Information and Communication Technologies for Development Evaluation

✍ Scribed by Oscar A. García and Prashanth Kotturi

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 173
• Series: Routledge Studies in Development Economics, 149
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Written by a team of expert practitioners at the Independent Office of Evaluation of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), this book gives an insight into the implications of new and emerging technologies in development evaluation.

Growing technologies such as big data analytics, machine learning and remote sensing present new opportunities for development practitioners and development evaluators, particularly when measuring indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals. The volume provides an overview of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of evaluation, looking at the theory and practice, and discussing how the landscape may unfold. It also considers concerns about privacy, ethics and inclusion, which are crucial issues for development practitioners and evaluators working in the interests of vulnerable populations across the globe. Among the contributions are case studies of seven organizations using various technologies for data collection, analysis, dissemination and learning.

This valuable insight into practice will be of interest to researchers, practitioners and policymakers in development economics, development policy and ICT.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
List of Figures, Tables and Boxes
List of Contributors
Acknowledgements
Introduction
The Challenge of Evaluating the Sustainable Development Goals
ICTs with Promise for Evaluators
Privacy, Equity and Biases
ICT4Eval – The Publication
1 Evaluation and the Sustainable Development Goals: Opportunities and Constraints
The Greatest Opportunity and the Greatest Challenge for the Global Evaluation Community
How Do We Assess Whether Development Interventions Are Relevant, and Are Having an Impact in Decreasing Inequality and Improving the Welfare of the Worst-Off Groups?
How Do We Carry Out Evaluation Given the Complexity of the SDGs?
How Can We Take Advantage of New Technologies to Address New Challenges?
How Can We Strengthen the Capacities of Governments, Civil Society Organizations, and Parliamentarians to Evaluate Whether Interventions Are Having Equitable Outcomes for Marginalized Populations?
Individual and Institutional Evaluation Capacities Enabled by a Supportive Environment
Fostering Demand for and Supply of Evaluation
Conclusion
2 Information and Communication Technologies for Evaluation (ICT4Eval): Theory and Practice
Data Collection: Faster, Cheaper, More Accurate
Data Analysis: The Machine Learning Revolution
Dissemination and Learning: Reaching a Global Audience
ICTs in Practice – the Case for Cautious Optimism
Sunk Costs vs. an Opportunity
Do It Yourself vs. Outsourcing
Mainstreaming ICTs into Operations
Evaluation 2.0: Turning Dilemmas to Dividends?
3 Big Data Analytics and Development Evaluation: Optimism and Caution
Some Themes from the Big Data Literature
Demystifying Big Data
Defining Big Data and NIT
Big Data and Data Analytics
The Data Continuum
The NIT Ecology and the Linkages to Development Evaluation
Where Is the Big Data Revolution Headed?
Does Big Data Apply to Development Evaluation? Should Evaluators Care About It?
The Great Potential for Integrating Big Data into Development Evaluation
Big Data and Development Evaluation: The Need for Caution
Overcoming Barriers to Big Data Use in Evaluation
Future Scenarios for Development Evaluation in the Age of Big Data
New Skills Required for Evaluation Offices, Evaluators and Data Scientists
4 Technology, Biases and Ethics: Exploring the Soft Sides of Information and Communication Technologies for Evaluation (ICT4Eval)
Factors Affecting Information Technology Access and Use Among the Most Vulnerable
Data and Technology Alone Cannot Ensure Inclusion
Inclusiveness of Access and Use Affect the Representativeness of Big Data
Bias in Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Protecting Data Subjects’ Rights in Tech-Enabled, Data-Led Exercises
Improving Data Privacy and Protection in the Development Sector
5 Technology and Its Implications for Nations and Development Partners
Structural Transition and Pathways for Economic Development
Income - Who Has Technology Affected the Most?
A Luddite’s Nightmare or a Passing Phenomenon?
Geography - Implications for Sustainable Rural Development
Dealing with Disruptions and Moving Forward
Implications for Development Partners
Conclusions
The Story This Far
Key Takeaways
Looking Ahead
Index