“You have a case of the Impact Blues, Terry. Unfortunately, it’s only treatable through development evaluation training for CIDA, The World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the African Development Bank, NORAD and 3IE.”

The Output Outcome Downstream Impact Blues

Don't look for impact (clap) With attribution unhuhnn Don’t look for (clap) impact, With attribuuuution (Repeat)

There’s a nasty little word getting too much use In development programs it’s prone to abuse... It’s become an obsession and we’re all in the act, ‘Cause survival depends… on that elusive “impact” When donors look for impact, they really want to see A pretty little picture of their fantasy This is something that a good evaluator would never do - Use a word like “impact” without thinking it through

CHORUS ‘Cause it’s impact any place Impact any time You may find it ‘round the corner Or much farther down the line. If it happens in a way That you did not choose You get those Output Outcome Downstream Impact Blues

Donors often say, and this is a fact Get out there and show us your impact You must change peoples’ lives and help us take credit Or next time you want funding…you just might not get it. Recipients are always eager to please When evaluators arrive from overseas To search for objectively verifiable indicators of impact Surprising the donors, what they bring back

CHORUS ‘Cause it’s impact any place Impact any time You may find it ‘round the corner Or much farther down the line. But if you look for attribution You are never going to lose Those Output Outcome Downstream Impact Blues

Impact, they find, when it does occur Comes from many factors and we’re not sure Just what we can attribute to who ‘Cause impact is the product of what many people do So donors wake up from your impossible dream You drop in your funding a long way upstream Then the waters they flow, they mingle & blend How can you take credit for what comes out in the end?

CHORUS ‘Cause it’s impact any place Impact any time You may find it ‘round the corner Or much farther down the line. But if you look for attribution You are never going to lose Those Output Outcome Downstream Impact Blues

Don't look for impact (clap) With attribution unhuhnn Don’t look for (clap) impact, With attribuuuution (Repeat)