Smart Risks: How small grants are helping to solve some of the world's biggest problems - Lentfer, Jennifer; Cothran, Tanya (Practical Action Publishing, 2017)
As never before, international aid is in the hands of ordinary people. Concerned citizens in wealthy countries are starting philanthropy groups, joining giving circles, and travelling internationally to lend support. Yet, they are torn between the feelings that 'something' must be done about global poverty and that foreign assistance is creating dependency and fueling corruption overseas.A growing community of international small grant-makers know how to find and fund effective grassroots initiatives. Compared to donor-controlled, large-scale, project-based international aid funding, small grant-makers use the concept of 'smart risks' to build upon existing human and social capital and to make a lasting changes in people's lives. Smart Risks brings together the wisdom of experts with wide-ranging experience within the development sector. Their contributions focus on five guiding question, such as 'who is a smart risk?' and 'what is your role in smart risks?' They include case studies, personal stories of lessons learned over time, provocative insights on power and privilege, and practical frameworks for choosing, investing in, and measuring the impact of grassroots organizations and movements. This book is essential reading for all those who wonder how their donations and work can make a difference in developing countries - from aid agency staff and policy makers, to globally engaged individuals.

Snapshot of Adaptive Management in Peacebuilding Programs - Queen, Emily Forsyth; Baumgardner-Zuzik, Jessica; Hume, Elizabeth; Greenberg, Melanie (Alliance for Peacebuilding, 2018)
The Alliance for Peacebuilding developed the report Snapshot of Adaptive Management in Peacebuilding Programs with support from Humanity United. This report examines how existing organizational programs are designing and learning from adaptive management in a conflict effected and fragile states. It further provides practical recommendations for applying adaptive management to peacebuilding programs based on synthesis … Continue reading "Snapshot of Adaptive Management in Peacebuilding Programs"
Keywords: KEY

Social Accountability 3.0: Engaging Citizens to Increase Systemic Responsiveness. Background Paper - Guerzovich, Florencia; Aston, Tom (Grupo Politeia, ESAG, UDESC and act4delivery, 2024)
Social accountability has become increasingly important to development programming since the 2004 World Development Report spearheaded its first generation of programming. In 2016, Thomas Carothers synthesized global experts’ perspectives on what became known as the second generation. With an evolving global context, new research and evaluations and tacit knowledge on how those assumptions played out in practice, the time is ripe for asking what the evidence since 2004 can tell us about what the social accountability’s next generation might look like? This meta-analysis takes stock of that knowledge through a systems lens and presents a possible “social accountability 3.0.” It draws on a database of 157 cases of initiatives implemented by different civil society organizations around the world and the lived experience of practitioners. Scholarly debates present practitioners’ options in binary terms, contrasting 1.0 minimalist and 2.0 maximalist options. The review finds that this binary is inaccurate and misleading; it masks practitioners’ diverse interpretations of 2.0 and range of feasibility considerations. Instead, work in the last decade looks more like a mosaic. By opening the analysis to the broader range of evidence, and reflecting more critically on scholars’ assumptions, a more adaptable middle path for social accountability 3.0 emerges. Its key outcomes include contributing to systemic responsiveness and an operational mechanism to rework the social contract.

Social Accountability and Service Delivery Effectiveness: What is the Evidence for the Role of Sanctions? Background Paper - Aston, Tom; Zimmer Santos, Grazielli (2022)
Executive Summary Understanding how civil society can get government to respond to their needs, preferences and demands, and deliver goods and services to citizens is a central concern in social accountability initiatives. It is widely argued that sanctions make a key difference to service delivery outcomes, and that without them, transparency and accountability interventions are less likely to be effective and less likely to be sustainable (Anderson et al., 2020; Arugay, 2016; Fox, 2020; Goetz and Jenkins, 2005; Grandvoinnet et al., 2015; McGee and Gaventa, 2011; Molina et al., 2017; Joshi, 2010; Joshi, 2017; Tsai et al. 2019). In this paper, sanctions refer to the threat or imposition of a punishment for transgressing a rule or norm. Yet, what evidence is there to support the claim that sanctions are king? How much do we actually know about social and formal sanctions and their effectiveness in improving service delivery? Looking at 11 meta-reviews and 35 cases, this background paper sheds light on these questions and the conditions under which sanctions promoted within social accountability interventions may have contributed to improved service delivery. Sanctions, both social and formal, feature very prominently in the scholarly literature related to accountability, so much so that some scholars have argued that it has become synonymous with punishment (Mansbridge, 2014; Schedler, 1999). While it may not be true that these concepts are fully synonymous, this trend in scholarship significantly influenced the thinking of donors such as the Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank over the last two decades (Grandvoinnet et al., 2015; Malena and McNeil, 2010; Moore and Teskey, 2006; World Bank, 2003). As a result, sanctions also feature in the dominant models, or theories of change, in the social accountability sector. Yet, in reviewing 11 meta-reviews in the transparency and accountability sector we found that while there is plenty of theoretical argument asserting the potential effectiveness of social and formal sanctions, there was limited empirical evidence to support the claim that sanctions were key. Our review of 35 cases revealed five mechanisms of change related to social and formal sanctions. These were: (i) “sticks” – response to punishment; (ii) “big brother is watching” – response to threat of formal punishment; (iii) diagonal accountability – response to threat of formal punishment by horizontal accountability agencies; (iv) litigation – response to legal investigations or lawsuits supported by community paralegals and legal aid organizations and; (v) response to “naming and shaming” by civil society and/or media. We challenge the dominant view in scholarship that harder social sanctions and enforcement of stronger formal sanctions are either necessary to the achievement of higher-level service delivery outcomes or that they will deliver better and more sustainable outcomes. We find that both social and formal sanctions can contribute to improving service delivery outcomes across a variety of country contexts. In half of the 35 cases reviewed, we were able to establish a likely link between social or formal sanctions and intermediate effects over the short term with some degree of confidence. These effects ranged from increased service provider awareness and motivation, increased availability of funding, staff, and materials, to improved infrastructure quality, and in a minority of cases impact level changes such as improved test scores. However, the role of sanctions in delivering outcomes was often unclear, outcomes were almost never sustainable, and in close to half of the 35 cases reviewed there were substantial negative effects. These effects ranged from reducing transparency and funding, to discrediting, relocating, and reprisals for advocates and whistle-blowers, threats of violence to collaborating government actors, damaging staff morale, reducing attendance, and generating conflict among staff and between staff and community members and between staff and patients, damaging trust. There are therefore some serious ethical dilemmas associated with sanctioning efforts which need to be carefully considered. We argue that imposing sanctions without building relationships or systems to promote good behavior is unlikely to improve service delivery outcomes in a sustainable way. Another, perhaps surprising, finding was that there are some actors that are regular targets of sanctions, and in many cases, these actors are a lot weaker than is commonly assumed. Three broad types of actors were the most common targets of punishment: (i) absentee nurses or teachers who had their pay or allowances reduced; (ii) offending officials who were either suspended, relocated, or fired; and (iii) contractors who had to cover the cost of rejected materials or faced lawsuits, alongside civil servants involved in contracting. We suggest that closer relationships may perhaps reduce stakeholders’ appetite to impose sanctions. Particularly in the health sector, we found that more proximate relationships created disincentives for confrontation, and in such circumstances, a “policing” approach to monitoring was also deemed inappropriate and counterproductive. Conversely, it seems that actors generally prefer to sanction “others,” i.e., when an actor/organization was outside the group. Short-term consultants, contractors, and suppliers were easy (and quite vulnerable) targets for harder sanctions. It has also been argued that there may be productive combinations of collaborative and confrontational tactics — i.e., hybrids. We found that many supposed confrontational and collaborative hybrids were, in fact, dislocated in time and space. Many so-called “inside-outside” strategies, therefore, seem to be a potential mischaracterization. We also found, as Fung and Wright (2003) argued nearly two decades ago, that adversarial forms of engagement cannot easily be redeployed for collaborative purposes. It is widely argued that supposedly ‘weaker’ forms of citizen engagement are less effective than those with ‘strong enforceability (McGee and Gaventa, 2011).’ We found no compelling evidence to support this contention. A quarter of cases reviewed were collaborative for certain periods or in certain locations. On average, these were slightly more successful when compared with periods or locations when imposing sanctions was a key strategic emphasis. So, soft power can also be powerful. Rather than one approach necessarily being superior (confrontational, collaborative, or hybrid) however, we argue that the best approach is likely to be the one most appropriate to the context. While we were unable to identify strong trends of contextual factors which enabled social and formal sanctions to play a role in enhancing service delivery, we were able to identify several conditions which we believe offer the greatest promise. These conditions were: (i) supportive leaders who played a role as champions; opening doors or accompanying civil society efforts; (ii) high capacity and legal authority of oversight agencies; (iii) competitive elections, which provided windows of opportunity for CSOs to combine political and social accountability efforts, and; (iv) vulnerable public servants and service providers already in relatively precarious situations and are thus easy targets. Overall, our study finds that sometimes sanctions can be effective, but punishment is not the answer to all the world’s problems. Given these limitations, we recommend that it is time to reconsider “carrots” and enquire further into the enabling conditions for bureaucrats and service providers. Relatedly, scholars, evaluators, and program teams should look more closely at service providers’ or civil servants’ motivations and take context into account more seriously. To uncover these contextual and motivational features, we believe that scholars, evaluators, and prprogrameams should also make better use of theory-based and participatory methods. And perhaps most importantly, donors and practitioners should carefully consider and mitigate the potential for backlash from sanctions-based approaches.

Social Accountability: What Does the Evidence Really Say? - Fox, Jonathan A. (World Development, 2015)
Summary Empirical evidence of tangible impacts of social accountability initiatives is mixed. This meta-analysis reinterprets evaluations through a new lens: the distinction between tactical and strategic approaches to the promotion of citizen voice to contribute to improved public sector performance. Field experiments study bounded, tactical interventions based on optimistic assumptions about the power of information alone, both to motivate collective action and to influence the state. Enabling environments for collective action combined with bolstered state capacity to respond to citizen voice are more promising. Sandwich strategies can help ‘voice’ and ‘teeth’ to become mutually empowering, through state–society synergy.
Keywords: public information access; social accountability; state–society synergy; transparency; voice

Social Design and Neocolonialism - Janzer, Cinnamon L.; Weinstein, Lauren S. (Design and Culture, 2014)
This article examines the current field of social design: its claims, practices, and methodologies. Findings discovered through qualitative research illuminate the current application of social design practices and offer critique around their use in the social sphere. This article argues that designers must be sensitive to a variety of complex social and cultural cues and structures or they risk contributing to, or practicing, design neocolonialism. The article offers two key theoretical suggestions to further the emerging field's progress. First, social design must shift its focus from one that is human-centered to one that is situation-centered. Second, it is imperative that social design develops a shared framework for understanding, executing, and evaluating its initiatives and interventions. Additionally, this article introduces a matrix to serve as an early iteration of a shared framework.
Keywords: Design Methodology; Design Thinking; Framework; Human-centered design; IMPORTANT; social design

Social learning and climate change adaptation: evidence for international development practice - Ensor, Jonathan; Harvey, Blane (Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2015)
The potential for social learning to address complex, interconnected social and environmental challenges, such as climate change adaptation, is receiving increasing attention in research and practice. Social learning approaches vary, but commonly include cycles of knowledge sharing and joint action to co-create knowledge, relationships, and practices among diverse stakeholders. This results in learning and change that goes beyond the individual into communities, networks, or systems. Many authors have focused on analysis of case studies to better understand the contexts in which such learning occurs. In this paper, we look across this literature to draw out lessons for international development practice. To support those looking to purposively design social learning interventions for adaptation, we focus on four areas: lessons learned and the principles adopted when using a social learning approach, examples of tools and methods used, approaches to evaluating social learning, and examples of its impact. While we identify important lessons for practice within each of these areas, three cross-cutting themes emerge. These are: the importance of developing a shared view among those initiating learning processes of how change might happen and of how social learning fits within it, linking this locus of desired change to the tools employed; the centrality of skilled facilitation and in particular how practitioners may shift toward being participants in the collective learning process; and the need to attend to social difference, recognizing the complexity of social relations and the potential for less powerful actors to be co-opted in shared decision making. WIREs Clim Change 2015, 6:509–522. doi: 10.1002/wcc.348 This article is categorized under: Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Learning from Cases and Analogies Climate and Development > Knowledge and Action in Development

Social Learning and Natural Resource Management: The Emergence of Three Research Perspectives - Rodela, Romina (Ecology and Society, 2011)
Rodela, R. 2011. Social learning and natural resource management: the emergence of three research perspectives. Ecology and Society 16(4): 30. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04554-160430

