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Blue Marble Evaluation is a global initiative focused on training the next generation of evaluators to Think Globally, Act Globally and Evaluate Globally.
The website includes a number of free resources, including case studies, recorded webinars, the Blue Marble Member Network and Forums.
This resource and the following information was contributed by Alice Macfarlan.
Authors and their affiliation
Blue Marble Evaluation was launched by Utilization-Focused Evaluation in the Fall of 2015 with a generous pilot grant from the Faster Forward Fund in partnership with World Savvy and continues with support from the McKnight Foundation. The Blue Marble Evaluation Website was launched in November 2019.
Inaugural working group members include: Michael Quinn Patton (founder), Claire Nicklin, Charmagne Campbell-Patton, Glenn Page, Jeph Mathias, John Wilson, KaYing Vang, Marah Moore, Pablo Vidueira, Zenda Ofir
Key features
Blue Marble Evaluation is:
- An approach to evaluating global initiatives aimed at transforming systems towards a more sustainable world.
- A global network of evaluators working in the space of global systems transformation.
- A resource for practitioners, evaluators, funders and anyone interested in a holistic approach to design, implementation and evaluation of global systems transformation efforts.
The website includes a number of free resources, including case studies, recorded webinars, the Blue Marble Member Network and Forums.
Central to the Blue Marble Evaluation initiative and prominent throughout the website are the Blue Marble overarching and operating principles.
The overarching principles include:
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Global Thinking Principle: Apply whole Earth, big picture thinking to all aspects of systems change.
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Anthropocene as Context Principle: Know and face the realities of the Anthropocene and act accordingly.
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Transformative Engagement Principle: Engage consistently with the magnitude, direction, and speed of transformations needed and envisioned.
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Integration Principle: Integrate the overarching and operating Blue Marble principles in the design, engagement with, and evaluation of systems change and transformation initiatives.
How have you used or intend on using this resource?
Blue Marble Evaluation is a great starting point for understanding important knowledge and context for global systems transformation design, implementation and evaluation.
Why would you recommend it to other people?
The world is at a critical point, and Blue Marble Evaluation is addressing a need to build knowledge and strengthen capacity for transformation and systems thinking at a global level.