Evaluation for Transformational Change

Opportunities and challenges for the Sustainable Development Goals

The fifth book in the publication series of IDEAS and the second to be published online presents essays on evaluating transformational change that can be taken up in discussion at the 2019 Global Assembly in Prague. When Agenda 2030 was presented in 2015, it promised “transformational change”. Four years later the need for transformational change is becoming ever more urgent, as witnessed in the climate action summit at the United Nations on 23 September 2019.

The book is introduced by Gonzalo Hernández Licona from Mexico, one of the leading UN experts on progress towards the SDGs and a direct witness of the erosion of the role of evaluation in his country, after a populist President was elected. He places the book in a dialogue on how evaluation can be strengthened in the battle for evidence, science, knowledge and insight in supporting transformational change. The chapters gathered in this book bring “learned arguments” for transformational change of our evaluations for transformational change… They explore how this would work out for supporting the SDGs, from areas of work that are advanced in this regard (chapter 7) to areas where progress still encounters barriers (chapters 4 and 5) or even major challenges (chapter 6). They propose a new approach (chapter 2), systems thinking and a new analytical toolbox (chapter 8), while calling for a revolutionary transformation of the evaluation profession itself (chapter 3). IDEAS hopes that this collection of essays will contribute to a further discussion of how evaluation can support transformational change in a world that needs this more than ever.

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Publication Fund proposed to the Annual General Meeting of IDEAS

This publication has led to the development of an IDEAS Publication Fund – a charitable fund within IDEAS promoting publications from an inclusive perspective, giving authors from all over the world a chance to write about issues important to the profession in a dialogue with other authors from all over the world. Like the Sustainable Development Goals, the Publication Fund is colour, gender, age and region inclusive. A generous grant of Universalia made the publication of “Evaluation for Transformational Change” possible and enabled printing of copies which will be sold at the Global Assembly. The proceeds from the sale of copies will go directly to the Fund and thus enable future publications.

The IDEAS publications are open access, and this means they can be downloaded from the internet. Printed copies are available in a limited number to raise money for the Publication Fund. The price is €25, or US$28, or CZK650, to be paid in cash. Buyers should be aware that this is a 100% gift to the Publication Fund. We appeal to the participants of the Global Assembly to buy copies as through this they will donate to the Publication Fund.

A first sales period is expected on Wednesday 2 October during the coffee break from 10:30-11:30, next to the Conference reception desk in the hotel lobby.

For those unlucky to secure a printed copy, the book can always be downloaded from the website!