Social network analysis handbook: connecting the dots in humanitarian programs - IRC (International Rescue Committee, 2016)
The following handbook is designed to provide a step by step guide to the application of Social Network Analysis for the IRC.
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Social Return on Investment - Better evaluation (Better Evaluation, 2016)
Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a systematic way of incorporating social, environmental, economic and other values into decision-making processes. By helping reveal the economic value of social and environmental outcomes it creates a holistic perspective on whether a development project or social business or enterprise is beneficial and profitable. This perspective opens up new opportunities and forms the basis for innovative initiatives that genuinely contribute to positive social change and poverty reduction for all. SROI balances proving and improving or addresses the paradox between accountability and learning by placing the perspectives of the different stakeholders at the center of the valuation process. ​SROI originated in the USA from social enterprises interested in new ways to value the contributions they were making to society. It later arrived in Europe, where there is an increasing interest in the methodology as noted by recent publications by Context international cooperation in the Netherlands, the New Economics Foundation in the UK and the SROI Network head-quartered in the UK. SROI is used for planning purposes in terms of designing a Theory of Change, or Business Plan, and for assessing to what extent impact is realised or changes need to occur in the Business Plan. Although the SROI approach supports the thinking along the lines of a result chain, it does not support the idea of the components being connected in a linear fashion. The SROI approach is embedded in the acceptance of development taking place in situations of complexities. Here is a simple, illustrative example: A project aims to uplift the standard of living of people in a certain area and a beekeeping initiative is set up. As a result a beekeeper now enjoys regular meals whereas before this was not the case. In traditional Cost Benefit analyses, the value of the lunch would be measured in market prices. However after interviewing the beneficiaries, and applying some valuation tools, it turns out that the ‘real’ value is much higher than the market price; social value has been created above the market / economic value which is now being accounted for. Like traditional cost-benefit analysis, SROI includes a ratio; in this case a Social Return on Investment ratio. Where in traditional cost benefit analyses the ratios would be used to compare different projects, the SROI ratio is much more seen as one element in explaining and communicating general progress of certain developments. The number itself is not seen as the end goal. It can be interpreted as aiding the narrative of this particular initiative. The aspect of stakeholder perspectives is essential in the SROI approach. It is precisely the value perspectives of the stakeholders (and most importantly the key beneficiaries), assessed, not by assuming these values, but by thoughtfully and intellectually engaging the stakeholders themselves, which is at the heart of this innovative (e)valuation approach.

Something’s Stopping All Voices From Counting… - McGee, Rosemary (Making All Voices Count, 2014)
An outline of Making All Voices Count's Research & Evidence component led by the Institute of Development Studies.

Sometimes it is about the Tech: Choosing Tools in South African and Kenyan Transparency & Accountability Initiatives - de Lanerolle, Indra; Walker, Tom; Kinney, Sasha (IDS and The Engine Room, 2016)
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Sounding clever or being smart? – How to do more with less in evaluating governance programmes - Aston, Tom (Care Insights, 2018)
About a decade ago, the development sector fell into the same trap the financial services industry did in the mid-1990s. We were all seduced by clever...

Spaces for Change? The Politics of Citizen Participation in New Democratic Arenas - Cornwall, Andrea; Vera Schattan Coelho (Zed Books, 2006)
The book Spaces for Change?: The Politics of Citizen Participation in New Democratic Arenas

SPACES MERL: Systems and Complexity White Paper - USAID (2016)
The Strategic Program for Analyzing Complexity and Evaluating Systems (SPACES MERL) project is an activity funded by USAID’s Global Development Lab and the Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL). This three-year activity aims to bring a variety of tools and methodologies that decision-makers can use (alone or in combination) to provide comprehensive systems analysis. The activity is being implemented from 2015 to 2018 by a consortium of organizations expert in systems and complexity, including the Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University (Prime), Global Knowledge Initiative (GKI), LINC and ResilientAfrica Network (RAN). This Systems and Complexity White Paper is a collaborative effort of the SPACES MERL team, designed to frame the international development landscape, with particular reference to USAID-funded activities, for application of systems and complexity approaches to design, monitoring and evaluation. Customized to the systems and complexity layperson with in-depth knowledge of international development practice, the objectives of this white paper are three-fold:  Provide an overview of systems and complexity practice, its current state of application and relevance to international development practice;  Establish a taxonomy of systems and complexity tools, highlighting the fit of those offered by SPACES MERL within the wider landscape; and  Review and provide information on application of SPACES MERL tools, their purpose and construction, required data, and their applicability to specific contexts.

Special Issue: Causal Mechanisms in Program Evaluation - Schmidt, Johannes (New Directions for Evaluation, 2020)
_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ev.20357

Spherit - Contextual reasoning maps - ContextSpheres.com (ContextSpheres.com, 2004)
Spherit is a whole view technology system that streamlines meaning making, solutioning, and action taking in business, healthcare, relationships, and life in general, by displaying complex situation-specific topics in context on a customizable conversation map. When the Spherit system is activated it generates and displays a snapshot of any complex situation in a way that makes it digestible, while engaging our intellect and our intuition in the reflecting and meaning-making process. It's a unifying visual learning system that communicates information in a non-linear graphical format. It works for individuals, teams and organizations. It has a "share and compare" feature that fast-tracks conversations between individuals or groups. And it offers powerful metrics.

Spiral Development: Experience, Principles, and Refinements - Boehm, B. W. (Carnegie Mellon University, 2000)

Spotify Rhythm - how we get aligned - Kniberg, Henrik (AvailAgility, 2016)
Last month, Henrik Kniberg posted slides from a talk he gave at Agile Sverige on something called Spotify Rhythm - "Spotify’s current approach to getting aligned as a company". While looking through the material, it struck me that what he was describing was a form of Strategy Deployment. This interpretation is based purely on those slides - I haven't had a chance yet to explore this more deeply with Henrik or anyone else from Spotify. I hope I will do some day, but given that caveat, here's how I currently understand the approach in terms of the X-Matrix Model.

SROI Self-assessment tool - SROI Network (2016)
The online self assessment tool was created by the SROI Network in collaboration with Hall Aitken to help users judge how well their evaluation practices adhere to principles of best practice. The tool is comprised of a seven stage questionnaire, showing results as a spider chart illustrating areas of strength and areas for improvement. The questionnaire itself is structured around the seven principles of SROI. These principles include ‘involve stakeholders’, ‘be transparent’ and ‘do not overclaim’, and together make up the core framework around which SROI is based. Users receive a score for each principle, and an overall average, giving them an idea of to what extent they have successfully applied the principles. High scoring users can then use their score to guide them towards applying for assurance and accreditation. The tool provides guidance, support and more advice to people who want to improve the way in which their organisation measures their social value and assesses their service delivery but don’t know where to start.

Stakeholder and Social Network Analysis - Guidance Note - IRC (International Rescue Committee, 2019)
Stakeholder Analysis is used to identify the actors and relationships that influence project outcomes. This guidance, from IRC, can help you determine how to work and who to partner, coordinate or engage with in order to best achieve the outcome. It builds on existing stakeholder information and typically will include a participatory internal meeting or workshop.

Stakeholder Engagement for Biodiversity Conservation Goals: Assessing the Status of the Evidence - USAID (USAID, 2016)
Learning how to communicate and work with different groups builds constituencies to support conservation aims. An analysis by USAID's research partner the American Museum of Natural History evaluated 148 references, selected through a rigorous systematic review process, to identify key lessons for stakeholder engagement. This briefer describes the analysis, which will soon be published in full.

Starting out on Social Return on Investment - SROI Network; Aitken, Hall (2014)
This guide, created by the SROI Network in collaboration with Hall Aitken, is aimed at providing guidance to those who have never used SROI on where to begin. The guide provides practical steps to beginning the process of SROI and includes links to tools aimed at supporting its implementation. Excerpt "Most public, private and third sector organisations have a pretty good idea of the costs of what they do. Annual accounts, management accounts, budget reports and a whole accountancy profession add up to a great deal of effort to make sure this is the case. Some organisations are quite good at counting what they do with these resources. They can track the number of users or contacts, or customers. Many can provide some evidence that these activities lead to some sort of change. But very few can explain clearly why all this matters. What would happen if they did not exist? What is the real value of what they do? Social Return on Investment sets out to redress the balance by looking at value not just cost." Contents Part one – why, what and how? Why does social value matter? What is SROI? How do I do SROI? Next steps Part two – progress tool Part three – practical next steps Steps to involve stakeholders Steps to understand what changes Steps to value the things that matter Steps to only include what is material Steps to avoid overclaiming Steps to be transparent Steps to verify the result

State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) - Approach Paper Series - SAVI (DFID, 2016)
We are piloting a new approach to identifying and supporting our partners. This breaks with convention in many ways in order to improve impact. Our approach is summarized in the Introduction to SAVI’s way of working. We have broken our approach down into key components – depicted in the form of our ‘knowledge tree’ –...
Keywords: IMPORTANT

State of the Art on Use of Theory of Change in the Development Sector - Goodier, Sarah; Apgar, Marina; Clark, Louise (IDS, 2018)
The purpose of this briefing note is to add to SDC’s understanding of Theory of Change (ToC), drawing on the literature and practice to sketch out the current state of the art approach. This involves expanding on ToC beyond SDC’s current practice of using Impact Hypotheses (IH) to bridge it to operational practice and use ToC more explicitly in the project/programme cycle management (PCM) processes. Sharing the state of the art on use of ToC in the development sector, this briefing note outlines what a ToC is, what it is used for and why it is needed in the development sector. It discusses ToC as both a process and a product, providing step by step guidance on how to facilitate a ToC process. The differences between a ToC and a logframe are highlighted. Some key criteria for recognising when you have a ‘good’ ToC are also included. This brief is aimed at SDC staff, in particular Programme Officers, and staff of partner organisations involved in the management of SDC interventions.

State of the Field Review: Fiscal Transparency and Accountability - Rudiger, Anja (International Budget Partnership, 2018)

States of Change - Learning programme - Nesta (Nesta, 2018)

Steering E-Government Projects from Failure to Success: Using Design-Reality Gap Analysis as a Mid-Implementation Assessment Tool - Lessa, Lemma; Negash, Solomon; Belachew, Mesfin (Emerging Issues and Prospects in African E-Government:, 2014)
There are many e-government failures in developing countries. Most studies look at these after the event (post hoc), but this chapter takes an original approach to look mid-implementation (durante hoc) in order to provide recommendations for improvement. The authors chose a partial failure/partial success land management information system being implemented in one Ethiopian city. The project has made retrieval of land information quicker and simpler but is only partly implemented, and is still—on occasion—circumvented by public servants for personal gain. They used design-reality gap framework to understand why the project had partly failed. The authors used the design-reality gap analysis to propose an action plan that would help institutionalise the system, steering it from partial failure to success. They demonstrate the value of this framework as a tool for mid-implementation analysis of e-government projects. The authors recommend its usage on other ongoing e-government projects in developing countries.

Still watering white elephants? The blueprint versus process debate thirty years on - Booth, David (Perspectives on politics, production and public administration in Africa: essays in honour of Ole Therkildsen, 2015)
OCLC: 913447024

Stop Trying to Save the World: Big ideas are destroying international development - Hobbes, Michael (New Republic, 2014)
Gives some examples of poorly designed interventions (e.g. The play pump)

Storytelling and Evaluation: Can Pathways be the Theory Missing in Explanatory Narratives? - Guerzovich, Florencia (Medium, 2023)
Florencia Guerzovich

Storytelling for Systems Change: insights from the field - Thea Snow; David Murikumthara; Teya Dusseldorp; Rachel Fyfe; Lila Wolff; Jane McCracken (Centre for Public Impact, 2022)
Capturing the impact of community-led work The Centre for Public Impact, Dusseldorp Forum, and Hands Up Mallee have been exploring how stories can be used to more effectively communicate the impact of community-led systems change work. Community-led place based initiatives are modelling new ways of working - shifting away from top down, program-focussed approaches towards an approach grounded in systems thinking and community-led innovations. However, while these stories of change are sitting in communities, they’re often not being told or celebrated. We wanted to understand why this is, and what might be done to better enable these stories to be shared and heard. The story of storytelling We talked to a range of people to uncover the story of storytelling - including collective impact backbone team members, community members, storytelling experts, and those working in and around community-led systems change initiatives across Australia. We explored the roles stories play in different communities; what good storytelling looks like; what barriers to storytelling might be; and what role stories can play in supporting systems change. Our findings We have learned through this project that stories can be used both to change the system and to evaluate, understand and showcase the change that is occurring in communities. We have heard that different stories require different approaches – stories that are seeking to enable change look different to those that are seeking to celebrate change.

