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When we set out to create the Blue Marble Evaluation network, it is safe to say that we did not really know what we were doing. We received a lot of great advice and tremendous support from the McKnight Foundation and from many of our members and friends. We have been overwhelmed with the positive response from the evaluation community and beyond.  Now that we are two years into this endeavor, we are seeing more projects and initiatives adopting a Blue Marble approach. With the uptick in adoption of Blue Marble principles and perspectives, we believe there is a growing need for international…

  As 2021 draws to a close, we would like to thank you for your ongoing engagement with Blue Marble Evaluation. This network emerged out of a vision to connect evaluators around the world under a common set of principles, with the goal of transforming…

The publication of the new 5th edition of Utilization-Focused Evaluation provides an opportunity to revisit the interconnection between Blue Marble Evaluation and Utilization-Focused Evaluation. In essence, Blue Marble evaluations should be utilization-focused so Utilization-Focused Evaluation provides the overarching framework for Blue Marble Evaluation. This blog summarizes how we address the interconnection in the new book.   Intergenerational Engagement The new edition integrates Michael’s 50 years’ experience with Charmagne’s perspective as a second generation evaluator, bringing…

Under a massive and slowly spinning earthen globe in the SSE Hydro in Glasgow Scotland, I joined a meditation circle of 12 people led by two monks from Plum Village Monastery in France. The Monastery, founded by Thich Nhat Han, has become a spiritual lifeline for several of the leaders of CoP26. This makes sense when you consider the stakes of the event well named as the “last best chance” to get it right. The event is a dizzying mix of diplomacy, dance cards, and dinners. Each day, bold pledges and angry protests are captured by the massive media corps. Just today, a $130 trillion climate…

Equinox Edition Welcome Back! As we begin to see signs of fall in the northern hemisphere and prepare to welcome spring in the south, we are happy to be back in action! It's been a few months since we sent out a newsletter, but we are making up for it with…

Blue Marble Evaluation (BME) teams have been working to synthesize themes across the hundreds of Independent Dialogues, resulting in the following reports: Interim Synthesis Report 1: Based on the initial 17 feedback forms, presents a generative and illustrative set of emerging themes. Interim Synthesis Report 2: More than 100 Independent Dialogues have produced 10 guiding themes.  Final Synthesis Report: More than 400 Independent Dialogues have produced 22 guiding themes.  During this process, the BME synthesis team and the Food Systems Summit Secretariat identified a need for a deeper…

As part of preparation and building momentum for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit more than 900 Independent Dialogues have taken place around the world. These Summit Dialogues aim to offer a seat at the table to all interested stakeholders, giving them an opportunity to debate, collaborate, and provide input into deliberations on the future of food.   Conveners of Dialogues post a report of their discussion on a web portal. While the individual reports are publicly accessible, the question arose as to how to synthesize themes across the hundreds of reports. Through our engagement with the…

The Blue Marble Evaluation Network (BME) has been commissioned to synthesize the reports of Independent Dialogues as part of preparation for the UN Food Systems Summit in September. Through June more than 700 Independent Dialogues have been registered. It is helpful to locate the contributions of the Independent Dialogues in relation to the other workstreams of preparation and planning for the Summit. The Action Tracks for the Summit are focused on solutions to food systems problems: ensuring access to safe and nutritious food, shifting to sustainable consumption patterns, boosting nature -…

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, we encourage you to take a look at some of our recorded webinars and resources, as well as to begin thinking about producing your own content to contribute to the…

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 Council. It is the future of evaluation if we wish to contribute to urgently needed transformations in the era of the Anthropocene. Understanding the connections between the local and the global (eco)systems that affect…