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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
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  • What is a Dashboard? Defining dashboards, visual analysis tools and other data presentation media

    The Dashboard Insight website contains a number of useful articles, examples and guides on the subject of Organizational Dashboards.
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  • Data dashboard as evaluation and research communication tool

    This chapter by Veronica Smith aims to provide a sound framework and guidelines for evaluators, researchers, and program staff to design, develop, maintain, and use a data dashboard as an effective communication tool for monitoring progress
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  • Evergreen Data

    Stephanie Evergreen's website and blog provides ample reading and guidance on data visualization techniques, taking a research-based approach to effective communication of ideas.
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  • How to Design Effective Dashboards

    This one-hour webinar on How to Design Effective Dashboards from Infragistics aims to show viewers how to design dashboards that will help with business decisions.
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  • The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Dashboard Design

    This blog post by Abjhijit Rawool gives guidance on creating dashboards that are based around the users' needs. Though discussed in relation to web applications, the lessons are applicable more broadly.
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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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  • 10 Techniques for building a google sheets dashboard

    This is a step-by-step guide for creating a dashboard with Google Sheets (a free, online spreadsheet application).
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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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  • 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.
    Blog
  • What about administrative data?

    In this guest blog, Kerry McCarthy discusses some of the options for finding administrative data sets for use in evaluation.
    Blog
  • 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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  • Designing and facilitating creative conversations & learning activities

    This resource is a companion to The Barefoot Guide 2: ​Learning Practices in Organisations and Social Change, providing a practical support guide for designing and facilitating engaging and productive conversations and learning experiences.
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  • Data dashboard

    Stephen Few defines a dashboard as: "A data dashboard is a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives, with the data consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the informa
    Method
  • Dialogues

    Dialogues refer to a range of learning conversations that go beyond knowledge transfer to include knowledge articulation and translation.
    Method
  • 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
  • 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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  • Big data

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