As formal and informal institutions worldwide are rapidly changing, driving systems change requires evaluators to move beyond determining the value of interventions based on predetermined criteria to actively developing value by helping stakeholders navigate uncertainty, learn from multiple perspectives, and adapt strategies in real time.
Drawing on their work with foundations like the MacArthur Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Drew Koleros (Mathmatica) and Michael Moses (Itad), identify three key areas where evaluators can expand their practice to better serve complex systems change efforts. In their newly published article on the UNDP Unstuck platform, the authors share practical lessons about: 1) expanding technical approaches, 2) strengthening facilitation skills, and 3) incorporating varied voices—all of which are important aspects of pivoting towards developing, rather than presuming to determine, value.
