Blog Posts

June 2021 Newsletter

As we look ahead to the June solstice, we are taking a breather from producing new content over the summer months (here in the northern hemisphere) to do some work on our network structure and the support we offer to our members. We will return with new webinars and programming in September. In the meantime, … Read more

“No Lines”. For Blue Marble Evaluation

Blog originally posted on https://zendaofir.com/no-lines-for-blue-marble-evaluation/. Reposted with permission. “Between me and not-me there is surely a line, a clear distinction, or so it seems. But, now that I look, where is that line?” Donella Meadows, 1987. Blue Marble Evaluation. It is good to have been engaged in it from the beginning, and to be on its Advisory … Read more

May 2021 Newsletter

On May 15th, the United Nations recognizes the International Day of Families. Blue Marble Evaluation is not just a network or an evaluation approach, we are a family of over 570 people committed to transforming evaluation to evaluate transformation. If you have not yet become a member of the Blue Marble Evaluation family, we hope you … Read more

Evaluation in the Face of the Climate Emergency: Observations & Synthesis

Guest Blue Marble Evaluation blog from Scott C. Chaplowe, a dedicated evaluation professional with over 20 years’ experience working with civic, public and private organizations seeking sustainable solutions for social and environmental challenges. His academic training is in geography (UCLA), with a focus on human and natural resource management. He has been influenced by the sub-disciplines … Read more

April 2021 Newsletter

This month, we are happy to introduce you to Blue Marble Evaluation’s new Global Advisory Council. This group will be supporting our network as we work to build the capacity of Blue Marble Evaluators and build demand for Blue Marble Evaluation globally. We are also celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the Transformation Systems Mapping and Analysis Group, formed … Read more

March 2021 Newsletter

Last week, we passed the one-year mark of COVID-19 being declared by WHO as a global pandemic. Blue Marble Evaluation calls us to zoom in on the local impact of this milestone and zoom out to see the global trends and impact. We see that there are disparities both within and between countries in how the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed, just … Read more

The 2021 World Food Systems Summit & BME

In 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will convene a Food Systems Summit as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Summit aims to support transformation of the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food. It aims to be inclusive by bringing together scientists, policy makers, business leaders, farmers, indigenous people, … Read more

February 2021 Newsletter

February is full of celebrations and observances: Black History Month, Lunar Year, Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras to name just a few. We started the month with another song from MQP to the tune of Season’s of Love and have been thinking a lot about love and how important it is to our skin in the game principle. As the poet, bell hooks reminds … Read more

Lessons about evaluating responses to the pandemic: Insights from the World Food Program Developmental Evaluation

Blue Marble Evaluation Context The first overarching Blue Marble Evaluation principle is the Global Thinking Principle: Apply whole-Earth big-picture thinking to all aspects of systems change. The World Food Programme (WFP) epitomizes that principle.  The pandemic, as a global challenge, requires Global Thinking. In evaluating WFP’s response to the pandemic, global thinking is critical. Working … Read more

Blue Marble Evaluation Book Club

Have you started reading Michael’s new book, Blue Marble Evaluation: Premises and Principles yet? If not, this is great motivation to read it alongside other fellow BME members! If so, perhaps you have questions and thoughts you’d like to share with Michael and others? In either case, we invite you to join the BME Book club, which kicks off … Read more