learning from operations

The Results Agenda was never meant to be an end in itself, but somewhere along the way it became one. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate the value of well-chosen indicators, outcome evidence, and data-rich M&E systems.

Yet, when these systems tick all the boxes of “best practice” Results Based Management (RBM) but fall short in generating feedback loops with intended users—Boards, management, operational teams, and clients—something is wrong.

The World Bank began doing self-evaluations of completed loans projects 40 years ago because President McNamara wanted to know the results of the Bank’s investments. In a previous blog, co-authored with Caroline Heider, we described why there is little organizational learning flowing from the systems.

Why is there not more organizational learning from self-evaluation? We can list numerous proximate reasons – self-evaluations are done too late, their lessons are of the wrong type, the processes of assigning and validating ratings distract from real learning, they are based on sometimes weak evidence. But, we submit that the ultimate cause is that learning has taken a backseat to accountability.