Blog
Apricity unpacks what works in social impact and international development — from Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) to data systems and evidence from the field. Written by practitioners with experience across NGOs, foundations, international organizations, and complex operating environments. Practical insights for funders, consultants, and the professionals working towards lasting change.
Learning Across Contexts
Most evaluators work within one context — a sector, a geography, a funder type. Ben Jaques-Leslie has worked across several, and the same gap in learning turned up everywhere he looked.
A Particular Lens: On the Bias Every Evaluator Brings
What if the findings weren't just in the data, but in what the evaluator brought to reading it? Philip Smith reflects on bias, prediction, and why local voices change what evaluation actually sees.
When Maps Become Evidence: Using Spatial Analysis to Strengthen Evaluation
Most evaluations include maps — but maps rarely do analytical work. This piece explores how spatial analysis can move from illustration to evidence, drawing on Apricity's evaluation work in Yemen to show what that looks like in practice.
Measuring Impact When You Cannot See the Program Directly
When you can't visit a project site, how do you build evidence that holds up? Drawing on Apricity's evaluation work in Yemen, this piece walks through a four-step approach to constructing credible assessments of impact — even when direct observation isn't possible.
When You Can’t See the Program, How Do You Know It’s Working?
Most monitoring systems assume that if you can't visit a program, you can't verify it. That assumption no longer holds. Drawing on evaluation work in Yemen, this piece explores how satellite imagery, geospatial analysis, and mobile data collection are redefining what credible evidence looks like in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.