ALNAP Insufficient evidence? The quality and use of evidence in - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ALNAP

Paul Knox Clarke ODI, 21 February 2014

Insufficient evidence?

The quality and use of evidence in humanitarian action

Cont ent

What is evidence? Why does it matter? How good is the evidence currently available? How can we judge evidence? How can we use it better? What’s ALNAP doing about it?

EVIDENCE?

What do we mean by Why does it matter?

Information that helps prove or disprove a specific proposition. Failure to generate and use evidence makes humanitarian action:

• less effective
• less ethical
• less accountable

PROPOSITION A PROPOSITION B

That a situation of humanitarian need exists, which requires external assistance. That certain actions will be – or were – effective in addressing humanitarian needs.

EVI DENCE

Generally relates to either…

How can we judge

Accuracy Representativeness Relevance Generalisability Attribution Clarity around concepts and methods

EVI DENCE?

How good is

EVI DENCE?

E arly warning Assessments Monitoring E valuations

Challenge: relevant indicators Challenge: Accuracy? Representative? Challenge: Focus on outputs (relevance) Short time series Challenge: Weak in attribution, generalisability

What can we

DO?

• Work with academics to improve (quantitative and

qualitative) methodology

• Invest relative to potential impact
• Collaborate: identify gaps, share results, critique

findings

• Build evidence over time
• Address systematic exclusion of crisis affected

people

We should consider what we mean by ‘use’ The use of evidence is inconsistent

H o w c a n w e u s e

EVI DENCE

b e t t e r ?

Individuals & organisations Decision makers & humanitarian organisations

• Ensure evidence is accessible and easily presented.
• Make evidence available before decisions are made.
• Disseminate evidence and arguments through different media to different

groups.

• Ensure there are explicit requirements for evidence in the process.
• Incentivise use of evidence in decision-making.
• Allow programmes to change on basis of new evidence.

What is doing about it?

• Improve quality and use of evaluations by:
• Introducing guidance
• Continuing use of communities of practice
• Update and refine ALNAP’s resource library.
• Continue to experiment with varied approaches in our research.
• Work to better understand decision making and avoid risk.

T h a n k y o u . Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n p l e a s e vi s i t : w w w .a l n a p .o r g / o u r w o r k / e vi d e n c e