@incollection{ton_development_2021, title = {Development {Policy} and {Impact} {Evaluation}: {Learning} and {Accountability} in {Private} {Sector} {Development}}, isbn = {978-1-83910-086-4}, shorttitle = {Development {Policy} and {Impact} {Evaluation}}, url = {https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/16926}, abstract = {There is broad recognition of the challenges in evaluating policy and programmes on their contribution to sustainable development. Impact evaluations of PSD programmes are carried out at the behest of a particular configuration of interest groups with different expectations. Some groups want to know whether a programme has worked, others want to know how to do these programmes better, others fear that PSD programmes might result in sub-optimal or adverse development outcomes in recipient countries, and some want to be sure that the programme benefits the private sector in the donors' domestic economies. This chapter discusses these with reference to private sector development programmes and explores how contribution analysis, which is a structured stepwise process of theory-based evaluation, can address these challenges and generate findings to improve learning and accountability.}, language = {en}, urldate = {2021-12-17}, booktitle = {Handbook of {Development} {Policy}}, publisher = {Edward Elgar Publishing Limited}, author = {Ton, Giel}, month = sep, year = {2021}, doi = {10.4337/9781839100871}, note = {Accepted: 2021-11-05T12:43:15Z Journal Abbreviation: Chapter 33: Development policy and impact evaluation: learning and accountability in private sector development}, } @misc{apgar_learning_2021, title = {Learning through and about {Contribution} {Analysis} for impact evaluation}, url = {https://www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/learning-through-and-about-contribution-analysis-for-impact-evaluation/}, abstract = {Over the past five years, colleagues from the Centre for Development Impact (CDI) – a joint initiative between the Institute of Development Studies, Itad and University of East Anglia – have been innovating with and learning how to use Contribution Analysis as an overarching approach to impact evaluation. In this blog series, we share our learning and insights, some of them in raw emergent form, highlight the complexities, nuances, excitements, and challenges of embracing new ways of doing impact evaluation. We begin this series by sharing ideas about ‘causal hotspots’ that first surfaced as ‘aha’ moments in our collaboration on the CDI short course Contribution Analysis for Impact Evaluation – the moments when we found the ways and words to better articulate our ideas and help people navigate the messy realities of theory-based evaluation.}, language = {en-US}, urldate = {2024-02-13}, journal = {Institute of Development Studies}, author = {Apgar, Marina and Ton, Giel}, month = sep, year = {2021}, } @techreport{apgar_contribution_2020, title = {Contribution analysis for adaptive management}, abstract = {This briefing note shares practical learning on the use of contribution analysis for adaptive management (CA4AM). It examines how the approach enables programmes to work with theories of change in a practical, reflexive way, and how, combined with assessing evidence of a programme’s contribution to change, its findings can inform programme adaptation. It also examines both how and to what extent CA enables AM through the experiences of four large complex programmes all working towards systems-level change and employing a structured process of reflection on theories of change. Key messages CA4AM can enable programmes to work with theories of change in a practical, reflexive way. It is particularly useful for programmes operating in conditions of complexity, when it is difficult to discern attribution and when systems-level change is the goal. A range of enabling factors help CA4AM to be used most effectively, including contractual flexibility; embedded monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL); and supportive leadership.}, language = {en}, institution = {IDS/GLAM}, author = {Apgar, Marina and Hernandez, Kevin and Ton, Giel}, year = {2020}, pages = {14}, } @techreport{roelen_clarissa_2023, address = {Brighton}, title = {{CLARISSA} {Cash} {Plus}: {Innovative} {Social} {Protection} in {Bangladesh}}, copyright = {http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/}, shorttitle = {{CLARISSA} {Cash} {Plus}}, url = {https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/18034}, abstract = {Social protection, and cash transfers especially, have been found to have many positive impacts on families’ lives and are now widely recognised as a cornerstone of any prosperous, fair society. The CLARISSA Cash Plus intervention is an innovative social protection scheme for tackling social ills, including the worst forms of child labour (WFCL). Combining community mobilisation, case work and cash transfers, it aims to support people in a poor neighbourhood in Dhaka to build their individual, family, and group capacities to meet their needs. An increase in capacities is expected to lead to a corresponding decrease in deprivation and community-identified social issues that negatively affect wellbeing, including WFCL.