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  • Revolutionary Google-backed system unlocks power of big data to save forests

    This blog post from Rhett A Butler for Mongabay.com outlines the use of a new tool, Global Forest Watch, which uses big data to monitor global forests on a monthly basis.  Utilising Google’s computing cloud the tool is able to analyse NASA
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  • Gender equality and big data: Making gender data visible

    The report from UN Women, with support from UN Global Pulse, outlines the value of big data for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to women.
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  • Measuring results and impact in the age of big data

    This paper explores the nexus of data science and evaluation, probing the issues and challenges of incorporating big data into evaluation practice. This resource and the following information was contributed by Alice Macfarlan.
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  • Global innovations in measurement and evaluation

    This report by NPC highlights their research into the latest developments in theory and practice in measurement and evaluation. The authors found that new thinking, techniques, and technology are influencing and improving practice.
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  • The IDEAS guide and facilitators' guide

    The IDEAS Guide (Innovating, Designing, Evaluating and Applying to Small-scale projects) is a guide to the design and evaluation of small-scale media and communication projects where evaluation is built into the design of an initiative.
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  • Discussion Paper: Innovations in Monitoring and Evaluation

    This discussion paper produced by the United Nations Development Programme discusses various innovations that are occurring in M&E, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.
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  • Big data for development: challenges & opportunities

    This white paper by UN Global Pulse examines the use of Big Data in development contexts.
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  • Geospatial analysis in evaluation

    This blog from the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) highlights the role of geospatial data in understanding change in phenomena, and answering questions of relevance and effectiveness of development interventions.
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  • Learning from data innovation

    This episode from the IEG podcast 'What have we learned' features Brenda Barbour and Jos Vaessen discussing the opportunities and challenges of using innovative technologies with evaluation data.
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  • Big data and evaluation: Use and implications

    Big data is emerging as a new world currency.
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  • What about administrative data?

    In this guest blog, Kerry McCarthy discusses some of the options for finding administrative data sets for use in evaluation.
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  • Digital dividends in natural resource management

    The report sets out research findings on the "digital dividends" of various types of technology on natural resource management in low and middle-income countries.
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  • Six Thinking Hats

    This webpage from De Bono Consulting provides an overview of the six thinking hats and includes a range of free resources including guides and videos.
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  • Guidance on M&E for civil society programs

    This guide from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT, formerly AusAID) is aimed at program managers who have responsibility for managing progra
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  • The logical framework approach

    This publication is part of a series of guidelines developed by AusAid in relation to activities design.
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  • Open space

    Open Space Technology (OST) is a group facilitation approach for small and large gatherings in which a central purpose, issue, or task is addressed, but which begins with a purposeful lack of any formal initial agenda.
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  • Big data

    Big data refers to data that are so large and complex that traditional methods of collection and analysis are not possible. 
    Method
  • Formal meeting processes

    Studies have demonstrated that attendance at meetings and conferences, planning discussions within the project related to use of the program evaluation, and participation in data collection foster feelings of evaluation involvement among st
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  • Six thinking hats

    The Six Thinking Hats method encourages participants to cycle through six different ways of thinking, using the metaphor of wearing different conceptual “hats”.
    Method
  • World cafe

    The world café is a methodology for hosting group dialogue which emphasizes the power of simple conversation in considering relevant questions and themes.
    Method
  • CEDIL Methods Brief - Using big data for impact evaluations

    This paper provides detailed guidance on using big data to fill data gaps in impact evaluations.
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  • Tools for knowledge and learning: A guide for development and humanitarian organisations

    This tool kit presents entry points and references to the wide range of tools and methods that have been used to facilitate improved knowledge and learning in the development and humanitarian sectors.
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