The Politics of Evidence
Conference Report – Who decides what data is needed, how it should be collected – and why and how it is used as evidence? What drives their choices? Politics of what counts as good or credible evidence is deeply embedded in these questions. What counts as good or credible evidence has not been a new discussion and has deep roots in philosophy and law. Yet in international development, debates continue to rage around ‘which method is best’ thus crowding out space for higher order questions of purpose, focus and participation in planning and assessment. Our conference focused on what underpins the debate on evidence, information and accountability, by considering the politics that shape what are counted as results or evidence, and the means by which they are generated.
Reading Development 