Strategic framework for mainstreaming citizen engagement in World Bank Group operations : engaging with citizens for improved results - Rebolledo, Miguel; Seyedian, Aaron; Peixoto, Tiago; Hernandez, Zenaida; Zakhour, Jad; Mahmood, Syed A.; Masud, Harika; Manroth, Astrid; Hamad, Qays (The World Bank, 2014)
The objective of this strategic framework is to mainstream citizen engagement in World Bank Group (WBG)-supported policies, programs, projects, and advisory services and analytics to improve their development results and within the scope of these operations, contribute to building sustainable national systems for citizen engagement with governments and the private sector. This framework will capture the diverse experiences, assess lessons learned, and outline methods and entry points to provide a more systematic and results-focused approach for the WBG. Progress toward this objective will be assessed using indicators included in program, project, and corporate results frameworks. The WBG strategy incorporates citizen engagement, including beneficiary feedback, specifically in its treatment of inclusion, which entails empowering citizens to participate in the development process and integrating citizen voice in development programs as key accelerators to achieving results. This framework builds on stocktaking and lessons learned from WBG-financed operations across regions and sectors. A key lesson is the importance of country context, government ownership, and clear objectives for citizen engagement. The approach to mainstreaming citizen engagement in WBG-supported operations is guided by five principles: 1) it is results-focused; 2) it involves engaging throughout the operational cycle; 3) it seeks to strengthen country systems; 4) it is context-specific; and 5) it is gradual. Under the right circumstances, citizen engagement can contribute to achieving development outcomes in support of the goals the WBG aims to support through all of the operations it funds: eradicating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner.

Strategic Framework for mainstreaming citizen engagemente in World Bank Group operations - World Bank (The World Bank, 2014)

Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics: The Challenge of Complexity - Stacey, Ralph D. (Pitman, 2000)
In the third edition of this successful text, Ralph Stacey continues to question the view that organisations operate and succeed in relatively stable environments. He argues that in order to succeed in uncertainty and continual change, organisations need to create new perspectives and learn from the chaos within which they operate. This edition continues to focus on this radically different approach to strategic management. The central tenets of this approach have to do with unpredictability and the limitations of control, and therefore it argues against the rational models of planning and control covered in other strategy textbooks. This is done by emphasising the importance of narrative, conversation and learning from one's own experience as the central means by which we can gain understanding and knowledge of strategy in organisations. - Sharper distinction between systemic and process thinking with new chapters on the philosophical origins of systems and process thinking, second order and critical system thinking. - new material on theory of complex responsive processes, particularly to do with control, leadership and ethics. - Includes 7 management narratives, ie, personal ac
Google-Books-ID: z7haAAAAYAAJ
Keywords: Organizational Behavior; Strategic Planning

Strategies for learning from failure - Edmondson, Amy C. (Harvard Business Review, 2011)

Strategy as Simple Rules - Eisenhardt, Kathleen M.; Sull, Donald (Harvard Business Review, 2001)
When the business landscape was simple, companies could afford to have complex strategies. But now that business is so complex, they need to simplify. Smart companies have done just that with a new approach: a few straightforward, hard-and-fast rules that define direction without confining it.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial management; Internet; Strategy; Strategy execution

Strategy Deployment and Spotify Rhythm - Scotl, Karl (AvailAgility, 2016)
Last month, Henrik Kniberg posted slides from a talk he gave at Agile Sverige on something called Spotify Rhythm - "Spotify’s current approach to getting aligned as a company". While looking through the material, it struck me that what he was describing was a form of Strategy Deployment. This interpretation is based purely on those slides - I haven't had a chance yet to explore this more deeply with Henrik or anyone else from Spotify. I hope I will do some day, but given that caveat, here's how I currently understand the approach in terms of the X-Matrix Model.

Strategy Development: Most Signficant Change (MSC) Toolkit - ODI (ODI, 2009)
The Most Significant Change (MSC) technique is a form of participatory monitoring and evaluation. It is participatory because many project stakeholders are involved both in deciding the sorts of change to be recorded and in analysing the data. It is a form of monitoring because it occurs throughout the programme cycle and provides information to help people manage it. MSC contributes to evaluation because it provides data on impact and outcomes which can be used to help assess the performance of the programme as a whole. Essentially, the process involves the collection of significant change (SC) stories emanating from the field level, and the systematic selection of the most important of these by panels of designated stakeholders or staff. The designated staff and stakeholders are initially involved by ‘searching’ for project impact. Once changes have been captured, various people sit down together, read the stories aloud and have regular and often in-depth discussions about the value of the reported changes. When the technique is successfully implemented, whole teams of people begin to focus their attention on programme impact. MSC has had several names since it was conceived, each emphasising a different aspect. Examples are: ‘Monitoring-without-indicators’ – MSC does not make use of predefined indicators, especially ones which have to be counted and measured; or the ‘story approach’ – the answers to the central question about change are often in the form of stories of who did what, when and why, and the reasons the

Strategy Testing: An innovative approach to monitoring highly flexible aid programs - Ladner, Debra (The Asia Foundation, 2015)
The international development community has increasingly embraced the idea that finding durable solutions to complex development problems requires new ways of working that move beyond industry norms. This paper makes an important contribution to the current debate by outlining an innovative monitoring system called Strategy Testing (ST). This is the third paper in the Working Politically in Practice paper series, launched together with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Straws-in-the-wind, Hoops and Smoking Guns: What can Process Tracing Offer to Impact Evaluation? - Punton, Melanie; Welle, Katharina (Centre for Development Impact, 2015)
This CDI Practice Paper by Melanie Punton and Katharina Welle explains the methodological and theoretical foundations of process tracing, and discusses its potential application in international development impact evaluations. It draws on two early applications of process tracing for assessing impact in international development interventions: Oxfam Great Britain (GB)’s contribution to advancing universal health care in Ghana, and the impact of the Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI) on policy change in Tanzania. In a companion to this paper, Practice Paper 10 Annex describes the main steps in applying process tracing and provides some examples of how these steps might be applied in practice.
Pages: 8

Strengthen Your Team’s CLA Practices: Introducing the CLA Maturity Tool for USAID Implementers - Social Impact , Inc (2023)
The Collaborating, Learning & Adapting (CLA) Maturity Tool has been used by USAID operating units since 2015. The tool enables staff to self-assess their current CLA practice and plan ways to improve their internal and external collaboration, organizational learning efforts, and adaptive management practices. Recently, SI built on this resource to create the CLA Maturity Tool for implementing partners (IPs) to provide a version that speaks more directly to the experience of international and local organizations. Learn more here.

Strengthening Accountability Ecosystems: a Discussion Paper - Halloran, Brendan (Transparency & Accountability Initiative, 2015)

Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagemetn in Nigeria - Chemonics (Chemonics International, 2018)

Strengthening humanitarian networks: Applying the network functions approach - Ramalingam, Ben; Mendizabal, Enrique; Schenkenberg van Mierop, Ed (ODI, 2008)
This note offers a simple, flexible and powerful methodology — the network functions approach (NFA) — that can be applied to analyse and strengthen humanitarian and development networks. Based on research undertaken at ODI and elsewhere, the NFA suggests there are six overlapping functions that different networks perform in varying combinations. Through reflection on a network’s current activities and how they relate to each of these functions, the NFA helps those facilitating, acting within or supporting networks to work towards an ‘ideal’ functional mix. The aim is for network strategies to be honed, thinking clarified, activities sharpened and ultimately, humanitarian performance improved.

Strengthening the Humanitarian Innovation Ecosystem - Ramalingam, Ben; Rush, Howard; Bessant, John; Marshall, Nicholas; Gray, Bill; Hoffman, Kurt; Bayley, Simon; Warren, Kim (University of Brighton, 2015)

Strengthening the results chain: Synthesis of case studies of results-based management by providers - Zwart, Rosie (OECD, 2017)
This paper presents an analysis of evidence from seven case studies of results-based management by development co-operation providers. Analysis of themes from the case studies reveal six interrelated challenges which providers face in their efforts to manage for the results of development co-operation. The six challenges are: linking results to development goals, ensuring the purpose of results systems is well-defined, weighing up the benefits of aggregating and attributing results from standard indicators, enabling country ownership, using performance information alongside results information, and building and embedding a results culture. Providers continue to adopt a range of approaches to pursue a focus on results and there are many examples of good practice. The case studies suggest that in a complex development landscape some providers are prioritising the use of aggregated results information for domestic accountability, communication, and performance management over their use for learning and policy direction. In this context, the paper argues that in agency-wide results frameworks development co-operation results are often detached (or de-contextualised) from development results and discusses the implications of this, including the use of standard indicators to measure aggregated outputs. The paper uses case study evidence to discuss and suggest practical ways providers can build and maintain a strong results focus which enables analysis, insights and learning, and has achievement of development outcomes as its objective.

Subway Map to Agile Practices - Agile Alliance (Agile Alliance, 2015)
AGILE 101

Success and Failure in eGovernment Projects - Heeks, Richard (Institute for Development Policy and Management, 2008)

Summarising portfolio change: results frameworks at organisational level - Simister, Nigel (Intrac, 2016)

Summary of Indicators for Combating Wildlife Trafficking - Environmental Incentives; Foundations of Success; ICF International (USAID, 2015)
USAID's Measuring Impact conducted a survey and analysis of existing wildlife crime indicators to inform the development of USAID indicators and build the evidence base for better alignment of the Agency’s monitoring efforts with best practices. This report summarizes the search strategy and main results of the survey.

Summer School Course - Adaptive Management - Working Effectively in the Complexity of International Development (weekplan) - Green, Duncan; Guijt, Irene (Oxfam, 2018)

Summer school on Adaptive Management - 2019 - CID (2019)
General description of the curriculum

Supply Chains, the Informal Economy, and the Worst Forms of Child Labour - Aked, Jody (Institute of Development Studies, 2021)
As a cohort of people, ‘children in work’ have become critical to the everyday functioning of diverse supply chain systems. This Working Paper considers diverse commodity chains (leather, waste, recycling and sex) to explore the business realities that generate child labour in its worst forms. A review of the literature finds that occurrence of the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) in supply chain systems is contingent on the organising logics and strategies adopted by actors in both the formal and informal economies. Piecing together the available evidence, the paper hypothesises that a supply chain system is sensitive to the use of WFCL when downward pressure to take on business risk cannot be matched by the economic resilience to absorb that risk. Emergencies and persistent stressors may increase risk and reduce resilience, shifting norms and behaviour. There is a need for further work to learn from business owners and workers in the informal economy.
Accepted: 2021-07-26T11:16:44Z Publisher: Institute of Development Studies

Supporting accountability in fragile settings: A review for the Somalia Implementation and Analysis in Action of Accountability Programme - Nixon, Hamish; Buffardi, Anne; Wales, Joseph; Pasanen, Tiina (ODI, 2017)

Supporting adaptive management. Monitoring and evaluation tools and approaches - Pasanen, Tiina; Barnett, Inka (ODI, 2019)
Key messages • This working paper introduces a set of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools and approaches, discussing their potential usefulness in supporting adaptive management in development and humanitarian programmes. It emphasises adaptive programmes characterised by complex aspects, such as: (1) they are innovative; (2) they have uncertain pathways for change; or (3) they operate in uncertain or unstable environments. • The majority of these tools have been used in international development for many years. However, adaptive management brings additional challenges for monitoring and evaluating programmes, as they require intentional M&E design from the start that is oriented towards both learning and accountability. • All of the tools and approaches introduced in this paper have potential to support learning and adaptation, although in various ways and at different stages of a programme. Some tools can support strategic planning and diagnosing throughout a programme – especially during design and inception – while others can help analyse causal relationships at specific points in a programme. It is important to tailor the approach used for its intended purpose. However, whether learning and adaptation happens depends also on factors other than the choice of M&E methods. • For some of these approaches a considerable body of evidence already exists but, for many, more practical examples and systematic analysis is needed. In addition to building the evidence base concerned with which approaches are suitable for different types of adaptive programmes and why, it is also important to improve understanding of the enabling environmental conditions necessary for the tools and approaches outlined here to facilitate and strengthen evaluative thinking, evidence-informed decision-making and ongoing programme iteration.

Supporting innovation and the use of technologies in accountability initiatives: lessons from Making All Voices Count - Edwards, Duncan; Hudson, Hannah; Anderson, Colin; McGee, Rosemary; Brock, Karen (IDS, 2018)
Making All Voices Count was an international initative that harnessed the power of innovation and new technologies to support effective, accountable governance. Focusing on six countries in Africa and Asia, the programme was implemented by a consortium of implementing partners, and used funding from four donors to make grants to support new ideas that amplified the voices of citizens, and enabled governments to listen and respond. From the start, Making All Voices Count was also a learning programme. The objective of this learning was not only to bring about change during the programme’s life cycle, but also to leave a legacy that would help to ensure that future governance programmes and initiatives seeking to capitalise on the transformative potential of innovation and technology are more informed, inclusive and impactful. This programme learning report emerged from a wider process of analysing, discussing and synthesising the data and learning from the programme, which wove together evidence-based learning about technology for accountable governance initiatives with experiential learning on how best to support such work. The report highlights five of the lessons learned from Making All Voices Count about how – and how not – to run large, complex programmes that intend to support innovation in governance.

Supporting Learning? Exploring the relationship between grantee learning and grantmaking practice in the transparency and accountability sector - Ross, Jenny (INTRAC, 2015)
Learning is fundamental to work on transparency and accountability in complex environments. But how can funding practices best support learning?

