Ten Steps to a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System: A Handbook for Development Practitioners

Book Description

An effective state is essential to achieving socio-economic and sustainable development. With the advent of globalization, there are growing pressures on governments and organizations around the world to be more responsive to the demands of internal and external stakeholders for good governance, accountability and transparency, greater development effectiveness, and delivery of tangible results. Governments, parliaments, citizens, the private sector, NGOs, civil society, international organizations and donors are among the stakeholders interested in better performance. As demands for greater accountability and real results have increased, there is an attendant need for enhanced results-based monitoring and evaluation of policies, programs, and projects.

This Handbook provides a comprehensive ten-step model that will help guide development practitioners through the process of designing and building a results-based monitoring and evaluation system. These steps begin with a "Readiness Assessment" and take the practitioner through the design, management, and importantly, the sustainability of such systems. The Handbook describes each step in detail, the tasks needed to complete each one, and the tools available to help along the way.

Customer Reviews:

Cogent, Succinct, and Informative.......2005-07-26

With increasing pressure on public sector and non-profit organisations to move from activity-based management to a more results-based orientation, Ms. Kusek and Mr. Rist of the World Bank have written what they call a Handbook for Development Practitioners.
The challenges associated with moving towards a results-based monitoring and evaluation system are broken down into ten steps, each with relevant background material, and a set of questions to guide one through the process. For example, in step one - Conducting a Readiness Assessment, eight key questions are highlighted such as (i) what potential pressures are highlighting the need for an M&E system within the public sector? (v) how wil the system support better resource allocation and the achievement of program goals? (vii) where does capacity exist to support a results-based M&E system? Other chapters have similar guides, checklists, etc.
Though both authors are from the World Bank, examples from other donors and activities in other countries provide a wide perspective throughout the text.
I have been reading this book in conjunction with Paul Niven's Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step for Government and Nonprofit Agencies (ISBN: 0471423289) as both define and describe inputs, outputs, outcomes, and performance measures in great detail and put them all together in an "overall performance-based framework."
If you are interested in aid effectiveness, the Millennium Development Goals, monitoring of poverty reduction strategies in developing countries, and performance measurement, you must have a copy of this book.

Ten Steps to a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System: A Handbook for Development Practitioners

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Ten Steps to a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System: A Handbook for Development Practitioners
Jody Zall Kusek
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU87VM

Book Description

Governing by Numbers is a jargon-free account of how delegated legislation-- laws that do not pass through the full legislative scrutiny to which Acts of Parliament are subjected --is made. It is based on in-depth new research. It deals with important issues, from the level of welfare benefits to weapons exports, animal health and the prevention of air pollution, yet has been largely ignored in studies of the British political and administrative system. This book analyses the distinctive character of everyday policy making and the implications of it has for our understanding of British democracy.

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The Latest Information and Hands-on Activities to Explore Animals, Plants, and Geography
Venture into the rain forest with this innovative theme unit! Includes dozens of hands-on activities such as animal fact cards, mapping projects, reproducible flap books, a GIANT layers-of-life, interactive poster.

Customer Reviews:

At least 22 new animals to learn about.......1999-10-22

Teaches the importance of the rain forests in the world, the unique animals, rare plants, undiscovered medicines and vanishing cultures.

Book Description

Several significant additions have been made to the second edition, including the operator method of calculating the bremsstrahlung cross-section, the calcualtion of the probabilities of photon-induced pair production and photon decay in a magnetic
field, the asymptotic form of the scattering amplitudes at high energies, inelastic scattering of electrons by hadrons, and the transformation of electron-positron pairs into hadrons.

Customer Reviews:

very physical book.......2006-01-14

I mean a very physical book in the sense that it takes all the matters with the point of view of physical insight. The treatment of bosons and fermions is quick clear and it seems like a sleight of hand trick. The interaction of matter and radiation is one, perhaps old fashion, complete source of actual calculus difficult to obtain in other sources. Other topics about perturbative calculations and feynman diagrams is also very clear and straightforward to the mater itself. I recommend the book to all students in the graduate level, thougth a very russian style is a must for the great style lovers.

