I would like to kick off ECDG’s blogging spot on evaluation capacity development by asking you to reflect on the power of a paradigm that has been transformed. To stimulate this reflection, I’m sharing a TED presentation. TED talks are “riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world” at www.ted.com.

You may wonder why I would invite you to watch this presentation. Here’s why. When I saw this video, I was struck by the power of a paradigm shift – replacing a conceptual worldview by another. In his talk, Sanjit “Bunker” Roy reveals what can happen when a single individual challenges society’s definition of expertise.

As you watch this talk, 19 minutes long in English with 29 subtitled languages available, consider how certain assumptions are taken for granted and the implication of this for developing evaluation capacity.

Personal, professional and societal assumptions determine how we view evaluation – why we are doing evaluation, who should conduct evaluation, what should be evaluated for whom, and the evaluation approach chosen for this work. Our understanding of evaluation is an important determinant of the manner in which evaluation capacity takes shape. Are we content with the assumptions underpinning the current ECD paradigm?

Bunker Roy’s initiatives redefine how expertise is cultivated by exchanging a value on formal education with a value on traditional wisdom. The result of this transformed paradigm is something to behold. Take a look.
http://www.ted.com/talks/bunker_roy.html