Supporting local learning and adaptation: understanding the effectiveness of adaptive processes - Moses, Michael; Soal, Sue (2017)
This brief reviews the evidence from Learning to Make All Voices Count (L-MAVC), a programme funded by Making All Voices Count, and implemented in collaboration with Global Integrity. L-MAVC intended to support six Making All Voices Count grantees, working in five countries, in co-creating and applying a participatory, learning-centred, and adaptive approach to strengthening citizen engagement in governance processes in their contexts, including with respect to the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

Supporting Pioneering Leaders as Communities of Practice - How to Rapidly Develop New Leaders in Great Numbers - Wheatley, Margaret J (The Berkana Institute, 2002)
Do you ever stand back and try to see the big picture, the view from 50,000 feet of what's going on in organizations, communities, the world? From up there, how would you describe these times? Is it a time of increasing economic and political instability, of growing divisiveness and fear, of failing systems and dying dreams? Is it a time of new possibilities, of great examples of hope, of positive human evolution, of transformation? Are we succeeding in solving major problems, are we creating more? Is it any of these things, is it all of these things? It's important to think about how we answer this question, because that answer affects our choice of actions. If we think that, generally, things are working, that at present we're going through a difficult but temporary downturn, then we don't question current systems or their operating assumptions. Instead, we work hard to revive and improve them. We support initiatives and programs focused on process improvements, developing present systems to work more effectively and more efficiently. If we believe that the old system cannot be repaired, if we expect to see only more system failures, then the work is not to fix. Instead, support needs to be given to radically different processes and methods, new systems based on new assumptions. The work becomes not process improvement but process revolution.

Supporting the policy environment for economic development (SPEED+) - Strategic Review Report - MSI (USAID, 2019)
Donor-funded policy reform has a long history in Mozambique, with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) efforts dating to the mid-1990s. Many laws and regulations adopted during the past quarter century are the consequence of these efforts. And yet, even with several years of robust economic growth, Mozambique has not experienced the broad economic transformation that policy reforms can trigger: per capita income in 2017 was $519 and more than 80 percent of the country lived on less than two dollars per day. The country ranks 180 out of 189 on the Human Development Index and 135 out of 180 on the World Bank’s Doing Business Index. Supporting the Policy Environment for Economic Development (SPEED+), a $37 million, four-year, USAID-funded program, represents the latest iteration of USAID’s policy reform efforts. SPEED+ began in August 2016 and is scheduled to run through August 2020. As the program passed the midway point, USAID commissioned Management Systems International (MSI) to conduct a strategic review (SR) of the SPEED+ program, with the objectives of advising on: • how to maximize the impact of SPEED+ during its final 18 months; • what type of follow-on program USAID should consider; and • what broader lessons can be drawn from SPEED+’s experience in Mozambique.

Supporting users with the OutNav approash - Matter of Focus (2019)
This report has been generated in OutNav, using the theory-based approach to evaluation pioneered by Matter of Focus. Example of a report from the tool, explaining OutNav approach

Survey Template - Help decide the future of the [name] Community Survey - FeverBee (FeverBee, 2018)

Survival of the unfittest: why the worst infrastructure gets built—and what we can do about it - Flyvbjerg, Bent (Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 2009)

Sustainability and Value through Improved Decision-making - Meyer, Isabel; Marais, Mario (Designing and implementing an Information and Communication Technology for Rural Education Development (ICT4RED) initiative in a resource-constrained environment: Nciba school district, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 2014)

Swiss Cooperation Strategy Pakistan, 2017-2019 - SDC (2016)

Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d programme) - NFP [Nr.] (2018)
Research and innovation are decisive factors for sustainable global development. With their knowledge, skills, experience and worldwide network of partners, researchers can make an important contribution towards the solution of global problems.

Switchboard Survey Analysis (Internal Document) - Feedback Labs (LearnAdapt Programme, 2018)

System Change: A Guidebook for Adopting Portfolio Approaches - Wellsch, Brent (UNDP, 2022)
This guidebook codifies the principles and methods of applying systems change and portfolio approaches to complex development challenges with practical tools and examples. It is based on the empirical learning generated from the collaborative initiatives in UNDP Country Offices in Bhutan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Viet Nam with support from Regional Innovation Centre for Asia and the Pacific.

System Failure: Why Governments Must Learn to Think Differently - Chapman, Jake (Demos, 2004)
The current model of public policy-making is no longer right for a government that has set itself the challenge of delivery. Improvements are driven by central policy initiatives which assume a direct relationship between action and outcome - but this is a false assumption. Public services are complex adaptive systems which are subject to the law of unintended consequences, so intervention can make problems worse. That is why the carrot-and-stick approach to reform which links increased funding to tougher performance targets will not succeed in the long run. Renowned systems thinker Jake Chapman describes how government's energetic attempts to force change from the centre are becoming counter-productive. The alternative is government based on continuous learning. This is increasingly important as the impact of communication technology and other accelerating social trends offers a moving target for public service reformers. Systems thinking offers a better model for change in complex organisations such as the health service or the railway network. Case studies provided by the NHS confederation show the unintended and often bizarre consequences of introducing new policies without considering their impact on the whole system. Since the original publication of Systems Failure in 2002, many of its core ideas have been taken on by government. In this second edition, Chapman reflects on the experience of putting systems thinking into practice in public services, and explains why the changes he suggests are more difficult - and more urgent - than expected.

System Innovation Network - Si Network (Si Network, 2020)
The Si Network is an online platform for building the developing of systems innovation - connecting people around the world to learn and apply the ideas and methods of systems innovation towards addressing complex challenges and building better systems that work for all. Not sure what systems innovation is? Systems innovation is a new approach to innovation that tries to tackle complex social and environmental challenges through the use of more holistic & innovation driven approaches. It is a kind of innovation that aims to change the underlying structure of a system, thus potentially enabling a more transformational kind of change - systems change - rather than incremental "innovation as usual". What Do You Do? We are building an ecosystem of individuals and organizations co-learning and co-creating systems innovation across geographies and sectors. This ecosystem is enabled by our online platform which provides educational content, toolkits, organizes events and projects as well as provides various support services for organizations. Purpose Statement Our purpose is to build the world’s capacity for systems innovation - so as to better understand and address complex challenges and co-create a world where systems work for all. We envision a world where everyone thinks in systems and has an understanding of complex systems. From this understanding, we are able to design and develop regenerative systems that work for everyone. Our mission is to grow the field of systems innovation as a pathway to co-learn the ideas of systems thinking and apply them to co-creating new systems Who's Involved? We are a networked organization of some 17K+ members forming part of 20+ hubs in major cities around the world. Our community is broad and diverse in areas of work and interest from designers, innovators, and entrepreneurs, to researchers and management but they all share a common interest in learning and applying systems thinking ideas. The Si platform is developed and managed by a small core team based in London UK. We are registered as a business but operate as a social enterprise focused on our purpose of advancing the area of systems innovation in theory and practice. Core Value Creativity - We put creativity at the centre of what we do. Holding a space for curiosity, diversity of views, exploration and critical thinking as a pathway to transformative innovation. Openness - We strongly believe in openness in our ways of being, thinking and organizing as a sustainable pathway to creating an adaptive, scalable and dynamic community. Growth Mindset - We embrace challenges as opportunities for continuous personal and collective learning and development, with a never-ending potential to grow and start with a new beginning. Perseverance - When facing uncertainty and failure, perseverance is what is needed to maintain commitment and a resilient pathway aligned with our purpose. Care - Care is one of our core principles. We foster relationships based on honesty and empathy, striving to be present and conscious in what we do and taking responsibility for the effects of our actions.

System Innovation on Purpose - Leadbeater, Charles; Winhall, Jennie (The Rockwool Foundation, 2021)
In Building Better Systems, we introduced four keys to unlock system innovation: purpose and power, relationships and resource flows. These four keys make up a set. Systems are often hard to change because power, relationships, and resource flows are locked together in a reinforcing pattern to serve the system’s current purpose. Systems start to change fundamentally when this pattern is disrupted and opened up. Then a new configuration can emerge, serving a new purpose. In this essay series we delve deeper into these four keys and provide practical advice on how they can be put to use. This essay is about the role that purpose plays in orchestrating complex systems and how system innovators can create a new system around a new sense of purpose.

System Stewardship. The future of policy making? - Hallsworth, Michael (Institute for Government, 2011)
This working paper looks at the future of policy making in a world of decentralisation and more complex problems. It argues that policy makers need to see themselves less as sitting on top of a delivery chain, but as stewards of systems with multiple actors and decision makers – whose choices will determine how policy is realised. We are keen to open up a debate on what this means.

SystemCraft - a primer: How to Tackle our Toughest Problems - Simpson, Kate; Randall, Ian (Wasafiri, 2020)
Systemcraft is our applied framework to help leaders and organisations get started and keep going when faced with complex problems. It is built on our practical experience. It draws on a broad body of research, action and theory from the worlds of complexity thinking, systems theory, adaptive management, leadership development, social movements, development theory and beyond. Systemcraft has been designed to make systems thinking something any leader can apply when they find themselves faced with a complex problem and asking, ‘So what do I do next?’

Systemic action research: Changing system dynamics to support sustainable change - Burns, Danny (Action Research, 2014)
This article explores the characteristics of systemic action research. It looks at the conceptual underpinnings of systemic action research and explores some of the ways in which it differs from (builds on) other forms of action research. It then explores some of the issues and dilemmas faced by systemic action researchers.

Systemic Design Principles for Complex Social Systems - Jones, Peter H. (Social Systems and Design, 2014)
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Systems Approaches to Public Sector Challenges: Working with Change - OECD (OECD, 2017)

Systems change: A guide to what it is and how to do it - Ellen Harries; Rachel Wharton; Rob Abercrombie (NPC, 2015)
Systems change has been attracting the attention of those in the social sector who want to deal with the root causes of problems, but, despite the buzz, much of what is written is abstract in tone. With the support of LankellyChase Foundation we have produced this guide to plug a gap in the systems change literature—providing accessible material and recommendations for action. Systems change has been attracting the attention of a range of progressive charities, funders and practitioners who are interested in dealing with the root causes of social problems. But while there is a buzz about a subject relatively new to the social sector, it is easy to feel frustrated by the literature—much of what is written is abstract in tone and there are few examples of success. We have produced this paper to address this problem and offer accessible material and recommendations for action. This systems change guide: Clarifies what is meant by systems and systems change Describes the main perspectives on systems change Outlines good practice for systems change Identifies what is and is not agreed upon by experts in the field Provides recommendations for charities, funders and the public sector on how to act systemically. We hope this presents a manageable introduction to the systems change field, especially for those new to it, and also guides those interested in acting systemically to improve the lives of people in need. Our conclusion is that although it may not be as novel as some claim, there is a good deal of value in a systems change approach and it offers a welcome reminder of what effective action looks like when it comes to the pursuit of social change.

Systems Change in a Polarized Country - Kramer, Mark R. (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2017)
A growing number of US foundations are adopting practices based on systems change to achieve their goals in the current political environment.

Systems Innovation - Discussion Paper - Mulgan, Geoff; Leadbeater, Charlie (NESTA, 2013)
Introduction Over the past few years there has been growing interest in systemic innovation. We are defining this as an interconnected set of innovations, where each influences the other, with innovation both in the parts of the system and in the ways in which they interconnect. Yet rather than simply theorising, we want to make this practical. We want to explore the potential of systemic innovation to help tackle some of the key challenges the UK currently faces, from supporting an ageing population to tackling unemployment. We would also like to open up the discussion, to engage with the wide and diverse range of experts already working this space to help sharpen up thinking about systemic innovation and influence practical work to advance it. About this paper The two essays contained within this paper are intended to contribute to this debate. The first paper by Geoff Mulgan addresses a number of questions about systemic – or ‘joined–up’ – innovation, asking what it means to truly transform a system, encompassing the means, methods, and actions needed to realise its potential. The second paper from Charlie Leadbeater argues that companies, governments, cities, and entire societies need to move from seeing innovation in products and services as a source of competitive advantage, to focussing on innovation with entire systems. Our next steps: helping make systemic innovation useful and useable This report is just the start. We want to work with academics, practitioners, policymakers, and others in the field, to help realise the great potential of connecting and joining up innovative products, services and processes so that the whole is more than the parts. Over the coming months we will be building upon the rich and diverse literature available (we have start collating this as an annex to this paper), as well as practitioner experience, to ensure we understand systems more rigorously, as well as the skills, capabilities, methods and means needed to help them change for the better.

Systems Practice - Omidyar Group (The Omidyar Group, 2017)

Systems Thinking: An introduction for Oxfam programme staff - Bowman, Kimberly; Chettleborough, John; Jeans, Helen; Whitehead, James; Rowlands, Jo (Policy & Practice, 2015)
Development organizations frequently face and overcome challenges in programme delivery. But what happens when the proposed solutions fail? How can organizations adapt to changing conditions and ensure the benefits of programmes are shared as widely as possible?

