Browse international development Resources
-
Program Development and Evaluation This site provides a comprehensive set of resources on planning and implementing an evaluation. Some of their tools require a free login. Author: University of Wisconsin - Extension Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jan 18, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Program Evaluation Guide A general introduction to Evaluation, this guide walks the reader through the process of answering the following seven basic questions
1. What do we want to evaluate?
2. What is the purpose of the evaluation?
3. What type of evaluation do we want to use?
4. What information do we need to answer our questions?
5. How do we get the information?
6. How will we analyze the information?
7. How will we use and share the results?Author: Katie Cangemi and Maggie Litgen Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Dec 31, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (195.46 KB) -
ProPack III - The CRS Project Package: A Guide to Creating a SMILER M&E System The approach to M&E described in this guide is called SMILER. It is a comprehensive and practical approach to developing a project monitoring system that incorporates processes for learning based on robust evidence. It has been written for CRS project managers, technical, and M&E staff to guide their work with partners and communities by describing how to develop an M&E system in which data are systematically collected, reported and used to make project decisions.
Author: Susan Hahn, Guy Sharrock Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jun 15, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.18 MB) -
Pros and Cons of Evaluation A solid two-page overview of why foundations should get involved with evaluation presented in a straightforward Pro vs. Con fashion. Author: Janet Carter Type: Opinion (blog, editorial) Date: Jan 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Download (57.57 KB) -
Putting the system back into systems change: A framework for understanding and changing organizational and community systems This paper provides one framework—grounded in systems thinking and change literatures—for understanding and identifying the fundamental system parts and interdependencies that can help to explain system functioning and leverage systems change. The proposed framework highlights the importance of attending to both the deep and apparent structures within a system as well as the interactions and interdependencies among these system parts. Author: Pennie G. Foster-Fishman, Branda Nowell, Huilan Yang Type: Research & Reports Date: May 18, 2007 Be the first to review this resource! Download (381.29 KB) -
Rapid Evaluation The purpose of this guide is to introduce the basic concepts and methods used in rapid evaluations (REs), and to demonstrate how this approach can be applied to the various stages of program development and implementation.
It covers inportant terms/definition, when to use REs, advantages and disadvantages of REs, the five elements of an RE, and provides additional reading resources.
Author: The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Download (272.44 KB) -
Sample Size Calculator This online sample size calculator can help you rapidly estimate how large your sample needs to be to compensate for different margins of error and confidence levels. Free and easy to use, the page also includes good introductory information on how to apply the resource. Author: Raosoft Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jan 1, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Social Movements and Philanthropy: How Foundations Can Support Movement Building Building on research conducted for the California Endowment, this article describes five core movement-building elements and provides a framework for activities that foundations can support to foster movement building. Movement building presents unique challenges to foundations. Because movements, by definition, must be driven by the people who are most affected, foundations cannot determine the goals and timetables of a movement. Foundation investments in movements are just that – investments for the long term. Author: Barbara Masters, M.A., and Torie Osborn, M.B.A. Type: Newsletters & Periodicals Date: Oct 2, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (326.55 KB) -
Software for Nonprofit Evaluation and Case Management Many systems exist to manage the wealth of data nonprofits collect. As part of our evaluation consulting work, Innovation Network team members are often asked to recommend systems to our nonprofit clients. The purpose of this document is to share with the field our most recent scan of existing software (a/o January 2010). We hope this information is helpful to you, and we encourage you to contact us with feedback. Author: Johanna Morariu, Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 31, 2010 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (86.51 KB) -
Sourcebook for Evaluating Global and Regional Partnership Programs: Indicative Principles and Standards The purpose of the indicative principles and standards contained in this Sourcebook is to help improve the independence and quality of program-level evaluations of GRPPs in order to enhance the relevance and effectiveness of the programs. The principal audiences for the Soucebook are the governing bodies and management units of GRPPs, as well as professional evaluators involved in the evaluation of these programs. Author: Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2007 Be the first to review this resource! Download (833.37 KB) -
State of Evaluation: Evaluation Practice and Capacity in the Nonprofit Sector [Slides] At the Friday Forum for the International Development Program at American University, Johanna Morariu and Ann K. Emery presented on the practice of evaluation in the non-profit sector. They covered the basics of evaluation, the major findings of the State of Evaluation, evaluation capacity, and other related research.Author: Johanna Morariu and Ann K. Emery Type: Presentation Slides Date: Mar 22, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Strategy Development: Key Questions for Developing an Advocacy Strategy In this strategy discussion publication, the author clarifies the difference between tactics and strategies, and offers nine questions that are part of an effective strategy:
- OBJECTIVES: What do you want?