A good introduction.......2003-09-29

This book gives a solid introduction to the simplest of gauge theories, that of the Abelian gauge field governing the interactions between photons and charged particles. The emphasis is on doing calculations, and so readers who need a more in-depth mathematical or "foundational" overview of quantum electrodynamics may be disappointed. Quantum field theory of course was not founded on the need for mathematical rigor in physics, but instead has its origins in reconciling quantum mechanics with the theory of special relativity. This reconciliation has sometimes been a rough road, and in many places employs some sophisticated but eccentric "trickery" on the part of the researchers. It is these tricks that are the most difficult to generalize, to the annoyance of mathematicians who want to put quantum field theory on a more rigorous mathematical foundation. But in spite of the use of these oddities quantum field theory is not magical, and has proven to be one of the most precise physical theories ever constructed.

Some of the highlights of the book:

1. The chapter on exact propogators and vertex parts is particularly illuminating, especially the discussions on Dyson's equation, Ward's identity, and the physical conditions needed for renormalization. Dyson's equation relates the vertex part to the exact propagator, and the authors derive it using two different approaches in the book: one using the concepts of reducible and irreducible diagrams, the other using direct calculation and taking the Fourier transform. Readers who go on in quantum field theory will find that this equation is usually called the Dyson-Schwinger equation and can be derived using "functional methods." Ward's identity is a relation that connects the momentum derivative of the electron propagator to the vertex part, but can derived solely by using gauge invariance. Applying a gauge transformation to the electron propagator will result in an expression involving an external (photon) field. This expression though has a contribution coming from photons with longitudinal components in their momentum, but the expression is shown to vanish. Hence, as expected, gauge invariance results in an electron propagator that does not involve massive photon fields, and its momentum derivatives are equal to the vertex part. The authors point out that this identity generalizes the expression for the case of the free-particle propagator.

2. The discussion on the radiative corrections to Coulomb's law, resulting from the "polarization of the vacuum" around a point charge. The corrections are done via the use of an "effective field", thus introducing the reader to a very common approach these days. After taking Fourier transforms the authors show that the polarization of the vacuum alters the Coulomb field in a region inversely proportional to the electron mass. Beyond this region the change drops off exponentially. The authors point out though that they have ignored the contributions of pions and muons in their calculation of the correction. At distances less than one over the muon (or pion) mass, the strong interaction must be taken into account and quantum electrodynamics breaks down.

3. The discussion on photon-photon scattering, which is a strictly quantum effect since it cannot occur in classical electrodynamics, due to the linearity of Maxwell's equations. It is the electron-positron annihilation which is responsible for this effect, and this is one example of the matter-antimatter duality that seems to always occur in quantum theories that must respect the principle of relativity (although, strictly speaking, another assumption, called "cluster decomposition" is needed to show this in a convincing way).

4. The (short) chapter on hadron electrodynamics, with "electromagnetic form factors" used to finesse the problem of the strong interaction. One thus gets a purely phenomonological theory, but one that still allows the calculation of electron-hadron and photon-hadron scattering.

A COMPLETE BOOK ON QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS.......1998-07-23

This is the Volume 4 of the famous Course of Theoretical Physics by L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz. All serious students of theoretical physics must possess the ten volumes of this excellent Course, which cover in detail and rigour practically all the branches of theoretical physics. The Volume 4 treats the subject of quantum electrodynamics. It contains all of basic material on quantum electrodynamics and the whole of the theory of radiation. This book, although very dense, describes with clarity the large amount of topics contained in it and does not include topics not firmly established, such as the theory of strong and weak interactions. All physicists specialized in quantum electrodynamics must possess this remarkable book. A superb book!

