In evaluating learning, we have found that there is a tendency for the impact of evaluations to be diluted because they are received as forms of judgement, rather than opportunities for learning. Judgement matters; but we work to re-imagine evaluation as also a learning system of systems. This involves addressing questions such as:

• What is your theory of change? Furthermore, what can we tell from the difference between the theory of change people pay lip service to and theories of change actually in use?
• What is the ‘felt experience’ of the players and actors in the context that is being evaluated?
• What do they want and need to learn about?
• How do you build an evaluating perspective into day to day working practices, so that you can ‘learn-while-doing?’

In order to re-imagine measurement and evaluation in complex systems, we have co-founded the Revaluation collective – a network of individuals and organisations committed to finding new, participative ways of measuring change in complex systems.

Clients for evaluation and learning include:

• The Health Foundation
• NHS IQ
• Strategic Investment Board (Northern Ireland)
• OECD Local Economic Development Study Centre, Trento;
• Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (Northern Ireland)
• West of England Local Enterprise Partnership