Lunchtime Talk: Ravinder Kumar – 3 Sept 2014
Autumn is coming and with it a new series of talks, which in anticipation of both the International Year of Evaluation and the 20th anniversary of the Evaluation journal in 2015 turn their focus to the work of the evaluator.
Wednesday 3rd September 2014
Ravinder Kumar, University of Greenwich
The making of a new age Evaluator: how evaluations can be conceptualised and practiced
In this talk Ravinder Kumar will discuss implications for current evaluation practice if its purpose is to bring about social change, improve decision making, resource allocations and accountability at all levels. It seems that evaluations have only partially served society with these functions, as evidenced by data stating that about two third of evaluations are failed or flawed evaluations in last 50 years of development co-operation1. The talk will invite discussions on how evaluators need to understand their multi-faceted role while operating within ethical and other boundaries, stressing the need for the evaluator to remain independent (even in an internal evaluation situation) and exercise her power and authority in a highly responsible way. Doing this requires evaluator to overcome challenges that come from within and from commissioners, recipients or users of evaluations.
Ravinder Kumar is an experienced Researcher and Evaluator in Agriculture, Value chains and Livelihoods at the University of Greenwich. He is a facilitator in building and implementing monitoring and evaluation /management information systems. He has also worked as an implementer in Rural Livelihoods, Natural Resource Management, Climate Adaptation and Local Economic Development projects in India (before joining the Natural Resources Institute in UK in 2013). Prior to joining the University of Greenwich, Ravinder Kumar has worked with TechnoServe India (Associate Program Director), Vrutti (Director), Catalyst Management Services (Regional Manager and M&E Unit Head), AC Nielsen ORG MARG (Sr. Research Executive) and Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-operative Ltd. (Monitoring and Impact Assessment Specialist).
Ravinder Kumar’s talk: The making of a new age Evaluator: how evaluations can be conceptualised and practiced is part of the Tavistock Institute’s Food for Thought series.
If you would like to attend this talk please send an email to talks@tavinstitute.org with your name, the talk date and title.
Every third Wednesday at the Tavistock Institute, staff, associates, trustees and partners have come together for these informal talks. Now in its sixth year we are looking to widen this community and to explore the possibilities for development and new thought through engaging with a wider audience. You are welcome to bring your own lunch.
For more information on upcoming and previous talks, how to book or get more involved go to the dedicated Food for Thought webpages.
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1. Based on several studies by EC and other organisations; quoted by Lanre Rotimi, Director General, International Society for Poverty Elimination.