Theory and applications presented with great skill.......1998-07-21

This is an outstanding book. The former students of the great Russian physicist Lev Landau wrote a text based on his teaching and his papers, as well as on their own work. The result fits well in the magnificent Theoretical Physics course that carries the names of Landau and Lifshitz. There are differences between this text and the western analogues. Dirac equation is derived in a very elegant way using spinors, and the whole algebra of Dirac matrices becomes, in this way, much more natural, particularly, as one would expect, Lorentz invariance. The renormalization problem is treated in a very lucid way. The derivation of the Ward identities is very simple and amusing. High energy limits are treated in the Landau style, and well complements the more formal derivations based on the renormalization group. No book presents as many applications of quantum electrodynamics as this one, except perhaps, the old and dated book by Heitler.

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We cried on each page...

GREAT BOOK

For My Friend

Manufacturer: C.R. Gibson Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0766766497

Customer Reviews:

We cried on each page..........2003-04-25

My best friend gave me this book for X-mas last year. By itself, it's a really touching book - it should only be given to someone you really care about. What made it more touching is that she wrote little captions on each page and made it more personalized. I'm not saying everyone should do that, but I guess it comes naturally when you really relate to what is being said...

Hopefully, there are people in your life that really deserve this book... you know who they are.

GREAT BOOK.......2000-05-01

THIS BOOK HAS ALOT OF INSPIRATIONAL LINES FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS TO ENJOY. HIGHLY RECCOMMEND!

Book Description

Reparations for Slavery: A Reader is a collection of essays on the topic of reparations for slavery in the United States. Unlike other readers on the topic, the selections in this volume provide rich historical context by giving the reader a vivid sense of the injuries inflicted by slavery, its aftermath, and the continuing history of state-supported discrimination. Visit our website for sample chapters!

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World Hisory in Brief

World development from the beginning of time through 1450

World History in Brief: Major Patterns of Change and Continuity, Single Volume Edition (5th Edition)
Peter N. Stearns
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Documents in World History, Volume I: The Great Tradition: From Ancient Times to 1500 (4th Edition)

Documents in World History, Volume II: The Modern Centuries: From 1500 to the Present (4th Edition)

Personalities & Problems: Interpretive Essays in World Civilization, Volume I

The Human Record: Sources of Global History : To 1700

World History in Documents: A Comparative Reader

ASIN: 0321196724

Book Description

With a brief, global approach, this book explores world history to 1450, showing how different civilizations developed in a global context and then encountered the various forces of contemporary life. This book presents the big picture of world history, highlighting the major developments in the world's history to 1450 and presenting the global interactions of major civilizations. For anyone interested in world history to 1450.

Customer Reviews:

World Hisory in Brief.......2005-09-26

Exceeded my expectations. Book was on time and in very good condition.

World development from the beginning of time through 1450.......2000-01-12

I recently decided to return to college after being away for nearly 20 years raising a family. This text was one of my first courses and I found it easy to understand, well laid-out, and concise. Generally speaking, it dealt with issues thoroughly, though I would have liked to have seen more coverage on gender issues through the ages. Early civilization was primarily patriarchal, yet women played an intricate part in the development of society through the ages. I think any student interested in learning about the origins of civilization would benefit greatly by using this text. The chapters covered topics well, but weren't excessively lengthy. The companion document book worked well with this text, preventing any confusion as to the time table involved. This book should be included as a reference or required reading for any history major. Mr. Stearns did a wonderful job covering a large span of time in simple terms and in few pages. Having a wonderful professor, along with easy-to-understand text, influenced me to add history as one of my majors--along with my major of English. I only hope my second semester in history goes as well as my first!

