1. About Blue Marble Japan, Inc.
Blue Marble Japan, Inc. (BMJ) aims to facilitate system transformation to realize a sustainable world. In today’s society – in Japan and abroad -, we are witnessing social and environmental issues becoming more diverse, severe, and complex. We believe that it is increasingly necessary to capture and understand various issues as systemic, rather than a simple chain of cause and effect. This understanding inevitably prompts us to take a holistic view, promote cooperation among various actors, and perform optimal management across organizations with sound use of good data. We apply innovations in evaluation, impact management, system thinking, and complexity theories in order to craft effective approaches for tackling issues at hand. BMJ participates in the Blue Marble Evaluation, an international initiative of evaluators.
About Blue Marble Evaluation
Blue Marble Evaluation is a global initiative focused on training the next generation of evaluators to Think Globally, Act Globally and Evaluate Globally. It was launched by Utilization-Focused Evaluation in the fall of 2015 with the ambition of breaking down silos of design, implementation and evaluation, integrating separated functions, connecting people and places, and creating linkages across time. In that spirit, Blue Marble Evaluation focuses on integrating design, engagement, implementation, and evaluation of programs and interventions of all kinds, especially initiatives working on making global systems more equitable and sustainable.
https://bluemarbleeval.org/
2. Organizational Representatives
Katsuji Imata, Co-CEO
Katsuji has 25 years of nonprofit/NGO senior management experience in the U.S., Japan and South Africa with a focus on civil society strengthening. Back in Tokyo since 2013, his central work has been promoting the role of evaluation and impact management in social, corporate and financial sectors. In Japan, he works as President of Social Impact Management Initiative Japan (SIMI) as well as Managing Director of CSO Network Japan. Katsuji currently serves as a member of the Impact Investing Roundtable convened by the Financial Services Agency and the GSG National Advisory Board Japan, an evaluation advisor to JANPIA (Japan Network for Public Interest Activities) – a government-assigned body to manage and fund the dormant account assets for social purposes –, Vice Chair and the Training Committee Chair of the Japan Evaluation Society (JES), and a member of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)’s Advisory Committee on Evaluation. Internationally, he is on Blue Marble Evaluation’s Global Advisory Council, B Lab Regional Standards Advisory Group – Asia, and a member of the Social Impact Measurement Topical Interest Group of the American Evaluation Association.
Naoki Chiba, Co-CEO
Naoki has a 13-year experience in the social sector and social purpose organizations in Japan. His work has had a focus on social entrepreneurship as a business owner and as a support provider for effective management and optimal impact by introducing developmental evaluation and systems thinking and analysis. He works as Co-Director, Impact Management Lab as well as Management Team Member, Social Impact Management Initiative Japan (SIMI).
He currently serves as an evaluation advisor to JANPIA (Japan Network for Public Interest Activities), a member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), and a member of the Japan Evaluation Society (JES). He is a Certified Fundraiser (Japan Fundraising Association) and Registered Business Consultant (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).
3. Our Business Domains and Services
BMJ provides value to a diverse range of actors in the social, business, and public sectors. Our work falls into three main categories: evaluation and impact management consulting, education and development of evaluation practitioners, and infrastructure and field building.
(A)Evaluation and Impact Management consulting, utilization-focused
- Developmental Evaluation (DE, including formative evaluation with a DE focus)
- Combination of DE and impact management
- Principles-focused evaluation
(B) Education and development of evaluation practitioners
Education and training on the following topics:
- DE and related evaluation
- Impact management
- Collective impact
- Blue marble related themes
(C) Infrastructure and field building (including research and feasibility studies)
- Research project and feasibility study for social evaluation and certification
- Research project to produce a guidebook for IMM (Impact Measurement and Management) by investors.
- Other themes relevant to blue marble
About Developmental Evaluation
Developmental Evaluation (DE) is an evaluation approach that can assist social innovators develop social change initiatives in complex or uncertain environments. DE is grounded in systems thinking and supports innovation by collecting and analyzing real-time data in ways that lead to informed and ongoing decision-making as part of the design, development, and implementation process. As such, DE is particularly well-suited for innovations whose path to success can be clearly laid out.
4. BMJ’s Team and Networks
BMJ works with fellow evaluators with diverse expertise. We have built and are expanding a network of capable and like-minded practitioners and researchers, and thus we are ready to form the most appropriate team depending on the needs of a project.
5. BMJ’s Work Portfolio
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If you have any questions or require anything further of us, please feel free to contact us.