Browse Organizational Research Services Resources
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"Real-life Lessons Learned and Resources in Building Capacity for Advocacy and Policy Evaluation among KIDS COUNT Grantees" The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Organizational Research Services, Inc. recount ten lessons learned from an evaluation of five KIDS COUNT grantees that began in 2007. The evaluation was designed to test some of the ideas presented in "A Guide to Measuring Advocacy and Policy", a report produced by AECF and ORS in 2006. This handout, distributed at the American Evaluation Association 2008 conference, also contains a list of advocacy evaluation resources available on ORS's website. Author: Annie E. Casey Foundation; Organizational Research Services Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Nov 6, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! 
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A Guide to Measuring Advocacy and Policy This guide provides some perspective on where the field of philanthropy has been with regard to evaluation of advocacy and policy and also acknowledges the unique issues and challenges associated with measuring these efforts. In addition, this guide serves as an invitation to grantmakers to engage in and expand thinking about evaluation as it relates to advocacy and policy efforts. As seriously as many grantmakers take their investments in this area, foundations should also take seriously the need to advance evaluation of advocacy and policy work.
Author: Prepared for Annie E. Casey Foundation Research by Organizational Research Services Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2007 Be the first to review this resource! Download (255.04 KB) -
A Guide to Measuring Advocacy and Policy Developed for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this guide serves as a broad call to grantmakers to build and advance the field of advocacy and policy evaluation. The guide includes sections on the context of advocacy evaluation and evaluation design. Author: Reisman, Jane, et al. Type: Research & Reports Date: Mar 15, 2007 
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A Practical Guide to Documenting Influence and Leverage In Making Connections Communities How does one document influence (change in policies, systems, practices and/or opinions that support one’s strategies) and leverage (investment by public and private funders in one’s strategies)?
Author: Organizational Research Services Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 12, 2007 
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A Practical Guide to Documenting Influence and Leverage In Making Connections Communities This guide offers practical steps for capturing and documenting the effects of influence and leverage in Casey's making Connections communities. Through examples of influence and leverage outcomes -- as well as tools and methods for data collection -- this guide pointed the way for Making Connections teams, partners and funders to better communicate and refine strategies to help improve the lives of vulnerable children.
Author: Commissioned by Annie E. Casey Foundation. Researched by Organizational Research Services. Type: Research & Reports Date: Dec 8, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! 
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Advocacy Evaluation Update #9 In This Issue:
1. Feature: Framework of Factors that Affect Political Support
Why do some issues receive priority attention from political leaders while others receive very little? Political scientist Jeremy Shiffman has developed a framework that offers a response to this question.
2. Spotlight: Evaluating Community Organizing
Catherine Crystal Foster and Justin Louie identify what to consider when evaluating community organizing efforts. They also offer example benchmarks and methods for capturing organizing outcomes.
Author: Julia Coffman (ed.) Type: Newsletters & Periodicals Date: May 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (329.6 KB) -
Brief: "Pathways for Change: 6 Theories about How Policy Change Happens" ORS' Sarah Stachowiak discusses six theories on the process of policy change. This brief was published with the support of The California Endowment. Author: Organizational Research Services Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2009 Be the first to review this resource! Download (200.21 KB) -
Echoes from the Field: Proven Capacity-Building Principles for Nonprofits This October 2001 report summarizes the findings of a study produced in collaboration with the Environmental Support Center and funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The study identified nine principles critical to effective capacity building services: self-determination, trust, readiness, ongoing learning, team and peer learning, sensitivity to different learning styles, awareness of organizational culture, interrelatedness of organizational elements, and timeframe. Author: Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2001
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EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING: Funder Initiatives to Strengthen Grantee Evaluation Capacity and Practice Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) is the process of improving an organization’s ability to use evaluation to learn from its work and improve results. Organizational learning is incredibly important. Organizations that are adept at learning from mistakes and adapting to new challenges are more likely to be successful, and in the nonprofit sector, more likely to make significant progress toward mission-related outcomes. In general, ECB can be used to:
Author: Myia Welsh and Johanna Morariu Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 15, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (248.37 KB) -
Evaluation Resource Guide This listing and description of resources has been developed to help Department staff evaluate and monitor the performance of Department programs. It also is intended to be useful for county staff and other service providers. Resources in the Guide range from evaluation manuals providing basic information to books with detailed information on specific topics such as logic models, data analysis or sampling. Also included are resources on identifying effective programs/best practices, evaluation standards, and contracting for evaluation.