Systems Thinking and Practice: A Guide to Concepts, Principles and Tools for FCDO and Partners - Woodhill, Jim; Millican, Juliet (Institute of Development Studies, 2022)
This guide is a basic reference on systems thinking and practice tailored to the context and needs of the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It is an output of the FCDO Knowledge for Development Programme (K4D), which facilitated a Learning Journey on Systems Thinking and Practice with FCDO staff during 2021 and 2022. The guide offers a common language and shared framing of systems thinking for FCDO and its partners. It explores what this implies for working practices, business processes and leadership. It also offers links to additional resources and tools on systems thinking. We hope it can support systems thinking to become more commonplace within the culture and practices of FCDO and working relations with partner organisations.
Accepted: 2023-02-03T15:47:58Z Publisher: Institute of Development Studies

Systems Thinking. Applied. A primer - Edson, Robert (ASysT Institute, 2008)

Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results - Stroh, David Peter (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015)
Donors, leaders of nonprofits, and public policy makers usually have the best of intentions to serve society and improve social conditions. But often their solutions fall far short of what they want to accomplish and what is truly needed. Moreover, the answers they propose and fund often produce the opposite of what they want over time. We end up with temporary shelters that increase homelessness, drug busts that increase drug-related crime, or food aid that increases starvation. How do these unintended consequences come about and how can we avoid them? By applying conventional thinking to complex social problems, we often perpetuate the very problems we try so hard to solve, but it is possible to think differently, and get different results. Systems Thinking for Social Change enables readers to contribute more effectively to society by helping them understand what systems thinking is and why it is so important in their work. It also gives concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning without becoming a technical expert. Systems thinking leader David Stroh walks readers through techniques he has used to help people improve their efforts to end homelessness, improve public health, strengthen education, design a system for early childhood development, protect child welfare, develop rural economies, facilitate the reentry of formerly incarcerated people into society, resolve identity-based conflicts, and more. The result is a highly readable, effective guide to understanding systems and using that knowledge to get the results you want.

Taking Innovations to Scale: Methods, Applications and Lessons - Cooley, Larry; Linn, Johannes F. (R4D, 2014)
The international development community increasingly recognizes the need to go beyond fragmented, one-of projects. In response, there is now much talk and some action on scaling up successful innovations and pilot projects with an explicit goal of achieving sustainable impact at scale. However, many questions remain about the practical implications of pursuing a systematic scaling up approach and about how the approaches being pursued by diferent institutions and practitioners relate to each other.

Taking responsibility for complexity: how implementation can achieve results in the face of complex problems - Jones, Harry (ODI, 2011)
OCLC: 837825712

Taking scale into account in transparency and accountability initiatives - Fox, Jonathan (IDS, 2016)
We know that gaining access to information and raising citizen voices are not the same as achieving accountability. It is important to look beyond the symptoms of accountability failure, and consider how to tackle the causes. This short research summary discusses different understandings of scale, one important aspect of making transparency and accountability initiatives more strategic. Scale shapes both the causes of accountability failure and the tactics and strategies needed to address it.

Taking Stock of Empowerment Evaluation: An Empirical Review - Miller, Robin Lin; Campbell, Rebecca (American Journal of Evaluation, 2006)
Empowerment evaluation entered the evaluation lexicon in 1993. Since that time, it has attracted many adherents, as well as vocal detractors. A prominent issue in the debates on empowerment evaluation concerns the extent to which empowerment evaluation can be readily distinguished from other approaches to evaluation that share with it an emphasis on participatory and collaborative processes, capacity development, and evaluation use. A second issue concerns the extent to which empowerment evaluation actually leads to empowered outcomes for those who have participated in the evaluation process and those who are the intended beneficiaries of the social programs that were the objects of evaluation. The authors systematically examined 47 case examples of empowerment evaluation published from 1994 through June 2005. The results suggest wide variation among practitioners in adherence to empowerment evaluation principles and weak emphasis on the attainment of empowered outcomes for program beneficiaries. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Tale of the converted: how complex social problems have made me question the use of data in driving impact - Burgoyne, John (Impact of Social Sciences, 2019)
15 Shares In practice the way in which research impacts and influences policy and society is often thought to be a rational, ordered and linear process. Whilst this might represent a ‘common sense’ understanding of research impact, in this cross-post John Burgoyne reflects on how upending the primacy of data and embracing complexity can lead to a more nuanced and effective understanding of research impact.

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World - McChrystal, General Stanley; Silverman, David; Collins, Tantum; Fussell, Chris (Portfolio Penguin, 2015)
As commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), General Stanley McChrystal discarded a century of management wisdom and pivoted from a pursuit of mechanical efficiency to organic adaptability. In this book, he shows how any organization can make the same transition to act like a team of teams - where small groups combine the freedom to experiment with a relentless drive to share their experience.Drawing on a wealth of evidence from his military career and sources as diverse as hospital emergency rooms and NASA's space program, McChrystal frames the existential challenge facing today's organizations, and presents a compelling, effective solution.

Teaming: how organizations learn, innovate, and compete in the knowledge economy - Edmondson, Amy C. (Jossey-Bass, 2012)
New breakthrough thinking in organizational learning, leadership, and change Continuous improvement, understanding complex systems, and promoting innovation are all part of the landscape of learning challenges today's companies face. Amy Edmondson shows that organizations thrive, or fail to thrive, based on how well the small groups within those organizations work. In most organizations, the work that produces value for customers is carried out by teams, and increasingly, by flexible team-like entities. The pace of change and the fluidity of most work structures means that it's not really about creating effective teams anymore, but instead about leading effective teaming. Teaming shows that organizations learn when the flexible, fluid collaborations they encompass are able to learn. The problem is teams, and other dynamic groups, don't learn naturally. Edmondson outlines the factors that prevent them from doing so, such as interpersonal fear, irrational beliefs about failure, groupthink, problematic power dynamics, and information hoarding. With Teaming, leaders can shape these factors by encouraging reflection, creating psychological safety, and overcoming defensive interpersonal dynamics that inhibit the sharing of ideas. Further, they can use practical management strategies to help organizations realize the benefits inherent in both success and failure. Presents a clear explanation of practical management concepts for increasing learning capability for business results Introduces a framework that clarifies how learning processes must be altered for different kinds of work Explains how Collaborative Learning works, and gives tips for how to do it well Includes case-study research on Intermountain healthcare, Prudential, GM, Toyota, IDEO, the IRS, and both Cincinnati and Minneapolis Children's Hospitals, among others Based on years of research, this book shows how leaders can make organizational learning happen by building teams that learn.

Teams that Do Development Differently - Khan, Jehanzeb; Fisher, Annette (Global Policy Journal, 2017)

Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation - Nastase, Alexandra; Rajan, Alok; French, Ben; Bhattacharya, Debarshi (Gates Open Research, 2021)
Technical assistance is provided to country governments as part of international development programmes to support policymaking or strengthen state capability. This article presents the conceptual evolution of ‘technical assistance’ linked to capacity development, starting with programmes aiming exclusively to enhance individual capacity in the 1950s to 1970s and progressing to complex systems approaches in the past ten years. It also presents some of the frequent challenges in designing and implementing technical assistance, drawing from the existing literature and the authors’ experience in international development. The article summarises the latest thinking about delivering more effective development, including the adaptive management practices and the initiatives to strengthen evidence about what works. Finally, we complement this article with a follow-up open letter reflecting on the current policy options and opportunities for change.

Technical challenges in the application of adaptive management - Williams, Byron K.; Brown, Eleanor D. (Biological Conservation, 2016)
Adaptive management is an approach for simultaneously managing and learning about natural resources, by acknowledging uncertainty and seeking to reduce it through the process of management itself. Adaptive decision making can be applied to pressing issues in conservation biology such as species reintroduction, disease and invasive species control, and habitat restoration, as well as to management of natural resources in general. After briefly outlining a framework and process for adaptive management, we focus on an overview of the key technical issues related to problem framing and the ability of resource managers to learn from their experience. These technical issues include the treatment of uncertainty and its propagation over time; nonstationarity in long-term environmental trends; the applicability of adaptive management across scales; requirements for models and management alternatives that promote learning; the value of the information produced with adaptive management; the challenge to management of uncertainty and surprise; and institutional (social) learning. To accommodate these and other challenges that are now coming into focus, the learning-based approach of adaptive management will need to be adjusted and expanded in the future.
Keywords: Adaptive Management; Learning; Nonstationarity; Resilience; Uncertainty; Value of information

Technology for Democracy in Development: Lessons from Seven Case Studies - Fung, Archon; Gilman, Hollie Russon; Shkabatur, Jennifer (Deliberation and Development: Rethinking the Role of Voice and Collective Action in Unequal Societies, 2015)

Template concept note for an impact evaluation - Methods Lab (2015)

Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development - Ramalingam, Ben; Hernandez, Kevin; Prieto Martin, Pedro; Faith, Becky (IDS, 2016)
As new technologies and digital business models reshape economies and disrupt incumbencies, interest has surged in the potential of novel frontier technologies to also contribute to positive changes in international development and humanitarian contexts. Widespread adoption of new technologies is acknowledged as centrally important to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. But while frontier technologies can rapidly address large-scale economic, social or political challenges, they can also involve the displacement of existing technologies and carry considerable uncertainty and risk. Although there have been significant wins bringing the benefits of new technologies to poor consumers through examples such as mobile money or off-grid solar energy, there are many other areas where the applications may not yet have been developed into viable market solutions, or where opportunities have not yet been taken up in development practice.

Ten years of Outcome Mapping adaptations and support - Smith, Richard; Mauremootoo, John; Rassmann, Kornelia (Outcome Mapping Learning Community, 2012)
An analysis of how and where Outcome Mapping has been applied, how users have experienced OM and the support options available and required for its use. This research was commissioned by the OMLC Stewards.

Test It and They Might Come: Improving the Uptake of Digital Tools in Transparency and Accountability Initiatives - Wilson, Christopher; de Lanerolle, Indra (IDS Bulletin, 2016)
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Testing the Waters: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of the Factors Affecting Success in Rendering Water Services Sustainable Based on ICT Reporting - Welle, Katharina; Williams, Jennifer; Pearce, Joseph; Befani, Barbara (MAVC, 2015)
This research conducted by WaterAid, Itad and IRC aims to understand the factors that facilitate and inhibit the success of ICT-based reporting to improve rural water supply sustainability.

"That's how the light gets in": Making Change in Closing Political Environments - IBP (International Budget Partnership, 2017)
This collection of learning and reflection essays from the International Budget Partnership's 2016 Annual Report illustrate the multidimensional nature of budget work and democratic engagement. Read more.

The 2015 State of Scrum Report: How the world is applying the most popular Agile approach to projects - Scrum Alliance (Scrum Alliance, 2015)

The 2017 Reader on Results Measurement. An introduction to the DCED Standard - DCED (DCED, 2017)

The 5 Rs Framework in the program cycle - USAID (2016)
USAID’s Program Cycle Operational Policy (ADS 201) provides guidance to missions and other operating units on how to implement the Program Cycle. A key principle of the Program Cycle is to “Promote Sustainability through Local Ownership.” The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe the “5Rs Framework”, a practical methodology for supporting sustainability and local ownership in projects and activities through ongoing attention to local actors and local systems. This Note is rooted in USAID’s 2014 Local Systems Framework paper, which establishes that achieving sustained improvement in development results depends on the contributions of multiple and interconnected local actors. That document also states that USAID needs to improve its systems practice if it is to engage local actors and strengthen local systems more effectively and thus realize sustained results more consistently. The 5Rs Framework, also introduced in the Local Systems Framework, is intended as a simple and practical tool to promote good systems practice. The 5Rs Framework highlights five key dimensions of systems: Results, Roles, Relationships, Rules and Resources. Collectively these 5Rs can serve as a lens for assessing local systems and a guide for identifying and monitoring interventions designed to strengthen them. This Technical Note is divided in two parts. The first part provides an introduction to the 5Rs Framework and the systems practice from which it emerges. The second part demonstrates how systems practice can be embedded in the Program Cycle by continuously applying the 5Rs, especially to the design, implementation, and monitoring of USAID projects and their accompanying activities.

The Actor-Based Change Framework: A Pragmatic Approach to Developing Program Theory for Interventions in Complex Systems - Koleros, Andrew; Mulkerne, Sean; Oldenbeuving, Mark; Stein, Danielle (American Journal of Evaluation, 2020)
Despite a wide body of literature on the importance of program theory and the need to tackle complexity to improve international development programming, the use of program theory to underpin interventions aimed at facilitating change in complex systems remains a challenge for many program practitioners. The actor-based change framework offers a pragmatic approach to address these challenges, integrating concepts and frameworks drawn from complexity science and behavioral change literature to develop robust program theory for complex interventions. This article presents the conceptual framework for the approach and describes how it has been applied in practice on an evaluation of a security and justice program in Nepal. It concludes with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the approach in practice and how it can be applied more widely to improve program theory for interventions in complex systems.

