When the tracks diverge

New Philanthropy Capital recently held a conference bringing together the world's "nonprofit analysts" - the people who try and measure the effectiveness of charities and other social organisations.

No doubt this is a good thing. And their plans to establish an association of analysts must surely be supported.

Yet at the same time it feels slightly sad. Are the ambitions of NPC really limited only to creating a professional body of people similar to themselves?

Here's an important question: where is the redistribution of power?

In the end people's lives aren't going to be radically improved by better evaluation or analysis. We already know what the answer should be because we engage with it every time we buy something. Clients must be given choice.