A results framework can show what an organization intends to achieve. A performance report can describe what happened. Neither, on its own, tells us whether evidence changed a decision. That... read more →
A convincing evaluation design cannot, by itself, tell us whether an outcome has been measured well. When policy analysis relies on surveys, questionnaires or tests, the instrument is part of... read more →
An organization can know a great deal about its activities and still have unanswered questions about its outcomes. More information does not necessarily close that gap. Colin Ross calls attention... read more →
Making information available is an important part of accountability. It does not guarantee that people can understand, question or use it. Edidiong Bassey, Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey and Ileana Steccolini examine... read more →
Performance information helps us examine what has happened and what is happening now. Managing under uncertainty also requires asking whether the conditions behind a plan may change. Strategic foresight brings... read more →
A meeting count can tell us that contact occurred. It cannot, by itself, tell us whether participants understood the information, influenced a decision or developed the capacity to act. When... read more →
A discussion of regulation can become a discussion of activity: rules issued, inspections completed, approvals processed or compliance costs recorded. A results perspective asks a further question: what do those... read more →
The question is not whether an organization has a plan, indicators or a reporting cycle. The more revealing question is whether these tools help it learn and act. Managing for... read more →
A new performance framework can change a template overnight. Changing how evidence is discussed, interpreted and used is a different task. Results systems operate within organizations with established expectations, professional... read more →
A lower price is not, on its own, a complete account of value. In public services, a useful discussion must also ask what resources achieve and whether the intended result... read more →