The Adaptive Management System for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area — Linking Management Planning with Effectiveness Evaluation - Jones, Glenys (Adaptive Environmental Management, 2009)
This paper provides a 30 year retrospective on the development of the adaptive management system for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (Australia). It describes the historical background, key influences and stages that paved the way to establishment of adaptive management. It outlines how effectiveness monitoring, evaluation and reporting are integrated with the management plan for the Area to establish an ongoing adaptive management cycle. The chapter presents figures and tools for adaptive management, including 5 useful questions for guiding the integration of effectiveness monitoring, evaluation and reporting into management plans and programs. Strengths and weaknesses of the adaptive management system are discussed. Key lessons and insights distilled from this experience are offered, including the importance of planned monitoring of management effectiveness; the role of stakeholder assessments; and the factors that can assist in sustaining longterm strategic programs despite ongoing institutional change. The chapter concludes with suggestions for fostering an enabling environment for adaptive management.
Keywords: Adaptive Management; Management Intent; Reserve Management; World Heritage

The adoption of innovation in international development organisations: lessons for development co-operation - Kumpf, Benjamin; Jhunjhunwala, Parnika (OECD Publishing, 2023)
Addressing 21st century development challenges requires investments in innovation, including the use of new approaches and technologies. Currently, many development organisations prioritise investments in isolated innovation pilots that leverage a specific approach or technology rather than pursuing a strategic approach to expand the organisation’s toolbox with innovations that have proven their comparative advantage over what is currently used. This Working Paper addresses this challenge of adopting innovations. How can development organisations institutionalise a new way of working, bringing what was once novel to the core of how business is done? Analysing successful adoption efforts across five DAC agencies, the paper lays out a proposed process for the adoption of innovations. The paper features five case-studies and concludes with a set of lessons and recommendations for policy makers on innovation management generally, and adoption of innovation in particular.

The Advocacy Strategy Framework. A tool for articulating an advocacy theory of change - Coffman, Julia; Beer, Tanya (Center for Evaluation Innovation, 2015)

The Aid Chain: Coercion and Commitment in Development NGOs - Wallace, Tina; Bornstein, Lisa; Chapman, Jennifer (Practical Action, 2007)
Significant proportions of aid already flow through the non-governmental sector, but questions are increasingly being asked about the role of NGOs and whether they can deliver on their ambitious claims. This study examines conditionality and mutual commitment between international aid donors and recipient NGOs, North and South. Fieldwork and case study material from Uganda and South Africa are used to support the authors’ contention that the fast changing aid sector has–in the context of a dynamic policy environment–encouraged the mainstreaming of a managerial approach that does not admit of any analysis of power relations or cultural diversity. This increasing–essentially technical– definition of the roles of NGOs has worked to limit the extent of the very development that the organizations were initially established to promote.

The Alignment, Interest and Influence Matrix (AIIM) guidance note - Mendizabal, Enrique (ODI/RAPID, 2010)
In 2007, on the eve of a workshop to introduce a new version of the RAPID approach to DFID policy teams, Enrique Mendizabal and Ben Ramalingam created the Alignment, Interest and Influence Matrix (AIIM), a stakeholder analysis tool that not only helps to identify key stakeholders, but also suggests a possible course of action towards them.

The Answer is 42. On Data, Information and Knowledge - Bours, Dennis (Earth-Eval, 2015)
A recent discussion with some colleagues on the differences between data, knowledge and information made me realize that there still is a lot of confusion when it comes to the use of terms; confusion that goes well beyond my earlier blog post on indicators, measures and metrics.

The Appearance of Accountability: Communication Technologies and Power Asymmetries in Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Recovery - Madianou, Mirca; Ong, Jonathan Corpus; Longboan, Liezel; Cornelio, Jayeel S. (Journal of Communication, 2016)
New communication technologies are celebrated for their potential to improve the accountability of humanitarian agencies. The response to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 represents the most systematic implementation of “accountability to affected people” initiatives. Drawing on a year-long ethnography of the Haiyan recovery and 139 interviews with humanitarian workers and affected people, the article reveals a narrow interpretation of accountability as feedback that is increasingly captured through mobile phones. We observe that the digitized collection of feedback is not fed back to disaster-affected communities, but is directed to donors as evidence of “impact.” Rather than improving accountability to affected people, digitized feedback mechanisms sustained humanitarianism's power asymmetries.
Keywords: Accountability; Audit; Communication for Development; Disasters; Ethnography; ICT4D; Mobile phones; Participatory Communication; SMS; Texting; humanitarianism

The Art and Craft of Bricolage in Evaluation - Aston, Thomas; Apgar, Marina (Institute for Development Studies, 2022)
This CDI Practice Paper by Tom Aston and Marina Apgar makes the case for ‘bricolage’ in complexity-aware and qualitative evaluation methods. It provides a framework based on a review of 33 methods to support evaluators to be more intentional about bricolage and to combine the component parts of relevant methods more effectively. It discusses two cases from practice to illustrate the value added of taking a more intentional approach. It further argues that navigating different forms of power is a critical skill for bricolage, and that doing so can help to ensure rigour.
Accepted: 2022-10-14T10:56:39Z Publisher: Institute of Development Studies

The Art of Agile Development - Shore, James; Warden, Shane (O'Reilly Media, 2007)
The Art of Agile Development contains practical guidance for anyone considering or applying agile development for building valuable software. Plenty of books describe what agile development is or why it helps software projects succeed, but very few combine information for developers, managers, testers, and customers into a single package that they can apply directly. This book provides no-nonsense advice on agile planning, development, delivery, and management taken from the authors' many years of experience with Extreme Programming (XP). You get a gestalt view of the agile development process, including comprehensive guidance for non-technical readers and hands-on technical practices for developers and testers. The Art of Agile Development gives you clear answers to questions such as: How can we adopt agile development? Do we really need to pair program? What metrics should we report? What if I can't get my customer to participate? How much documentation should we write? When do we design and architect? As a non-developer, how should I work with my agile team? Where is my product roadmap? How does QA fit in? The book teaches you how to adopt XP practices, describes each practice in detail, then discusses principles that will allow you to modify XP and create your own agile method. In particular, this book tackles the difficult aspects of agile development: the need for cooperation and trust among team members. Whether you're currently part of an agile team, working with an agile team, or interested in agile development, this book provides the practical tips you need to start practicing agile development. As your experience grows, the book will grow with you, providing exercises and information that will teach you first to understand the rules of agile development, break them, and ultimately abandon rules altogether as you master the art of agile development."Jim Shore and Shane Warden expertly explain the practices and benefits of Extreme Programming. They offer advice from their real-world experiences in leading teams. They answer questions about the practices and show contraindications - ways that a practice may be mis-applied. They offer alternatives you can try if there are impediments to applying a practice, such as the lack of an on-site customer.–Ken Pugh, Author of Jolt Award Winner, Prefactoring "I will leave a copy of this book with every team I visit."–Brian Marick, Exampler Consulting
Keywords: IMPORTANT

The Art of Community: Building the New Age of Participation - Bacon, Jono (O'Reilly Media, 2012)
Online communities provide a wide range of opportunities for supporting a cause, marketing a product or service, or building open source software. The Art of Community helps you recruit members, motivate them, and manage them as active participants. Author Jono Bacon offers experiences and observations from his 14-year effort to build and manage communities, including his current position as manager for Ubuntu.Discover how your community can become a reliable support network, a valuable source of new ideas, and a powerful marketing force. This expanded edition shows you how to keep community projects on track, make use of social media, and organize collaborative events. Interviews with 12 community management leaders, including Linus Torvalds, Tim O’Reilly, and Mike Shinoda, provide useful insights.Develop specific objectives and goals for building your communityBuild processes to help contributors perform tasks, work together, and share successesProvide tools and infrastructure that enable members to work quicklyCreate buzz around your community to get more people involvedHarness social media to broadcast information, collaborate, and get feedbackUse several techniques to track progress on community goalsIdentify and manage conflict, such as dealing with divisive personalities

The Art of Scaling Deep - Research in Summary - Fraser, Tatiana (The Systems Sanctuary, 2023)
Over the last 15 years the concept of scale has become a foundational part of the apparatus of the social and environmental change sector. A business mindset of growth has been seamlessly transferred to the social and environmental problems we are collectively trying to shift in the world. Scaling up, (influencing policy) has been considered the strategic pathway to systems change. Scaling out (spreading new models) is seen as a pathway to success. The allure of these scaling theories lies, in part, in their tangibility, and the easy way in which they can be measured. However this focus on growth has shifted our attention away from a series of messy truths. Sometimes bigger isn't better. Endless growth is not sustainable and our urgency to try to fix the problem and seek solutions may be part of the crisis we are in. One unintended consequence of this has been that another type of scale has been devalued and as a result, under-resourced. It’s a scale that values the slow steady work of deepening relationships. It recognizes the significance of context, building connections that bridge diverse communities and it prioritizes inner work and healing as integral components of the scaling process. We call this type of scale ‘Scaling Deep’ and we believe that adequately supporting it, and funding it, holds the greatest potential for long lasting systemic change. The purpose of this research has been to delve deeper into the art and craft of Scaling Deep. Ultimately, our goal is for it to become firmly ingrained within the recognized realm of social change, alongside the well-established concepts of scaling up and scaling out. We want practitioners who are Scaling Deep to be able to harness the wisdom and power of this work and to talk about it openly, with confidence and credibility. We want understanding of this approach to flourish and evolve and for it to be appropriately celebrated and supported. We want decision-makers to be informed and inspired by the principles and practices of scaling deep. For it to be embedded in theories of change as an essential component of decision-making processes within the wider change discourse. Importantly we want leaders who are Scaling Deep to have access to sufficient resources and to receive the care from the field that they need to thrive. We would like to see organisations that have the power to invest, to align their efforts with the profound impact that scaling deep aspires to cultivate in the world. Before we begin, let us be crystal clear. We are not opposed to scaling up and out as strategies for change. Innovation and scaling what is working is part of how we evolve as humanity. As social entrepreneurs ourselves, we have both done this twice over. We value it and we know it’s important. We recognize these are strategies for creating widespread impact and effecting positive change. Our intention here is not to dismiss or undermine the value of scaling up and out, but rather to encourage a broader and more holistic perspective that includes other dimensions of scale. There is a need to understand how the different scaling approaches can work together, rather than seeing them as hierarchical and disconnected. Our ultimate goal is to equip the change sector with a more inclusive, expansive, and powerful approach to tackling the myriad challenges we face, by exploring the potential of Scaling Deep as a transformational strategy for systems change.

The Beginner’s Guide to Political Economy Analysis (PEA) - Whaites, Alan (National School of Government International, 2017)
Over the last two decades aid agencies and academics have been on a journey of lesson learning and adaptation in relation to `politics.’ This journey has been driven by a determination to improve impact in all areas of development, but for some time it was particularly associated with work on public sector reform. Now, however, there is an increasing expectation that Political Economy Analysis (PEA) should be part and parcel of designing and implementing any programme or activity (and a brief history of the meandering journey of development actors on PEA can be found in The Policy Practice’s Briefing Paper 11 – see below). DFID in the UK is fairly typical among large development organisations in running an excellent course on political economy analysis, complete with 200 pages of resources and various online videos and case studies (and this type of course is recommended for those who want to take their exploration of PEA further). Even so, PEA is not just for those who have `done the course and bought the T-shirt,’ it is something that can be absorbed and implemented quickly by everybody. Indeed, the growth of interest in PEA is a reminder that this can look like a complex and daunting field and so this guide aims to offer an entry-point for all those who want to use PEA in their own work. In doing so, this guide borrows from the best materials that are available while also adapting some approaches by incorporating wider ideas on politics and institutions. This guide affirms that there should never be an official `orthodoxy’ for PEA and so the emphasis here is on questions, prompts and ideas to help thinking and practice. There is also an attempt to clarify jargon wherever needed, while recognising that The Policy Practice (TPP) and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) have produced a more complete glossary of PEA terminology. The note will instead focus on `the essentials’ of PEA as they relate to the following questions:  Why do we do political economy analysis, and what is it?  What kinds of issues and ingredients are often included in a PEA?  How do we make sense of the different varieties of PEA?  What tools are out there to help us conduct a PEA?  What is thinking and working politically?

