Thank you for sharing such a rich and grounded reflection based on your long experience in this field. Your insights resonate deeply with what I have observed in many large-scale initiatives. The tendency to adopt global frameworks with minimal contextual adaptation indeed undermines effectiveness and ownership. When projects are too rigid and centrally driven, they miss the opportunity to respond to local dynamics, community needs, and shifting contexts—critical for achieving inclusive and sustainable outcomes.
I particularly appreciate your emphasis on enhancing M&E systems. Relying solely on standardized, top-down indicators often masks the underlying reasons behind a project’s success or failure. In my experience, participatory and mixed-methods approaches—especially those that co-create indicators with stakeholders—help not only in generating more relevant data but also in fostering trust and ownership. For instance, in a recent climate adaptation project, integrating storytelling and community mapping into M&E uncovered power dynamics and localized impacts that a purely quantitative approach would have missed. Thank you for raising these important points—your experience adds great value to this ongoing conversation. Best regards,
RE: Do Big Projects Deliver Effective Solutions in a Complex World?
Nepal
Ram Khanal
Advisor
Community of Evaluator (COE) Nepal
Posted on 16/04/2025
Dear Dr Ojha
Thank you for sharing such a rich and grounded reflection based on your long experience in this field. Your insights resonate deeply with what I have observed in many large-scale initiatives. The tendency to adopt global frameworks with minimal contextual adaptation indeed undermines effectiveness and ownership. When projects are too rigid and centrally driven, they miss the opportunity to respond to local dynamics, community needs, and shifting contexts—critical for achieving inclusive and sustainable outcomes.
I particularly appreciate your emphasis on enhancing M&E systems. Relying solely on standardized, top-down indicators often masks the underlying reasons behind a project’s success or failure. In my experience, participatory and mixed-methods approaches—especially those that co-create indicators with stakeholders—help not only in generating more relevant data but also in fostering trust and ownership. For instance, in a recent climate adaptation project, integrating storytelling and community mapping into M&E uncovered power dynamics and localized impacts that a purely quantitative approach would have missed. Thank you for raising these important points—your experience adds great value to this ongoing conversation. Best regards,