For the last ten years or so I’ve taken a pretty measured stance on PDFs. Saying that they’re okay in moderation, perhaps even useful. That’s the stance I take in The Reporting Revolution. I share three reporting strategies and the first is a modern PDF strategy. I kept it in because the book is really […]
The Reporting Revolution 2nd Edition (NOW AVAILABLE!)
Now Available! The Reporting Revolution (2nd Edition) What’s new? Launch Special! If you buy the book in November, you’ll get access to a free modern reporting jumpstart webinar on December 4 at 11AM Eastern. I’ll even record the thing, so even if you miss it you can still watch. All you have to do is […]
The Reporting Three-Step Method
Summary: In this post I’ll show you a quick way to set up your own continuous reporting system. I’ve been working on my follow-up to The Reporting Revolution. I think I did an okay job of setting up my basic argument, that it’s time to change how we report and move beyond the PDF. I […]
The Future of Reporting
Summary: In this post I’m going to tell you the future. You can think about prediction as looking at the past and then projecting into the future. But there is an easier way. Instead of looking backwards or forwards, look to the side. Whatever you face, chances are, other fields or organizations are going through […]
Evaluation Resources from the CoP
Last week we officially launched the new Eval Central (a.k.a. the FreshSpectrum Community of Practice). For the launch on Thursday, September 18, we had a simple evaluation resource sharing session. It was a really nice gathering with 30-ish evaluators joining from across the globe (from the west coast of the US & Canada to Pakistan). […]
Evaluation Storyfinding
Summary: Evaluation maps really well to storytelling. Would it be easier if we just called ourselves story finders? I remember years ago sharing one of my evaluation cartoons with my mom. Her reaction was annoyance. Not with me, but with evaluation. She was a family literacy teacher for most of her career and the funded […]
Evaluation Resource Open Mic [Sep. 18]
Join me to help kick off the new EvalCentral Community of Practice series. About the session. Do you have a favorite free resource that you think other evaluators should know about? It could be a website, toolkit, journal article, tutorial, blog post, video, or course. It could be something that has helped you in the […]
Understanding AI: Intelligence versus Wisdom
Summary: This new series is a kind of travelogue. It’s a way for me to document my experiences with AI. Today’s question, can an AI tool be wise? Missing point of view. I think it’s important to find ways to differentiate how conversational AI works compared to human beings. Because there are times when it […]
Virtual Community of Practice: Quick Launch Guide
Summary: This guide will walk you through five steps for launching a simple but effective virtual community of practice. Running a successful Community of Practice can take a significant amount of time and effort. That is if you want actual connections to form between community members. But contrary to popular belief, the biggest challenge is […]
How to Create a Logic Model in Canva
Summary: You don’t need fancy tools to create basic logic models. In this post I’m going to walk you through the visual creation of a logic model. If you want to learn more about developing the content for a logic model, I suggest starting with this post: What is a Logic Model? Why Canva for […]
What is a Logic Model?
Summary: A logic model is an attempt to show how your program is supposed to work. Have you ever gone for a walk or a drive without a particular destination in mind? I think it’s one of my favorite things. Because there is absolutely no way to get lost. When you wander the only time […]
Formative vs Summative Evaluation: Which One Do You Need?
Summary: A formative evaluation is about improving your program, activity, or intervention. A summative evaluation is about showing proof that it works. Let’s say you run a non-profit food kitchen. You see your job as feeding the hungry people in your community. You have a pretty basic strategy that involves collecting food from the community […]