Internet notebook about my work: deep listening to facilitate positive change

.

Tuesday 30 October 2007

Different perspectives on measuring impact

How do you measure the impact of your work? I ask this question to people I meet in the corridors and over lunch. I attend the Trondheim/UN Conference on Ecosystems and People – Biodiversity for Development – The road to 2010 and beyond. Policymakers, managers and scientists have a dialogue at the invitation of the Norwegian Government. So far I get different answers from the people I speak. The number of citations of my studies (university researcher). New or renewed funding for my institute (policy researcher). Allocation of more funds to the biodiversity budget lines of my organization (manager of a biodiversity program). Improved attitudes towards biodiversity of my colleagues in government (policy maker). It is interesting to note that only grass root organizations and consultants think immediately in terms of impact on the ground – e.g. improved living conditions of local people and e.g. decrease of deforestation.

No comments: