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UNDP Handbook on Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation

The United Nations Development Program has published a free Handbook on Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluating for Development Results (232 page PDF). Fully half of the handbook is devoted to monitoring, which is one approach to integrated evaluation or what they call "results-based management". I am also impressed by the templates and forms they include, though in some cases they are a bit too related to UNDP processes. This is a valuable resources for any organization, whether you see yourself working on development issues or not. Posted: 9/29/09; 5:05:35 PM #

14 Ways K-12 Librarians Can Teach Social Media

I am not a librarian and I'm not in the K-12 school system, but neverthless I really enjoyed Joyce Valenza's 14 Ways K-12 Librarians Can Teach Social Media. There are a lot of environments in which to apply these ideas: (1) New fun with intellectual property. (2) Documentation doesn't have to be a miserable task. (3) Moving beyond one-trick, single-search mode. (4) Pushing information and working with widgets. (5) Searching yourself. (6) Scouting and networking. (7) Transparency and the research process. (8) Organizing tools. (9) Survey tools for research and learning. (10) Connecting with authors and experts. (11) Communicating research and telling new stories. (12) Rethinking collection. (13) Reading 2.0. (14) Intellectual freedom extends to Web 2.0. Posted: 9/29/09; 4:48:06 PM #

When "Best Practice" is Bad Practice

Here's one more article I've been meaning to write for years that I can strike off my list because someone else has done such a good job of it. When "Best Practice" is Bad Practice, by the wonderful Hildy Gottleib, addresses three key reasons why this phrase and concept are so problematic: (1) It teaches us to look for answers outside ourselves and our communities of practice, (2) Who says it's best and what is it best about?, (3) Often, these so-called "best" practices are actually terrible. Are you often looking for some expert just to tell you what to do (rather than how to build toward your own methods)? Read this and be open to the bigger messages. Posted: 9/29/09; 4:33:45 PM #

The 5 Types of Social Capitalists
	Nick O'Neill says there are 5 Types of Social Capitalists: the Bricklayer, the Hustler, the Pundit, the Socialite, and the Party-goer. Although I'm really not sure that "capitalist" is a useful word in this context, I am pretty sure I would be the third kind. Though from time to time in my career I'm also been the second. What about you? Posted: 9/29/09; 4:19:11 PM #