Book Description

Praise for The Science of Sherlock Holmes

"Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash, or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his investigations were grounded in the cutting-edge science of his day, especially the emerging field of forensics.... Utterly compelling."
—Otto Penzler, member of the Baker Street Irregulars and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop

"E. J. Wagner demonstrates that without the work of Sherlock Holmes and his contemporaries, the CSI teams would be twiddling their collective thumbs. Her accounts of Victorian crimes make Watson's tales pale! Highly recommended for students of the Master Detective."
—Leslie S. Klinger, Editor, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes

"In this thrilling book, E. J. Wagner has combined her considerable strengths in three disciplines to produce a work as compelling and blood-curdling as the best commercial fiction. This is CSI in foggy old London Town. Chilling, grim fun."
—John Westermann, author of Exit Wounds and Sweet Deal

"I am recommending this delightful work to all of my fellow forensic scientists.... Bravo, Ms. Wagner!"
—John Houde, author of Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists

"A fabulously interesting read. The book traces the birth of the forensic sciences to the ingenuity of Sherlock Holmes. A wonderful blend of history, mystery, and whodunit."
—Andre Moenssens, Douglas Stripp Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and coauthor of Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases

Download Description

Praise for The Science of Sherlock Holmes ""Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash, or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his investigations were grounded in the cutting-edge science of his day, especially the emerging field of forensics.... Utterly compelling."" Otto Penzler, member of the Baker Street Irregulars and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop ""E. J. Wagner demonstrates that without the work of Sherlock Holmes and his contemporaries, the CSI teams would be twiddling their collective thumbs. Her accounts of Victorian crimes make Watson's tales pale! Highly recommended for students of the Master Detective."" Leslie S. Klinger, Editor, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes ""In this thrilling book, E. J. Wagner has combined her considerable strengths in three disciplines to produce a work as compelling and blood-curdling as the best commercial fiction. This is CSI in foggy old London Town. Chilling, grim fun."" John Westermann, author of Exit Wounds and Sweet Deal

Customer Reviews:

Forensic Science in the Victorian Era.......2007-06-14

Sherlock Holmes and his times form the main theme around which the early developments in forensic science are presented in this highly entertaining and informative book. The period covered is mainly from about the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, but concentrates mainly on the latter part of the Victorian era. Advances in various disciplines within forensic science are discussed as are many early cases in which these new developments were used and occasionally misused. The writing style is friendly, authoritative and quite engaging. But in particular, the author's very witty prose makes this book doubly enjoyable. General readers who love good mysteries will not be disappointed here, but forensic science buffs, as well as Sherlock Holmes fans, would likely savor this wonderful book the most.

A Splendid Contribution.......2006-07-28

With all of the forests that have been destroyed in providing paper for the many studies of Sherlock Holmes, it would be easy to think that nothing new could be said about the Great Detective. In THE SCIENCE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, E.J. Wagner splendidly proves this is not the case. With the recent interest in forensics provided by programs like CSI, and the rising numbers of characters based on Sherlock Holmes (HOUSE, MONK, Robert Goren of LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, etc.), a book detailing the science behind Holmes' cases could easily have became a piece of exploitation. Instead, Wagner offers careful, intelligent, and well-written analysis. This is one of the best Sherlockian studies in several years--actually, one that should join the ranks of the best of all Sherlockian studies.

Patcat

For the Love of Science of Sherlock.......2006-06-13

This book is a shining example of excellence, an A. Author E.J. Wagner's absolute command of the facts, crisp summaries of the most famous cases, her irony and subtle sarcasm -- I am very, very impressed. And in this genre, I am a hanging judge.

To be honest, I had reservations when I first heard about this book. Sure, there was plenty of excited murmuring among the die-hards in the Holmesian set. But many recent historic crime titles that took on topics of broad scope just absolutely flunked the quiz. As an attorney who has studied historic true crime for longer than I care to relay, I'm a very tough audience for an encyclopedic treatment of the subject. Check out my review of "Homicide: 100 years" and you'll see just one example of an author that butchered a promising premise.

