The attached paper presents the case for the importance of a convergence between big data and data science and the field of program evaluation. This convergence can potentially produce significant benefits for the future of equity oriented social and economic development in both developing and industrialized countries. However, there are also technical, political, economic, organizational and even philosophical factors that have slowed the achievement of this convergence and its multiple benefits.
These two papers discuss the ongoing transition to the 4th industrial revolution (4IR). This revolution, which is based on networked information systems, automation of manufacturing, large-scale machine-to-machine communications, smart machines, artificial intelligence and automated decision-making, has important – but still not widely-recognized – implications for development evaluation.
Despite the recognition that most development programs are complex, most evaluations use designs that do not adequately address complexity. These two blogs discuss the importance of complexity, why it is frequently ignored, and propose user-friendly evaluation designs that can address complexity.
In February 2021 I was invited together with my colleagues Oscar Garcia (Director of the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office), and Pete York (Chief Data Scientist at BCT Partners) to organize a half-day virtual webinar to review recent experience with the incorporation of new information Technology into development evaluation. The four sessions are presented below:
evaluationperspectives.org 