Three Ways to Spot Bad Data
- By Alanna Shaikh
- 16 April, 2013
- 7 Comments
Warning Sign #1: When government officials use the data to set targets like an increase in vaccination or a decrease in cancer numbers, they always use percentages, not absolute numbers. That’s … more Blood & Milk…
Field Notes from the Development Industry 2/28/2013
- By Alanna Shaikh
- 28 February, 2013
- 8 Comments
1) A reader wrote in to ask for advice on an NGO that packages and sends rice and beans to “starving people.” I though my answer might be useful for … more Blood & Milk…
Ten Common Monitoring and Evaluation Mistakes
- By Alanna Shaikh
- 13 February, 2013
- 23 Comments
As you may have noticed, monitoring and evaluation is a topic near to my heart. One thing I’ve noticed is that we repeat the same errors, over and over and … more Blood & Milk…
Starting a Land War in Asia: the Five Classic Aid Worker Blunders
- By Alanna Shaikh
- 12 January, 2013
- No Comments
1. Thinking you’re the only one who’s ever tried to do what you’re doing. 2. Brushing your teeth with tap water. 3. Believing all problems have solutions. 4. Mistaking the … more Blood & Milk…
Data is Not Information
- By Alanna Shaikh
- 10 December, 2012
- 2 Comments
I just spent three days in a training on data use. The trainer made a distinction between information and data. Data is the stuff you collect – raw numbers and … more Blood & Milk…
Things I’ve learned from my colleagues: cross cultural competencies
- By Alanna Shaikh
- 13 October, 2012
- No Comments
I learned most of what I know about interacting across language and culture from the incredibly kind and thoughtful way my host … more Blood & Milk…
