Dennis Whittle writes on the importance of feedback loops – a must read for those seeking to make development organizations more responsive and adaptive

Dennis Whittle has published an important piece on the signficance of feedback loops. His discussion of how feedback loops can subvert the prevailing mental model (top-down; expert-driven) and the limitations of RCTs is particularly relevant. A must read for all those seeking to make development organizations more responsive and adaptive. http://international.cgdev.org/publication/how-feedback-loops-can-improve-aid-and-maybe-governance

Global Giving launches its “most important local initiative”, listening to those who are meant to benefit from development

The Slum Youth Map Community Development Fund will be mapping and reporting about the progress of local government development projects in the slums to increase accountability and transparency of community funds. Many projects that make use of a fund for community development aren’t completed or are not successful and Global Giving want to document them so that[…]

Keystone’s Kai Hopkins highlights the importance of indirect relationships, for creating social change and maximising the desired outcomes for ‘end-beneficiaries’

Writing on the Feedback Labs blog, Kai argues that intermediaries – implementing partners of an international NGO, a grant recipient, or an impact investor’s awardee – are an important and active agent of change and a key to successful development outcomes. And as such, we must understand these relationships and strive to improve them. To do so,[…]

David Bonbright discuss the legacy of Albert O. Hirschman who died last year in his first Feedback Labs article

In his article “Voice As Both Means And End”, David discusses the value of valuing relationships. David refers to Albert O. Hirschman, who died at the age of 97 last December, arguing that his seminal 1970 treatise, Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States, is feeling younger and more relevant every[…]