In my experience, what really makes an evaluation "forward looking" is its focus on future improvement rather than just judging what happened in the past. A forward-looking evaluation digs into what we've learned, offers practical recommendations and helps us adapt to new challenges or opportunities that might come up. It’s not just about checking if we met our old goals, but about asking, “How can we do even better next time?” I find this approach especially valuable because it encourages ongoing learning and helps everyone involved plan more strategically for the future. What do others think—have you seen examples where a forward-looking evaluation really made a difference?
RE: From Hindsight to Foresight: How Evaluation Can Become Future-Informed
United Republic of Tanzania
Emmanuel Erick Igiha
Principal M&E Specialist
Tanzania National Parks
Posted on 25/03/2026
In my experience, what really makes an evaluation "forward looking" is its focus on future improvement rather than just judging what happened in the past. A forward-looking evaluation digs into what we've learned, offers practical recommendations and helps us adapt to new challenges or opportunities that might come up. It’s not just about checking if we met our old goals, but about asking, “How can we do even better next time?” I find this approach especially valuable because it encourages ongoing learning and helps everyone involved plan more strategically for the future. What do others think—have you seen examples where a forward-looking evaluation really made a difference?