The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions - Michie, Susan; van Stralen, Maartje M; West, Robert (Implementation Science : IS, 2011)
Background Improving the design and implementation of evidence-based practice depends on successful behaviour change interventions. This requires an appropriate method for characterising interventions and linking them to an analysis of the targeted behaviour. There exists a plethora of frameworks of behaviour change interventions, but it is not clear how well they serve this purpose. This paper evaluates these frameworks, and develops and evaluates a new framework aimed at overcoming their limitations. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases and consultation with behaviour change experts were used to identify frameworks of behaviour change interventions. These were evaluated according to three criteria: comprehensiveness, coherence, and a clear link to an overarching model of behaviour. A new framework was developed to meet these criteria. The reliability with which it could be applied was examined in two domains of behaviour change: tobacco control and obesity. Results Nineteen frameworks were identified covering nine intervention functions and seven policy categories that could enable those interventions. None of the frameworks reviewed covered the full range of intervention functions or policies, and only a minority met the criteria of coherence or linkage to a model of behaviour. At the centre of a proposed new framework is a 'behaviour system' involving three essential conditions: capability, opportunity, and motivation (what we term the 'COM-B system'). This forms the hub of a 'behaviour change wheel' (BCW) around which are positioned the nine intervention functions aimed at addressing deficits in one or more of these conditions; around this are placed seven categories of policy that could enable those interventions to occur. The BCW was used reliably to characterise interventions within the English Department of Health's 2010 tobacco control strategy and the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on reducing obesity. Conclusions Interventions and policies to change behaviour can be usefully characterised by means of a BCW comprising: a 'behaviour system' at the hub, encircled by intervention functions and then by policy categories. Research is needed to establish how far the BCW can lead to more efficient design of effective interventions.

The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens our Businesses, Infantilizes our Governments and Warps our Economies - Mazzucato, Mariana; Collington, Rosie (Allen Lane, 2023)
There is an entrenched relationship between the consulting industry and the way business and government are managed today which must change.Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington show that our economies' reliance on companies such as McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and EY stunts innovation, obfuscates corporate and political accountability and impedes our collective mission of halting climate breakdown.The 'Big Con' describes the confidence trick the consulting industry performs in contracts with hollowed-out and risk-averse governments and shareholder value-maximizing firms. It grew from the 1980s and 1990s in the wake of reforms by both the neoliberal right and Third Way progressives, and it thrives on the ills of modern capitalism, from financialization and privatization to the climate crisis. It is possible because of the unique power that big consultancies wield through extensive contracts and networks - as advisors, legitimators and outsourcers - and the illusion that they are objective sources of expertise and capacity. To make matters worse, our best and brightest graduates are often redirected away from public service into consulting. In all these ways, the Big Con weakens our businesses, infantilizes our governments and warps our economies.Mazzucato and Collington expertly debunk the myth that consultancies always add value to the economy. With a wealth of original research, they argue brilliantly for investment and collective intelligence within all organizations and communities, and for a new system in which public and private sectors work innovatively for the common good. We must recalibrate the role of consultants and rebuild economies and governments that are fit for purpose.

The Blind Man and the Elephant: Analysing the Local State in China - Saich, Tony (On the Roots of Growth and Crisis: Capitalism, State and Society in East Asia, 2002)

The Boda Boda Talk Talk Module - Internews (Internews & USAID, 2017)
Keywords: IMPORTANT

The Case for an Adaptive Approach to Empowerment and Accountability Programming in Fragile Settings: Synthesis report - Christie, Angela; Green, Duncan (Itad, Oxfam and IDS, 2019)
Fragile, conflict and violence-affected settings (FCVAS) are messy and ambiguous contexts in which to plan and implement development initiatives. To work there, external actors are increasingly adopting an adaptive approach to empowerment and accountability (E&A) programming, whatever the setting. This means using a compass rather than map, where real-time political economy analysis (PEA) in relation to context and programme monitoring and evidence-informed learning in relation to intervention are used in combination and in shorter-than-usual planning cycles to maintain and adapt strategic direction. This paper brings together three case studies of large Department for International Development (DFID) governance projects in Myanmar, Nigeria and Tanzania.
Keywords: A4EA; Adaptive Development; Economy; Fishery

The case for thinking and working politically. The implications of 'doing development differently' - DLP (DLP, 2014)
This paper discusses the steps required to build a robust evidence base for 'thinking and working politically' (TWP) in development. It argues that better understanding what works, when and why is an important step in moving TWP into mainstream development programming. The paper reviews the existing evidence base on TWP, building on this and on other literature on public sector reform and 'pockets of effectiveness' to suggest research questions, case study selection criteria, and a four-level analytical framework: 1) political context; 2) sector; 3) organisation; and 4) individual. The framework aims to help build a 'rigorous enough' evidence base to show whether and how TWP happens and whether or not it influences the effectiveness of programme implementation and outcomes. The paper also calls for more focus on gender issues, and on different – and often more fragile – political contexts.

The Causal Mechanism Claim in Evaluation: Does the Prophecy Fulfill? - Schmitt, Johannes (New Directions for Evaluation, 2020)
Despite increased discussions in the community and a common understanding about the virtue of mechanism-based explanation, little is known about the true benefits and challenges of applying causal mechanism analysis in practice. This chapter aims to introduce the reader to the topic of causal mechanisms and synthesize significant findings on this special issue. It begins by laying out definitions and concepts of causal mechanisms in evaluation literature and proposes a two-way classification of causal mechanisms along which the chapters to this issue are structured. The chapter continues by introducing the Causal Mechanism Claim and elaborates on how analyzing causal mechanisms is expected to increase policy relevance and causal capacity in evaluations. Drawing on this issue's rich corpus of firsthand practical experience, this introduction synthesizes key lessons that support or contradict the Causal Mechanism Claim. We find that both parts of the claim—increased policy relevance and strengthened causal capacity—are supported by the authors' experiences as bundled in this issue. However, we also identify challenges related to cross-cutting issues such as communication and practical applicability and point to the importance of method integration.

The Clash of the Counter-bureaucracy and Development - Natsios, Andrew (The Center for Global Development, 2010)
In this essay, Andrew Natsios gives a first-hand account of what he finds most hinders USAID—layers of bureaucracy that misguide and derail development work.

The collaborative exploration of alternative futures: A different approach to Theories of Change - CEDIL programme (2022)
ParEvo is a web application that enables the collaborative construction and exploration of a range of alternative futures: likely and unlikely, desirable and undesirable. These are described in the form of a branching narrative structure, developed over a series of iterations involving the interactions of a group of participants. These detailed storylines about the future contrast with optimistic, skeletal and largely singular views of the future found in diagrammatic ToCs often encountered by evaluators. This webinar will describe a recent ParEvo exercise implemented by the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) in Cambridge. In this exercise 11 international experts explored ideas about how global risks associated with biotechnology research could be managed, and mismanaged, in the coming four years. Including how these alternative futures were evaluated by participants and the CSER facilitators. Issues to be discussed by the panel, and others, include comparisons with other representations of Theories of Change and other approaches to the exploration of alternative futures, described variously as scenario planning, futures or foresight work. Speakers: Rick Davies, Lara Mani Tom Hobson An overview of the app can be found here: https://mscinnovations.wordpress.com/ The app website is here: https://parevo.org/

The COM-B Theory of Change Mode - v.5 - Mayne, John (Palladium, 2019)
ResearchGate is a network dedicated to science and research. Connect, collaborate and discover scientific publications, jobs and conferences. All for free.

The context v intervention 2x2 | From Poverty to Power - Green, Duncan (From Poverty to Power, 2016)
Lots of discussion on my US trip around the strengths/weaknesses of the context v intervention 2x2 that suggests particular theories of change acc to situation
Keywords: IMPORTANT

The curious case of the realist trial: Methodological oxymoron or unicorn? - Nielsen, Steffen Bohni; Jaspers, Sofie Østergaard; Lemire, Sebastian (Evaluation, 2023)
Realist evaluation and experimental designs are both well-established approaches to evaluation. Over the past 10 years, realist trials—evaluations purposefully combining realist evaluation and experimental designs—have emerged. Informed by a comprehensive review of published realist trials, this article examines to what extent and how realist trials align with quality standards for realist evaluations and randomized controlled trials and to what extent and how the realist and trial aspects of realist trials are integrated. We identified only few examples that met high-quality standards for both experimental and realist studies and that merged the two designs.
Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd

The Debate about RCTs in Development is over. We won. They lost. - Pritchett, Lant (2018)
There has been a debate in development economics over the last 20 years as some claimed the use of RCTs as a tool for independent impact evaluation would significantly improve development practice and hence development. While right about the methodological claims about the superiority of randomization to produce cleaner estimates of the LATE (local average treatment effect) of projects and programs, this, in and of itself, does not change development practice. All of the five claims needed to sustain a positive model in which RCT/IIE has a major positive impact are demonstrably false. The proponents of RCTs have responded to losing the first round decisively by changing significantly both their claims and their practice.

The Design of Everyday Things, revised and expanded edition - Norman, Donald A. (MIT Press, 2013)
Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we try to figure out the shower control in a hotel or attempt to navigate an unfamiliar television set or stove. When The Design of Everyday Things was published in 1988, cognitive scientist Don Norman provocatively proposed that the fault lies not in ourselves, but in design that ignores the needs and psychology of people. Fully revised to keep the timeless principles of psychology up to date with ever-changing new technologies, The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful appeal for good design, and a reminder of how – and why – some products satisfy while others only disappoint.

The Difference Learning Makes - Factors that enable and inhibit adaptive programming - Gray, Stephen; Carl, Andy (Christian Aid, 2022)
Executive Summary When Christian Aid (CA) Ireland devised its multi-country and multi-year Irish Aid funded Programme Grant II (2017-2022), they opted to move away from a linear programme management approach and to explore an adaptive one. Across seven countries: Angola, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe, CA and partner organisations support marginalised communities to realise their rights, reduce violence and address gender inequality. Since 2019, Adapt Peacebuilding has accompanied CA Ireland, CA country teams and partner organisations as they experimented with using a deliberate adaptive approach. The authors were also asked to follow up on an initial study by CA Ireland and Overseas Development Institute in 2018, which described the rationale for adopting this new approach and included early lessons from its first year of implementation. The aim of this study is to help deepen CA Ireland, CA country teams’ and partners’ understanding of (a) whether their application of adaptive programming has resulted in better development outcomes, and (b) how they can better understand the factors that enabled or inhibited the effectiveness of using this approach. Over the past three years, this study has found evidence and multiple examples that show adaptive programming contributed to better development outcomes. The main reasons cited were that these were made possible both from improvements to programming strategies based on proactive reflection and learning, as well as those that stem from the reactive capacity of adaptive programmes to change course in response to unanticipated changes in operating conditions. This study found that adaptive programming has enabled better development practice where organisations are enhancing their skills to better respond and be flexible to contextual challenges. 72% of partners surveyed described adaptive programming as the most useful approach to programme management that they have used. The programme approach has meant that CA and partner staff were better able to explore the significance of change in the context and their contributions to them. It also enabled spaces for meaningful engagement with communities in learning and programme planning processes and encouraged opportunities for experimentation in programming. The study also found that adaptive programming has supported flexible delivery. This led to better outcomes that would not have been possible were the programme not able to make flexible adjustments. The main focus has been the analysis of nine factors that can determine the effectiveness and impact (or otherwise) of using an adaptive approach, flagging important issues for understanding. These factors are identified as: 1) Leadership; 2) Organisational culture; 3) Conceptual understanding; 4) Staff capacities; 5) Partnership approaches; 6) Participation; 7) Methods and tools; 8) Administrative procedures; and 9) The operating context. Together these can provide an analytical framework for assessing an organisation’s ‘adaptive scope’, which can be used as a tool for better understanding an organisation’s potential to generate improved development outcomes via adaptive programming and how to strengthen them. The study concludes with several recommendations for CA Ireland, all of which have relevance for a broader community of donors and implementing organisations interested in the potential of adaptive programming.

The Dilemmas of Citizen Inclusion in Urban Planning and Governance to Enable a 1.5 °C Climate Change Scenario - Chu, Eric; Schenk, Todd; Patterson, James (Urban Planning, 2018)
Cities around the world are facilitating ambitious and inclusive action on climate change by adopting participatory and collaborative planning approaches. However, given the major political, spatial, and scalar interdependencies involved, the extent to which these planning tools equip cities to realise 1.5 °C climate change scenarios is unclear. This article draws upon emerging knowledge in the fields of urban planning and urban climate governance to explore complementary insights into how cities can pursue ambitious and inclusive climate action to realise 1.5 °C climate change scenarios. We observe that urban planning scholarship is often under-appreciated in urban climate governance research, while conversely, promising urban planning tools and approaches can be limited by the contested realities of urban climate governance. By thematically reviewing diverse examples of urban climate action across the globe, we identify three key categories of planning dilemmas: institutional heterogeneity, scalar mismatch, and equity and justice concerns. We argue that lessons from urban planning and urban climate governance scholarship should be integrated to better understand how cities can realise 1.5 °C climate change scenarios in practice.

