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BEHAVIORAL THEME
OVERVIEW
What does impact mean to Busara?
The overall aim of the framing is to unpack another one of the creative tensions Busara continuously navigates: on the one hand we know that change is multi-dimensional and happens through sustained engagement. We know that in the kind of work we do, we need the time to learn what the right change even should look like, particularly when it comes to changing norms. And if we are honest, we also know that change often comes in surprising ways.
On the other hand, we have the ambition to have–and amplify–impact. We are also often asked (or feel obliged) to declare the impact that we have had in stark and usually numerical ways: so many lives improved, so many programmes influenced. And of course, when we are asked for impact measures–for a proposal, for a talk–we provide them. But they are never really convincing: are the numbers correct? Do they capture how people have experienced our work? Do they represent change that is actually beneficial? What do the numbers miss?
In 2025, one of the areas in which we want to clarify our thinking is impact measurement. In the spirit of honesty and transparency that we see at the heart of our work, we are seeking to find ways to articulate what more comprehensive, holistic–and yes, I’m saying it–human ways to understand impact of knowledge work in global development could look like. Tafakari 2025 is the beginning of that journey. We think this is crucial not only for Busara as an organization, but as a response to demands for greater accountability and shifting interests in how the development sector thinks of itself and works.
THEMATIC AREAS
Busara’s Tafakari offers an annual summary of who we are, what we do, and where we are going.
Tafakari means ‘to reflect, ponder, think about’ in Kiswahili, the language widely spoken in Kenya, where our headquarters are located. The Tafakari Yearbook is an opportunity for different voices from within Busara
To reflect: What have we accomplished in the year gone past? What have we learned about humanity’s complex challenges and how behavioral science might help? How is the environment in which we do our work changing?
To ponder: What kind of contribution are we hoping to make with our work? What changes would we like to see within ourselves and around us? What responsibilities must we take on to work towards a better future? What role can we play?
To think: What are our plans, hopes, and dreams for the coming year?