Author: Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: May 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (223.14 KB) -
Handbook Of Data Collection Tools: Companion To “A Guide To Measuring Advocacy And Policy” This handbook of tools is a companion to ORS' "A Guide To Measuring Advocacy and Policy" (q.v.) The data collection tools included in the handbook have been used in real-world evaluation efforts, and are applicable to six outcomes areas:
- Shifts in Social Norms
- Strengthened Organizational Capacity
- Strengthened Alliances
- Strengthened Base of Support
- Improved Policies; and
- Changes in Impact.
Author: Reisman, Jane et al. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Apr 30, 2007
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Immunization Advocacy Goals Civil society has now rallied around a new Immunization Advocacy Goals framework, presenting a menu of advocacy options to improve access to vaccines around the world.
The framework’s five goals unite civil society – from implementers in Afghanistan, to research and development advocates in Australia – under shared goals that provide an intellectual underpinning for local, regional, and global advocacy on immunizations.Author: GAVI Alliance Civil Society Constituency Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Dec 1, 2012
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Managing Evaluation: Responding to Common Problems With a 10-Step Process There is now a clear choice of frameworks for managing program evaluation—the managing of one or more studies or the managing of an evaluation capacity building structure and process.
Author: Donald Compton, Michael Baizerman, & Ross VeLure Roholt Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (743.47 KB) -
Orientation to Theory of Change Organizational Research Services produced this document to introduce its clients to Theory of Change and the "Layer Cake" model. Author: Organizational Research Services Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Jan 1, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Download (110.1 KB) -
Report: "Ten Considerations for Advocacy Evaluation Planning: Lessons Learned from KIDS COUNT Grantee Experiences" The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Organizational Research Services, Inc. detail ten lessons learned from an evaluation of five KIDS COUNT grantees that began in 2007. The evaluation was designed to test some of the ideas presented in "A Guide to Measuring Advocacy and Policy", a report produced by AECF and ORS in 2006. Author: Organizational Research Services Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2009 Be the first to review this resource! Download (289.93 KB) -
The Urban Institute Series on Outcome Management for Nonprofit Organizations The Urban Institute Series on Outcome Management for Nonprofit Organizations contains easy to read, practical guides for looking at outcomes for nonprofit programs. The series includes:
Author: Various Type: Research & Reports Date: Dec 4, 2009 
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Theory of Change: A Practical Tool for Action, Results and Learning Every community needs a roadmap for change. A theory of change (TOC) outlines how to create that change. It is an essential part of a successful community transformation effort. This manual, created for the Casey Foundation's Making Connections initiative, defines theory of change using Casey's impact, influence and leverage platform, and shows community advocates how to create their own TOC by showing the relationships between outcomes, assumptions, strategies and results.
Author: Annie E. Casey Foundation and Organizational Research Services (ORS) Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jun 4, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! Download (369.64 KB) -
USAID Performance Monitoring and Evaluation TIPS TIPS
USAID's Performance Monitoring and Evaluation TIPS provide practical advice and suggestions to USAID managers and partners on issues related to performance monitoring and evaluation. These publications are supplemental references to the Automated Directive Service (ADS) Chapter 203 (pdf, 264kb).
Author: USAID Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Vision to Practice: Setting a New Course for Early Childhood Governance During the past decade, the federal, state, and local governments, along with early childhood experts and advocates, have been giving increasing attention to reducing the fragmentation, uneven quality, and inequity that characterize early childhood programs and services. A constant thread hroughout this work is the proposition that governance is an essential ingredient for building a system that can bolster all the important elements necessary for children's healthy development and learning.
Author: Stacie Goffin, Jana Martella, and Julia Coffman Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 31, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (245.55 KB)