local authorities (French)
Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) shows that the development of a budget and budgetary choices are powerful levers in terms of gender equality. We share our lessons learned in the field: a 5-step method, concrete examples (culture, sport, subsidies, public procurement, etc.) and keys to success. An operational work to objectify the impact of public policies and budgets and make RHL accessible.
Anuradha Kapoor Shared Swayam Recent Published Study
This exploratory study foregrounds the largely invisible issue of natal family violence (NFV) in India, exploring its forms, prevalence, and deep, long-term impacts on women's lives. It challenges the myth of the natal home as a safe space and centres survivor voices and lived experiences. The findings expose systemic silences and institutional barriers to justice. It offers vital insights for policy reform, feminist praxis, and deeper societal reflection.
Research Workshop on School Violence Prevention and Response - BLOG POST
Blog post summarizing key findings from each presentation and highlighting the outstanding research of all participants
Tara Prasad Gnyawali - Narrative
My flashback to working with wildlife-affected communities living in a biological transboundary corridor in Bardiya, Nepal, where I spent my golden 15 years. This story reflects changes that demonstrate how a community's tolerance extends to coexistence, and that is only due to the well-integrated planning of Ecotourism opportunities for the community.
Mehreen Farooq - BLOG
Events
Vacancies
- We’re Hiring: National Evaluation Consultant – Bangladesh
UN Women is recruiting a National Evaluation Consultant (Bangladesh) to support the interim evaluation of the Joint Regional EmPower Programme (Phase II).
This is a great opportunity to work closely with the Evaluation Team Leader and contribute to generating credible, gender-responsive evidence that informs decision-making and strengthens programme impact.
📍 Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh (home-based with travel to project locations)
📅 Apply by: 24 February 2026, 5:00 PM
🔗 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gar4ciRr
If you are passionate about feminist evaluation, gender equality, and rigorous evidence that drives change (or know someone who is) please apply or share within your networks.
- Seeking Senior Analyst - IPE Global
About the job
IPE Global Ltd. is a multi-disciplinary development sector consulting firm offering a range of integrated, innovative and high-quality services across several sectors and practices. We offer end-to-end consulting and project implementation services in the areas of Social and Economic Empowerment, Education and Skill Development, Public Health, Nutrition, WASH, Urban and Infrastructure Development, Private Sector Development, among others.
Over the last 26 years, IPE Global has successfully implemented over 1,200 projects in more than 100 countries. The group is headquartered in New Delhi, India with five international offices in United Kingdom, Kenya, Ethiopia, Philippines and Bangladesh. We partner with multilateral, bilateral, governments, corporates and not-for-profit entities in anchoring development agenda for sustained and equitable growth. We strive to create an enabling environment for path-breaking social and policy reforms that contribute to sustainable development.
Role Overview
IPE Global is seeking a motivated Senior Analyst – Low Carbon Pathways to strengthen and grow its Climate Change and Sustainability practice. The role will contribute to business development, program management, research, and technical delivery across climate mitigation, carbon markets, and energy transition. This position provides exceptional exposure to global climate policy, finance, and technology, working with a team of high-performing professionals and in collaboration with donors, foundations, research institutions, and public agencies.
Put understanding first. Then (maybe) measure.
There is this knee-jerk reflect about "putting a number on everything". As if only numbers give a seal of credibility and authority. We should start being more vocal in resisting the tyranny of "measures first".
In social development we are grappling with many complex ideas, which can take many forms.
How can we measure them if we do not even understand them?
Too often we are putting measure before understanding, as if measure could tell us all that we need to know.
Not everything that matters can be measured... But, certainly, a lot more could be understood better. Too many time I saw effort in measuring go nowhere and preventing understanding. We need to FIRST capture
dynamics at play, see what changes look like, what is shaping it. Once you improve understanding, you can then measure some aspects of change. You will then able to cherry pick the aspects worth measuring - if need be. But of you start with measuring, then the measure itself will be compromised by the many assumptions made.
I wonder how many millions dollars and how many hours of time have been wasted in seeking to measure things that do not really matter, following the blueprint... resources which should have been invested in understanding.
Some feel that "measures improve accountability". Yes, they can help, but only if there is a clear understanding about what is measured. Otherwise, numbers can easily obfuscate reality (as anyone good at working with numbers knows!). Accountability is not only about measures. Sharing understanding is a great way to increase accountability and dialogue. Drawing together a map of "how change happens" can generate stronger accountability than a measure. A "rich picture diagram" (as used in soft system analysis, for example) can document what does change look like... What drives it... How do things connect.
The initial rich picture can be just a brainstorming. But as experience accumulates around it, more factors and evidence will be captured, and the pictures can become even richer. Good rich pictures capture understanding. And they reveal the system behind. Understanding complexity requires to appreciate, document systems.
Many participatory tools had grasped this, well before "system theory", "complexity", "adaptive development" started to become fashionable. There is a lot of wisdom in these tools. They can generate accountability, learning.. they can distill evidence. And, if need arises, they can be linked to meaningful measures.
You can go from understanding to measure. But the opposite, going from a preset measure towards understanding, is not possible. It is like trying to look at a landscape with horse blinders.
Yet these participatory tools, so good at generating understanding, are increasingly eroded.
Should we start insisting for "understanding first" (and only then, and if need be, measure?) rather than accepting the tyranny of "measure first"?
And I do love numbers! But I love numbers which add meaning, which really pin down aspects worth drilling into. Not the numbers and the measures that steal the time and resources that should be devoted to understanding.
Add a Comment
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Comment by Hagop champak on March 22, 2021 at 18:25 -
Interesting post indeed and completely agree on the notion of understanding first in any case - even when we have limited grasp of underlying complexities we should make our assumptions clear when we venture into supporting and implementing programmes.
Similarly, without understanding i am not sure what one is measuring...in my experience these issues usually start with planning: limited understanding of context/situation, unarticulated problematic, ambiguous activities, wrong/outdated assumptions and recourse to measures/indicators available or cheaper to measure which lack relevance to the programme.
On the other hand, without measuring one will not establish/improve one's understanding - measuring does not have to be 'quantitative' per se.
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Comment by Rituu B Nanda on February 21, 2021 at 11:14
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Hi Silva, thanks for taking out time to post the blog. Please would you have an example to share from your experience. Warm greetings!
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