- AUDIENCES: Who can give it to you?
- MESSAGE: What do they need to hear?
- MESSENGERS: Who do they need to hear it from?
- RESOURCES: What have we got?
- GAPS: What do we need to develop?
- FIRST EFFORTS: How do we begin?
- EVALUATION: How do we tell if it's working?
Author: Shultz, Jim Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Summary of Expert Interview Findings for Evaluating Policy and Advocacy Organizational Effectiveness This report summarizes TCC’s recent interview findings with selected policy advocacy experts (such as funders, researchers, consultants and practitioners) as well as a literature review of recent research. Drawing from its own work in organizational development and organizational effectiveness, TCC probed experts around four capacities TCC has found to be central to organizational effectiveness (leadership, adaptive, management and technical). The primary purpose of the research was to understand how the framework applies specifically to effective advocacy organizations. Author: TCC Group Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 28, 2006
Download (76.37 KB) -
System Mapping: A Case Example Innovation Network's Ehren Reed introduced this handout at a panel titled "Body of Evidence or Firsthand Experience? Evaluation of Two Concurrent and Overlapping Advocacy Initiatives" at the 2009 American Evaluation Association conference. The handout demonstrates the concept of system mapping using a simplified version of a map produced as part of an advocacy evaluation capacity building project for CARE USA.
Author: Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Templates & Samples Date: Nov 1, 2009 Be the first to review this resource! Download (143.92 KB) -
The Communication Initiative Network An extensive website of resources related to communication for development, with a strongly international reach. Available topics include baseline data, programme experience, evaluation and planning methodologies, theories of change, and more. The site also offers active discussion forums and an e-newsletter, The Drum Beat.
Author: The Communication Initiative Network Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jan 18, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
The Community Builder’s Approach to Theory of Change: A Practical Guide to Theory Development The Community Builder’s Approach to Theory of Change is a practical guide about theory of change development, and includes a toolbox of examples. Author: Andrea A. Anderson, Ph.D. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2000 Be the first to review this resource! Download (532.38 KB) -
The Conference is Over, Now What? Professional Development for Novice Evaluators (Presentation handout) Are you a recent graduate or novice evaluator? If so, cheers to your first few years in the evaluation field! Your professional development is just beginning.
Author: Ann K. Emery Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Oct 18, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Download (547.8 KB) -
The Evaluation Checklist Project Th site provides Author: The Evaluation Center of Western Michigan University Type: Templates & Samples Date: Jun 30, 2010 Point K Pick
Web Link -
The Four Phases to Designing & Writing a Comprehensive Grant This conceptual model gives the four phases to consider when trying to develop a comprehensive grant proposal because you can't just "sit down and start writing" a grant. Researching Funding, Designing your Project, Technical Grant Writing, and Evaluation are the four key areas to consider in this model. The model is a basis for more in-depth work that is further explained in four separate PowerPoint presentations (with handouts). For more information contact info@bpcwi.com.
Author: Nicole Bowman Type: Templates & Samples Date: Feb 12, 2014 Be the first to review this resource! Download (121.35 KB) -
The Grantmaker’s Role in Theory of Change Innovation Network developed these three introductory evaluation documents as part of Building Nonprofit Capacity to Evaluate, Learn, and Grow Impact, a workshop we presented in partnership with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations' Scaling What Works initiative. Author: Johanna Morariu, Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Research & Reports Date: Apr 1, 2012 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (419.72 KB) -
The How and Why of Advocacy This publication offers many pieces of advice generally related to advocacy, as well as specifically in regard to how an organization can monitor and evaluate its advocacy work. The Monitoring and Evaluation section walks through key questions:
- Why monitor and evaluate your work?
- What kind of monitoring indicators are there?
- What to evaluate?
- Who defines success?
Author: BOND Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 18, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Download (203.13 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 Point K Pick
Web Link -
Three Blind Men and an Elephant: The Power of Faceted Analytical Displays In this paper, the author addersses the insights that emerge when software enables us to view a set of data from several perspectives at the same time. He describes a screen that contains multiple concurrent views of a common data set so that comparisons can be made as a “faceted analytical display.” This approach to information display provides a means to expand analytical reach by viewing data in this way.
Author: Stephen Few Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Jan 1, 2007 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1023.41 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 -
Using Evaluation to Become an Effective Learning Organization Philanthropists have an obligation to learn. The best way to make smarter philanthropic investments over time—and get better results from those investments—is to generate good information about what’s working, what’s not working, and why. And evaluation is key in this process.
Author: Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and PhilanthroFiles Type: Research & Reports Date: Sep 24, 2014 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link