This is the first in a series of blogs introducing some of our IOD PARC colleagues and the valuable work they do. First, we get to know more about Sadie Watson, the Portfolio Lead for our Strengthening Performance, Evidence, and Quality portfolio, and future Managing Director.
Sadie, can you tell us a bit about who you are and your professional background?
This takes me a long way back! Around 30 years ago I did my undergraduate degree social anthropology and sociology in Hull, which included a great module on ‘Women in development’. Some time after that, I got the opportunity to go to Malawi, where I ended up conducting a study on food security in Mulanje district. I also got to spend a several months in a small rural village which was amazing. It was here that I was also first exposed to evaluation, as I shadowed an evaluation team. It was fascinating to see how these evaluators were close to the action: they were able to get a deep understanding of what they were evaluating and be close to the programming. I then returned to the UK for my graduate studies in Development Projects, which included elements of evaluation, and so I ended up writing my thesis on monitoring. After various independent consulting roles and a stint as an Associate Professional Officer with DFID, I joined IOD PARC in 2004.
That’s a long time ago! What does your work at IOD PARC now focus on?
There are two parts to my work. As portfolio lead, I am strongly involved in the day-to-day management of the SPEQ portfolio, and I also work to drive the mainstreaming of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion throughout the company and our work. In terms of my consulting work, it’s a mixed picture. I am the Project Director for a number of MEL support services and helpdesks. This is a great role because it gives me insight into the evaluation approaches and methodologies which are used and emerging. We also get to support some of these organisations with technical assistance around evaluation, for example through learning pieces, which can help these organisations develop, improve their evaluations, and ultimately deliver better programmes – so it offers me a way to remain in touch with programming while also being intellectually stimulated. It is really formative work. Thinking about approaches and methodologies also comes back in some of the other projects I am involved in, for example around soft power and how to evaluate how a client’s project portfolio ultimately supports their soft power in ways that would not be visible if you evaluate individual projects or programmes.
With such a breadth of experience, what key things have you learned?
First, every evaluation is different, and you cannot take a formulaic approach to them because context is so critical to how you approach the methodology and delivery of an evaluation. As a result, every evaluation has a steep learning curve. Second, with helpdesks, support services, and evaluations it is essential to think not just about the accountability our work offers, but even more so how it can help the organisations we work with develop – it has to be helpful for them! I also think the focus on learning and organisational development will be increasingly important in the years to come. Evaluation budgets are under pressure, so the utility of our work will have to go beyond providing accountability.
Can you give an example of where you have seen your work have an impact?
Yes. Often, this can be difficult to see because organisational change takes a long time to materialise. However, 5-6 years ago we did some work for a bilateral aid organisation which funds civil society organisations. We still regularly work with them, and they continue to refer back to our set of recommendations – we can see them methodically working through them. When we look at how their fund operates now, we can clearly see the changes as a result of our work, which is very satisfying.
Finally, what is it that you love about your work?
There are many things, but it is a real joy and privilege to work in a sector I am so passionate about, and to play my small part in trying to improve this hugely complex system that is international development. I love working with organisations that work on cross-cutting issues such as protection and inclusion, unpack how different parts of the organisation from the headquarters to the field work, how they interact with other stakeholders, and ultimately, how they deliver change on the ground. I still have that passion from 30 years ago when I felt that evaluation allowed me to be close to the action. I get to learn so much from everyone; individuals and organisations alike. This is made even more exciting by the amazing people I get to work with, both within and outside IOD PARC.
