There is scope for applying the principles of social neuroscience investigations to the field of evaluation. Evidence suggests that doing so would likely enhance the transformative potential of evaluation by strengthening evaluators’ resilience, and helping them to find the mechanisms that make policies, programmes and interventions work. Having recognized this untapped resource, the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE) has started to apply methods that draw from the field of brain science, and is now working alongside world-renowned keynote speaker, lecturer, author, CEO of Neurobusiness Group, and Harvard trained psychiatrist, Dr Srini Pillay.

In this context, the present booklet offers a snapshot of the IFAD Innovation Talk between Dr Indran A. Naidoo (IOE Director) and Dr Pillay. Organized in partnership with IFAD’s Change, Delivery and Innovation Unit (CDI), the event focused on the application of neuroscience-based principles in evaluation to build a humanized approach for better evaluation.