#monitoring

Outcome Mapping: a liberating tool for program design

Clara Richards

Jan 20, 2016
4 min

Outcome Mapping: a liberating tool for program design

I have been using the logical framework approach for many years to help organisations with designing their projects or monitoring and evaluation systems. I do believe that the analytical steps are very powerful; the logframe process has two stages – the analytical stage (stakeholder analysis, problem analysis, objectives analysis and alternatives analysis) and then the design stage where you actually build your results chain, and identify your assumptions, indicators and mea

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Monitoring, evaluation and learning to manage and implement research projects at think tanks

Clara Richards

Oct 1, 2015
2 min

Monitoring, evaluation and learning to manage and implement research projects at think tanks

[Editor’s note: This post was written by Rezarta Delibashzade, Project management/Researcher at the Democracy for Development Institute (D4D) from Kosovo. It is part of a series of reflections from participants and facilitators of the Online training to strengthen Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning on policy influence, supported by the Think Tank Fund and the Think Tank Initiative.] I am Rezarta Delibashzade and I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend “ Online

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M&E&L for a think tank: test drive or driving test?

Clara Richards

Sep 29, 2015
3 min

M&E&L for a think tank: test drive or driving test?

[Editor’s note: This post was written by Andriy Andrusevych, Senior Policy Expert at the Resource & Analysis Center “Society and Environment” from Ukraine. It is part of a series of reflections from participants and facilitators of the Online training to strengthen Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning on policy influence, supported by the Think Tank Fund and the Think Tank Initiative.] This year our center, Society and Environment, introduced M&E&L into one of its projects rel

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Seeking a place for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning within a think tank’s institutional strategy

Clara Richards

Sep 9, 2015
2 min

Seeking a place for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning within a think tank’s institutional strategy

The online course on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning has been a valuable and in the same time – challenging experience. The challenging character has been provided by questioning the impact that we produce within our societies as think tanks and civil society organizations and as individuals working within those organizations. The questions have not addressed the mere existence or non-existence of such an impact, but the way we define “impact/change”, measure it, register

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Reflections on developing a MEL framework

Clara Richards

Aug 27, 2015
4 min

Reflections on developing a MEL framework

[Editor’s note: This post was written by Dena Lomofsky from of Southern Hemisphere. It emerges from reflection from P&I´s online course on Monitoring, evaluating and learning on policy influence, supported by the Think Tank Fund and the Think Tank Initiative.] Thinking small needs thinking big first. When designing how to monitor and evaluate it is best to start with the big picture and understand the intervention in its full complexity, and then narrow it down to fit the com

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Strenghts of think tanks for MEL: it’s time to make better use of them

Clara Richards

Jul 2, 2015
3 min

Strenghts of think tanks for MEL: it’s time to make better use of them

[Editor’s note: This post was written by Dena Lomofsky from of Southern Hemisphere. It emerges from reflection from P&I´s online course on Monitoring, evaluating and learning on policy influence, supported by the Think Tank Fund and the Think Tank Initiative.] While conducting the on-line course for Politics & Ideas on monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL onwards) for policy influence, we facilitated a brainstorming session about what think tanks already have in place to

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RAC´s takeaways on how to monitor and evaluate policy influence: the importance of starting small

Clara Richards

May 19, 2015
3 min

RAC´s takeaways on how to monitor and evaluate policy influence: the importance of starting small

[Editor’s note: This post was written by Zoryana Kozak, co-founder and Senior Policy Expert of the Resource & Analysis Centre “Society and Environment”, Ukraine. It is part of a series of reflections from participants and facilitators of the Online training to strengthen M&E&L on policy influence in Central and Eastern Europe, supported by the Think Tank Fund.] I would like to say few words and share my experience of participation in the “Online training to strengthen Monito

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The role of evidence in policy making: “The demand for empirical evidence depends largely on decisio

Clara Richards

Mar 12, 2015
4 min

The role of evidence in policy making: “The demand for empirical evidence depends largely on decisio

