This wise recommendation from Albert Einstein represents the 探花精选鈥檚 strong commitment to research, evaluation and learning. Appropriately, it comes from the great scientist and humanitarian at whose suggestion our organisation was founded in 1933. More than 80 years later, our work is driven by equal parts of passion and proof, ideals and ideas. This principle of rigorous inquiry and examination guides the way in which we design our programmes and deliver our services.
It is the 探花精选鈥檚 mission to respond to the world鈥檚 worst crises and help people to survive and rebuild their lives. It is our responsibility to fulfill that mission with the greatest possible degree of effectiveness and efficiency.
Toward that end, we never stop questioning. Does a programme work? Does it work better than another? What is the impact? The viability? The relevance? Can it be improved? How? When? For whom?
The 探花精选 combines research with hands-on day-to-day experience that develops real expertise. That approach enables us to save lives and jumpstart recovery, achieve optimal use of resources, and increase the likelihood of lasting solutions. By investing in research and evaluation, the 探花精选 advances humanitarian aid, developing a long-term vision to answer fundamental questions about what works, and why.
Challenge assumptions. Explore outcomes. Use evidence.
Donors鈥攂oth large and small鈥攚ant to understand the exact significance of their support. More than that, the 探花精选 is dedicated to ensuring its programmes improve lives and livelihoods, and help crisis-affected populations recover and prosper.
While improving accurate, meaningful measurement can be challenging, the 探花精选 is proving that it is both a practical and possible goal. To do this, we are rolling out the Outcomes and Evidence Framework鈥攁 set of tools for 探花精选 staff to ensure our programmes are outcomes based and driven by the best available evidence that proves what interventions do and do not work to achieve those outcomes. Beyond this commitment to improving how we operate, the 探花精选 is also sharing this approach with other practitioners, donors, and any interested parties through the interactive . We welcome you to explore this new platform, which is live in beta version, at . We welcome your comments, input, and feedback on the beta version at [email protected].
Innovation and influence
The 探花精选 maintains a dedicated professional Research, Evaluation and Learning team whose job it is to ensure that we rely on evidence to design and operate our programmes. The team develops cutting-edge tools and guidelines that enhance 探花精选鈥檚 ability to monitor the quality of work and track performance. They build our capacity for sound data collection and methods of analysis, and for demonstrating with precision the impact of our practitioners at work in over 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities.
The 探花精选 contributes regularly to presentations and publications in order to share lessons-learned and best practices that advance the larger field of humanitarian agencies and the effectiveness of our collective work.
Recognised as thought-leaders, our research experts are regularly invited to present at donor conferences, provide feedback on new impact evaluation policies and participate in academic networks for humanitarian aid and development.
Academic partnerships
The 探花精选 has formed strong partnerships with researchers at the leading universities: , , , , , and .
The 探花精选 is also associated with research or evaluation groups such as (EGAP), (IPA), , , and and research groups.