ABSTRACT
Evaluations of development activity have depended largely upon the impressions formed by individual leaders, often surveyed after the particular event or events concerned in which they had participated. Such an approach makes it difficult to form an accurate impression of any real impact that such development activities may have on the system. A further popular approach to evaluation is the Return on Investment (ROI) methodology, developed from the 1980s. The key feature of ROI is the calculation of the monetary value of investing in a particular programme or activity. The results of such a programme or activity are converted into a financial value, enabling a cost-benefit analysis to take place. In evaluating systems leadership, it will be important to strike an appropriate balance between formative and summative approaches and between the collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data.
