CB.10:2 - Problem

The easiest observations often concern the organiser’s activity: events held, messages posted or resources published. The benefit may occur later, elsewhere and through a combination of contributions. People can enjoy a session without using its advice, use a resource without telling its author, or obtain an important result from one brief exchange.

Stories and numbers have complementary limits. A general success story can omit the action that supposedly helped. An indicator can change because the people, work or conditions changed. Listening only to those who continue participating can hide exclusion, unsuccessful use and the cost of leaving.

How can an organiser investigate the contribution and its limits well enough to improve the arrangement, while keeping the inquiry proportionate and useful to those who supply its evidence?