Measurement is Political – the road from Bogotá

As consensus grows that current measurement and evaluation approaches are too often unfit for purpose, two webinars on 18 April 2024 explored alternative models and approaches that are emerging which centre communities, their priorities and their voices. 

In a system where measuring the success of community-driven initiatives is often undermined by rigid, traditional metrics of evaluation, the conversations sought to dismantle these barriers and pave the way for horizontal and community approaches to measuring success. Often, traditional donor-driven metrics focus on quantitative outcomes, and overlook the true essence of impact and the complexities of civil society. Speakers in the two sessions – from Brazil, Kenya, Indonesia, and the Asia Pacific more broadly – shared pioneering measurement methods that address the critical need for metrics that reflect community-defined success.

The concept of measurement was explored not as a one-size-fits-all solution but as a flexible approach based on shared frameworks between local donors and communities that value both tangible and intangible achievements. The sessions built on previous work that includes the Measuring What Matters report and conversations from the #ShiftThePower Global Summit in Bogotá. See the recordings below.

Session 1

*The file of the recording was corrupted – only the second half of the webinar is available for viewing.

Session 2