}, language = {en}, number = {1}, urldate = {2023-10-26}, institution = {Institute of Development Studies}, author = {Roelen, Keetie and Howard, Neil and Afroze, Jiniya and Aktar, Afrin and Ton, Giel and Huq, Lopita}, month = jun, year = {2023}, note = {Accepted: 2023-06-30T11:14:55Z Publisher: Institute of Development Studies}, } @techreport{roelen_clarissa_nodate, address = {Brighton}, title = {{CLARISSA} {Social} {Protection} {Intervention} - {Evaluation} {Report}}, copyright = {http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/}, shorttitle = {{CLARISSA} {Cash} {Plus}}, url = {https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/18034}, abstract = {The CLARISSA Social Protection (SP) Cash Plus intervention represented an innovative social protection scheme for tackling social ills, including the worst forms of child labour (WFCL). The purpose of the intervention was to trial and evidence an innovative social policy intervention for tackling poverty, improving wellbeing, and addressing worst forms of child labour (WFCL). It was a universal and unconditional cash plus programme, combining community mobilisation, case work and cash transfers. It was implemented in a high-density and low-income neighbourhood in Dhaka to build individual, family, and group capacities to meet their needs. This, in turn, was expected to lead to a corresponding decrease in deprivation and community-identified social issues that negatively affect wellbeing, including WFCL.}, language = {en}, urldate = {2023-10-26}, institution = {Institute of Development Studies}, author = {Roelen, Keetie and Howard, Neil and Afroze, Jiniya and Aktar, Afrin and Ton, Giel and Huq, Lopita}, note = {Accepted: 2023-06-30T11:14:55Z Publisher: Institute of Development Studies}, } @techreport{apgar_evaluating_2020, address = {Brighton}, title = {Evaluating {CLARISSA}: {Innovation} {Driven} by a {Participatory} {Learning} {Agenda}}, copyright = {This is an Open Access paper distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited and any modifications or adaptations are indicated.}, shorttitle = {Evaluating {CLARISSA}}, url = {https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/15456}, abstract = {Children end up in child labour as a result of many, often unknown or hidden, interactions between multiple actors and multiple factors within households, communities, and labour systems, leading to unpredictable outcomes for children and other sector stakeholders and sometimes resulting in the worst forms of child labour (WFCL). It is a complex problem, and interventions aimed at tackling it are also, inevitably, complex and challenging. The way they influence change is non-linear, causality is uncertain, and unintended consequences may result. Programmes such as the Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia (CLARISSA) that are engaging with such intractable challenges and aim to reach the most left behind (children in WFCL) are operating in conditions of complexity. This complexity poses significant challenges to the way programmes are designed, planned, implemented, and evaluated, and requires a move away from linear and predetermined models. In this Working Paper, we share our experience and early learning about how to design and implement monitoring, evaluation and learning that intentionally embraces the challenge of complexity.}, language = {en}, number = {2}, urldate = {2023-01-10}, institution = {Institute of Development Studies}, author = {Apgar, Marina and Snijder, Mieke and Kakri, Shanta and Macleod, Shona and Paul, Sukanta and Sambo, Anna and Ton, Giel}, month = jun, year = {2020}, note = {Accepted: 2020-06-25T14:55:41Z}, } @techreport{apgar_designing_2022, address = {Brighton}, title = {Designing {Contribution} {Analysis} of {Participatory} {Programming} to {Tackle} the {Worst} {Forms} of {Child} {Labour}}, copyright = {http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/}, url = {https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/17603}, abstract = {This Research and Evidence Paper presents the theory-based and participatory evaluation design of the Child Labour: Action-Research- Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia (CLARISSA) programme. The evaluation is embedded in emergent Participatory Action Research with children and other stakeholders to address the drivers of the worst forms of child labour (WFCL). The report describes the use of contribution analysis as an overarching approach, with its emphasis on crafting, nesting and iteratively reflecting on causal theories of change. It illustrates how hierarchically-nested impact pathways lead to specific evaluation questions and mixing different evaluation methods in response to these questions, critical assumptions, and agreement on causal mechanisms to be examined in depth. It also illustrates how realist evaluation can be combined with contribution analysis to deeply investigate specific causal links in the theory of change. It reflects on learning from the use of causal hotspots as a vehicle for mixing methods. It offers considerations on how to navigate relationships and operational trade-offs in making methodological choices to build robust and credible evidence on how, for whom, and under what conditions participatory programming can work to address complex problems such as child labour.}, language = {en}, number = {2}, urldate = {2024-02-01}, institution = {Institute of Development Studies}, author = {Apgar, Marina and Snijder, Mieke and Prieto Martin, Pedro and Ton, Giel and Macleod, Shona and Kakri, Shanta and Paul, Sukanta}, month = aug, year = {2022}, note = {Accepted: 2022-08-18T11:05:51Z Publisher: Institute of Development Studies}, }