But E.J. Wagner does not disappoint. If the Science of Sherlock Holmes contains any factual errors, I was hard-pressed to spot a one of them. In Wagners quite capable hands, the science, the real mysteries, and the fiction are woven together seamlessly. Wagner fills her early history of forensic science with larger-than-life characters and bizarre murder cases, from "the dark delights of the Borden mystery" to the famous Dreyfus affair, Charles Bravo case, Dr. Crippen, Hauptmann, Jack the Ripper, the Tichborne scandal, Constance Kent, and so on. Many of the interesting cases she mentions are new even to me. And she relays these stories in delightful prose -- I was often reminded of the crisp wit of my all-time favorite crime writer Edmund L. Pearson, and few other authors have ever so reminded me.

She also explains the earliest advances in forensic science -- but doesn't leave out such faux pas as phrenology. And there's Sherlock Holmes in large doses. It's no wonder the book has received glowing review after glowing review after glowing review.

A huge bibliography of Holmes titles and classic true crime books adds even more value to this book. I can't remember ever seeing such a comprehensive bibliography of the best historic crime titles. It would suffice as a "must get" list for a librarian looking to build a respectable collection of the all-time best in true crime. (I plan to photocopy it and give it to my husband in lieu of a Christmas list.)

Anyone with the remotest interest in Holmes, true crime, history, or science would enjoy The Science of Sherlock Holmes. Anyone who wants to write historical mysteries ought to memorize it before putting one word on paper. And anyone who finishes it may well be inspired to reread Conan Doyle with a whole new appreciation for the logician and his role in the development of the incredible systems of crime detection existing today.

A unique hybrid of science and literature.......2006-06-12

This book was very informative, if you are a fan of detection literature or TV. The author uses the stories of Conan Doyle as a jumping off point to get into the history of the science of detection.

The book is definitely for a novice or someone who does not have a background in forensic science. Everything is laid out very well and is easily understandable by a layman. Wagner does talk about the big crimes and discusses how emerging science either helped, or hindered, the detection process. Worthwhile if you enjoy criminal history.

Decent History of Forensics.......2006-06-05

This short book is an interesting history of forensics.

Based upon the subtitle, I thought the author would spend more time applying forensic science to Sherlock Holmes' cases. Instead, Sherlock Holmes, and obviously Conan Doyle, are used in two peripheral ways. They are used to introduce a topic or, occasionally, and more interestingly, Ms Wagner would relate a true crime that occurred before a Holmes story was written, then show the parallels that indicate that Doyle based his story on that true crime.

So, if you pick this up because you are a big Sherlock fan expecting insight into those stories you will be disappointed. If, however, you find forensics at all interesting, you will enjoy this book.

Ms Wagner follows the developing science of criminal investigation from its infancy in the nineteenth century into the earliest twentieth century. Thus, true to the subtitle, she limits her history to around Doyle's time.

Ms Wagner included in the book many many examples of crime solving - or unsuccessful attempts at crime-solving. Her examples are, almost without fail, interesting and entertaining. Those examples keep the book moving and prevent it from being a mere recitation of developments in forensic science. Also included are interesting sidelights, such asthe fact that many autopsies were done on the dining room table of the house in which the murder was committed. These pearls also engage the reader.

As noted, this was a short book. I got to the end and wished there were more.

The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases.

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The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases.
E. J. Wagner
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739475118

Product Description

"A fabulously interesting read. The book traces the birth of the forensic sciences to the ingenuity of Sherlock Holmes. A wonderful blend of history, mystery, and whodunit." Andre Moenssens, Douglas Stripp Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and coauthor of Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases

Book Description

This book represents the most comprehensive compilation of data on threatened vascular plants ever published. It includes the names of some 33,000 plant species determined to be rare or threatened on a global scale. Conservation assessments were provided by the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the National Botanical Institute (South Africa), Environment Australia, and CSIRO, The Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, together with hundreds of botanic gardens and botanists throughout the world. The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and the New York Botanical Garden have made major in-kind contributions.The result of 20 years work by botanists and conservationists around the world, it is intended as a conservation tool, a provider of baseline information to measure conservation progress and as a primary source of data on plant species. Most importantly, however, it provides the building blocks on which to base a worldwide effort to conserve plant species.

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