Thesis subject
Practices of and views on Impact Assessment
Post-project evaluations and impact assessments are a point of discussion: is the 'measurement' of change on the basis of indicators that are pre-defined by the intervention-agents useful? What about changes occurring outside the scope of these predefined indicators? Can development be grasped in numbers, and are the measured or observed changes attributable to the intervention?
This thesis project wants to make an inventory of existing practices of and views on impact assessment within the field of interventions to support rural development. How can we measure the (long-term) impact of development interventions?
What are the currently used approaches, methodologies, methods, techniques and tools to report about impact? What is the relationship between classic, quantitative and statistically driven impact assessments and other, more qualitative and participatory forms of assessment. How can we use qualitative methods such as film reporting and significant change storytelling to report about impact in an effective and appropriate way? Special interest is in reporting back on impact to donor organisations and policy makers.
The project is not only interested in the existing theoretical positions and practical guidelines, but also in actual practices and views on impact evaluation of projects, organisations (NGOs and donor agents) and experts. We are especially interested in Dutch-based development organisations and (inter)national donor organisations.