What factors hinder the evaluation process, from the generation of information to its effective use in the public policy process? The weakness of the information systems and existing administrative records within state agencies is notorious: systems and records have not been digitalized, nor designed to allow a statistical analysis of the collected data. There are also weaknesses in the quality of the information that is uploaded. When you ask a question, you usually find tha

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The role of evidence in policy making: “We seek to send the message that data is relevant” (part 1)

Clara Richards

Mar 9, 2015
4 min

The role of evidence in policy making: “We seek to send the message that data is relevant” (part 1)

What is the role that evidence generated by research may have on the policy process based on your experience? In Uruguay the reality is uneven. On the one hand, there are ministries that have relied strongly on consultants and universities. For example, the Ministry of Social Development maintains fluid links with the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty Economics of the University of the Republic, from where come many of its officials. Especially in the field of analys

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Implementing an M&E system – a postcard from the trenches

Clara Richards

Sep 16, 2014
4 min

Implementing an M&E system – a postcard from the trenches

Implementing an M&E system – a postcard from the trenches ‘Seriously?! As if we don’t have enough work already! Besides, we’re researchers, not bureaucrats’. As jarring as it is to the ear of a monitoring and evaluation specialist, this reaction is not uncommon in think tank corridors upon introduction of an M&E system. So what stands a believer to do? Well, though I certainly don’t have the answer, I could offer a glimpse into one programme’s M&E (mis)adventures. If you and

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Monitoring and evaluation for management

Clara Richards

Jul 31, 2014
2 min

Monitoring and evaluation for management

[Editor’s note: This post originally appeared at On Think Tanks. It is part of a series of posts reflecting on a long term mentoring project with ASIES from Guatemala and Grupo Faro from Ecuador.] When donors think of M&E they tend to think of demonstrating influence; but when think tanks think of M&E their first concern is how this may help them improve their own internal management. Monitoring and evaluation for management ought to be the first concern of donors, but it isn

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M&E systems: the importance of adopting a systems approach to implementing M&E systems

Clara Richards

Jul 10, 2014
3 min

M&E systems: the importance of adopting a systems approach to implementing M&E systems

[Editor’s note: This post is the second of a series of posts focused on the nitty-gritty of designing and implementing M&E systems by sharing on the ground learning and experience. This series is produced by Dena Lomofsky of Southern Hemisphere. The first post can be read here] Over the past few years I have become increasingly concerned about the implementation of M&E frameworks and plans that we help our clients develop, often NGOs or Think Tanks. Why do organisations strug

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How can organisations better implement Monitoring and Evaluation plans?

Clara Richards

Jun 20, 2014
4 min

How can organisations better implement Monitoring and Evaluation plans?

[Editor’s note: This post is the first of a series of posts focused on the nitty-gritty of designing and implementing M&E systems by sharing on the ground learning and experience. This series is produced by Dena Lomofsky of Southern Hemisphere] Implementing M&E systems is an organisation wide effort that requires rethinking organisational structure and culture. At Southern Hemisphere we have developed a participatory process to design the M&E system. A participatory process

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Lesson #16: Bring others into monitoring, evaluation and learning of capacity building activities

Clara Richards

May 2, 2014
4 min

Lesson #16: Bring others into monitoring, evaluation and learning of capacity building activities

At Spaces for Engagement, our M&E approach was linked to the way the programme was developed: since we presented yearly plans on activities to be conducted, we mainly annually measured success by evaluating impact of each planned CB activity. However, after reading Antonio Capillo´s reflection in his previous post on this topic, I believe we could have begun every year by designing an approximate theory underpinning the expected change or impact over time, as short as this wa

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Nine challenges towards think tanks evaluation in Latin America

Clara Richards

Nov 14, 2013
4 min

Nine challenges towards think tanks evaluation in Latin America

[Editor’s Note: This post was written by Natalia Aquilino, Director of the influence, Monitoring and Evaluation Programme at CIPPEC, with Leandro Echt’s collaboration.] Consensus regarding evaluation relevance as a transparency and accountability strategy is rising for Latin American think tanks. Evaluation initiatives are being triggered by programmes with strong regional presence such as the Think Tank Initiative as well as by a legitimate bottom-up need from the TTs themse

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