The direction of evolution: The rise of cooperative organization - Stewart, John E. (Biosystems, 2014)
Two great trends are evident in the evolution of life on Earth: towards increasing diversification and towards increasing integration. Diversification has spread living processes across the planet, progressively increasing the range of environments and free energy sources exploited by life. Integration has proceeded through a stepwise process in which living entities at one level are integrated into cooperative groups that become larger-scale entities at the next level, and so on, producing cooperative organizations of increasing scale (for example, cooperative groups of simple cells gave rise to the more complex eukaryote cells, groups of these gave rise to multi-cellular organisms, and cooperative groups of these organisms produced animal societies). The trend towards increasing integration has continued during human evolution with the progressive increase in the scale of human groups and societies. The trends towards increasing diversification and integration are both driven by selection. An understanding of the trajectory and causal drivers of the trends suggests that they are likely to culminate in the emergence of a global entity. This entity would emerge from the integration of the living processes, matter, energy and technology of the planet into a global cooperative organization. Such an integration of the results of previous diversifications would enable the global entity to exploit the widest possible range of resources across the varied circumstances of the planet. This paper demonstrates that it's case for directionality meets the tests and criticisms that have proven fatal to previous claims for directionality in evolution.
Keywords: Direction of evolution; Evolution of a global entity; Evolution of cooperation; Evolutionary progress; Major evolutionary transitions

The Doing Development Different Manifesto - DDD Community (DDD Community, 2014)
Statement from the October 2014 ‘Doing Development Differently’ workshop Too many development initiatives have limited impact. Schools are built but children do not learn. Clinics are built but sic…

The Dynamics of Team Learning: Harmony and Rhythm in Teamwork Arrangements for Innovation - Harvey, Jean-François; Cromwell, Johnathan R.; Johnson, Kevin J.; Edmondson, Amy C. (Administrative Science Quarterly, 2023)
Innovation teams must navigate inherent tensions between different learning activities to produce high levels of performance. Yet, we know little about how teams combine these activities—notably reflexive, experimental, vicarious, and contextual learning—most effectively over time. In this article, we integrate research on teamwork episodes with insights from music theory to develop a new theoretical perspective on team dynamics, which explains how team activities can produce harmony, dissonance, or rhythm in teamwork arrangements that lead to either positive or negative effects on overall performance. We first tested our theory in a field study using longitudinal data from 102 innovation teams at a Fortune Global 500 company; then, we replicated and elaborated our theory in a study of 61 MBA project teams at an elite North American university. Results show that some learning activities can occur within the same teamwork episode to have harmonious positive effects on team performance, while other activities combine to have dissonant negative effects when occurring in the same episode. We argue that dissonant activities must be spread across teamwork episodes to help teams achieve a positive rhythm of team learning over time. Our findings contribute to theory on team dynamics, team learning, and ambidexterity.

The effect of government responsiveness on future political participation - Mellon, Andrew Jonathan; Sjoberg, Fredrik Matias; Peixoto, Tiago Carneiro (The World Bank, 2015)
What effect does government responsiveness have on political participation? Since the 1940s political scientists have used attitudinal measures of perceived efficacy to explain participation. More recent work has focused on underlying genetic factors that condition citizen engagement. The authors develop a ‘calculus of participation’ that incorporates objective efficacy, the extent to which an individual’s participation actually has an impact, and test the model against behavioral data from FixMyStreet.com (n=399,364). The authors find that a successful first experience using FixMyStreet.com (e.g., reporting a pothole and having it fixed) is associated with a 54 percent increase in the probability of an individual submitting a second report. The authors also show that the experience of government responsiveness to the first report submitted has predictive power over all future report submissions. The findings highlight the importance of government responsiveness for fostering an active citizenry, while demonstrating the value of incidentally collected data to examine participatory behavior at the individual level.

The era of development mutants - Quaggiotto, Giulio (Nesta, 2016)
If you were looking for the cutting edge of the development sector, where would you go these days?

The ethical limits of bungee research in ICTD - Dearden, Andrew; Tucker, William D. (2015 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society, 2015)
Research in ICTD is difficult because engineers with technical expertise are separated from the challenges that they are trying to address by large physical distances and significant social differences. To overcome these challenges, much research involves occasional short visits by external researchers to developing regions to investigate problems and generate ideas which are then developed back at the engineers' home base before further return visits for deployment and evaluation. This paper highlights the ethical limitations of this `bungee research', and reflects on our experiences in evolving more fruitful research practices. We argue that relying on bungee research as a primary model of research engagement is unethical, and we suggest some minimal conditions that are necessary, but not sufficient, for such visits to be ethically defensible in ICTD research.

The Fallacy of Beneficial Ignorance: A Test of Hirschman's Hiding Hand - Flyvbjerg, Bent (World Development, 2016)
Albert O. Hirschman's principle of the Hiding Hand stands stronger and more celebrated today than ever. The principle states that ignorance is good in planning,
Keywords: Behavioral economics; Development; Hiding hand; Ignorance; Management

The fascinating world of unconscious bias and development policy - d’Almeida, André Corrêa; Grossi, Amanda Sue (The Guardian, 2016)
In the last few years scientists have exposed thinking patterns that may skew our decision-making. How can we counter these biases in humanitarian work?
Keywords: Academic experts; Higher Education Network; Neuroscience; Psychology; education; higher education

The fashion for agile management is spreading - The Economist (The Economist, 2018)
Executives need to be a cross between Spider-Man and Simone Biles

The field guide to human-centered design: design kit - IDEO (IDEO, 2015)
Keywords: Design; IMPORTANT; Methode

The five trademarks of agile organizations - Wouter Aghina; Karin Ahlbäck; Aaron De Smet; Clemens Fahrbach; Christopher Handscomb; Gerald Lackey; Michael Lurie; Monica Murarka; Olli Salo; Elizabeth Seem; Jannik Woxholth (McKinsey anc Company, 2017)
Our experience and research demonstrate that successful agile organizations consistently exhibit the five trademarks described in this article. The trademarks include a network of teams within a people-centered culture that operates in rapid learning and fast decision cycles which are enabled by technology, and a common purpose that co-creates value for all stakeholders. These trademarks complement the findings from The McKinsey Global Survey Results: How to create an agile organization.

The Future is a Choice: The Oxfam Framework and Guidance for Resilient Development - Jeans, Helen; Thomas, Sebastien; Castillo, Gina (Policy & Practice, 2016)
This guide provides a framework for Oxfam staff to design programmes and campaigns that contribute to resilient development. Oxfam defines resilience as ‘the ability of women and men to realize their rights and improve their well-being despite shocks, stresses

The Future of Development: “Make Happen” with Portfolios of Options - CHÔRA Foundation (CHÔRA Foundation, 2021)
This Green Paper intends to review key elements of the problem that Development actors will confront as a new decade opens up ahead of us. It will articulate a solution that we believe should become an inherent feature of Development programs and initiatives. This is the outcome of an intense period of experiences and reflections in the Development space across different geographies and institutional mandates and activities, during which the Foundation has collaborated with institutions such as the UNDP and Grand Challenges Canada. At the heart of our collaborations is a Strategic Innovation and System Transformation Framework, with its associated concepts, working definitions, processes, tools and people. Sourced from CHÔRA Foundation’s knowledge and practice assets, this is a capability we intend to make relevant, customise, scale up and distribute to our partners and stakeholders. We are looking to create with them a space that offers the world a transformational capability. Central to this capability we see a distinctive and robust practice: the design and dynamic management of Portfolios of Strategic Innovation and System Transformation Options. These Portfolios are unique, context relevant, embedded mechanisms for learning, sensemaking and problem solving that social systems leverage to have an impact on themselves and their problems, and to induce the transformations that are necessary to them. It is our view that Portfolios of Options are the most effective means by which human social systems can supply themselves with budgets of possibility that ensure choice and create opportunity. They will also support pragmatic evolutionary outcomes and enable resilience.

The Futures Toolkit: Tools for Futures Thinking and Foresight Across UK Government - HM Government (2017)

The Generalizability Puzzle - Bates, Mary Ann; Glennerster, Rachel (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2017)
The practice of using rigorous scientific evaluations to study solutions to global poverty is relatively young. Although researchers continue to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms at work, confusion about their role and value persists. Having evidence from specific studies is fine and good, but for policy makers, the point is not simply to understand poverty, but to eliminate it. Do decisions always need to be informed by evidence from the local context? What potential and limits do randomized controlled trials have for improving our knowledge and finding effective answers? Two leaders in anti-poverty research—J-PAL and IPA—dispel some of the myths about their field. In this article, authors from J-PAL argue that rigorous impact evaluations tell us a lot about the world, not just the particular contexts in which they are conducted. Access to this article made possible by MIT.

The Global Wildlife Program - Knowledge Platform - 2016-2018 - WB (The World Bank, 2018)

The good and the ‘not so good’ of our experiences with SenseMaker - Mager, Franziska (Oxfam Views & Voices, 2019)
When we purchased a license for the SenseMaker research method in early 2017 (a proprietary data collection and analysis software), the excitement in our more “geeky” teams was palpable. SenseMaker ... Read More

The Governance of Climate Change Adaptation Through Urban Policy Experiments - Chu, Eric K. (Environmental Policy and Governance, 2016)
Climate change is increasingly posing risks to infrastructure and public services in cities across the global South. Building on ideas of policy experimentation at the nexus of institutional and transition theories, this paper assesses six climate change adaptation experiments across the cities of Surat, Indore and Bhubaneswar in India to uncover the politics behind how experiments are conceived of, implemented, and supported in light of local development needs. Through employing both embedded and cross-case comparative methods, I argue that policy experiments are often framed around achieving tangible urban economic benefits and maximizing specific project complementarities, which allow emerging adaptation priorities access to established policy directives and funding streams. However, I conclude that despite being arenas for testing new ideas, quantifying climate and development co-benefits, and engaging private and civil society actors, adaptation policy experiments must be coherent with urban political economic contexts in order for them to affect sustained, equitable and transformative programmatic change. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Keywords: Climate change adaptation; India; Policy experiments; urban governance; urban planning

The guiding logics and principles for designing emergent transdisciplinary research processes: learning experiences and reflections from a transdisciplinary urban case study in Enkanini informal settlement, South Africa - van Breda, John; Swilling, Mark (Sustainability Science, 2019)
Transdisciplinarity is not a new science per se, but a new methodology for doing science with society. A particular challenge in doing science with society is the engagement with non-academic actors to enable joint problem formulation, analysis and transformation. How this is achieved differs between contexts. The premise of this paper is that transdisciplinary research (TDR) methodologies designed for developed world contexts cannot merely be replicated and transferred to developing world contexts. Thus a new approach is needed for conducting TDR in contexts characterised by high levels of complexity, conflict and social fluidity. To that end, this paper introduces a new approach to TDR titled emergent transdisciplinary design research (ETDR). A core element of this approach is that the research process is designed as it unfolds, that is, it transforms as it emerges from and within the fluid context. The ETDR outlined in this paper emerged through a case study in the informal settlement (slum) of Enkanini in Stellenbosch, South Africa. This case study demonstrates the context from and within which the ETDR approach and identifies a set of guiding logics that can be used to guide ETDR approaches in other contexts. The study demonstrates that the new logics and guiding principles were not simply derived from the TDR literature, but rather emerged from constant interacting dynamics between theory and practice. Learning how to co-design the research process through co-producing transformative knowledge and then implementing strategic interventions to bring about incremental social change is key to theory development in ways that are informed by local contextual dynamics. There are, however, risks when undertaking such TDR processes such as under-valuing disciplinary knowledge, transferring risks onto a society, and suppressing ‘truth-to-power’.

The Haves and the Have Nots: Civic Technologies and the Pathways to Government Responsiveness - Mellon, Jonathan; Peixoto, Tiago C; Sjoberg, Fredrik M (World Bank, 2022)
“Civic tech” broadly refers to the use of digital technologies to support a range of citizen engagement processes. From allowing individuals to report problems to local government to enabling the crowdsourcing of national legislation, civic tech aims to promote better policies and services – while contributing to more inclusive democratic institutions. But could civic tech affect public issues in a way that benefits some and excludes others? Over the decades, the question of who participates in and who is excluded from participation mediated by technology has been the focus of both civic tech critics and proponents. The latter tend to argue that, by enabling citizens to participate without constraints of time and distance, civic tech facilitates the participation of those who usually abstain from engaging with public issues, leading to more inclusive processes. Critics argue that, given the existing digital divide, unequal access to technology will tend to empower the already empowered, further deepening societal differences. Yet both critics and proponents do tend to share an intuitive assumption: the socio-economic profile of who participates is the primary determinant of who benefits from digitally mediated civic participation. For instance, if more men participate, outcomes will favor male preferences, and if more young people participate, outcomes will be more aligned with the concerns of the youth. In a new paper, we show that the link between the demographics of those participating through digital channels, and the beneficiaries of the participation process, is not necessarily as straightforward as commonly assumed. We review four civic tech cases where data allow us to trace the full participatory chain through: the initial digital divide the participant’s demographics the demands made through the process the policy outcomes We examine online voting in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul’s participatory budgeting process, the local problem reporting platform Fix My Street (FMS) in the United Kingdom, Iceland’s online crowdsourced constitution process, and the global petitioning platform Change.org. Counterintuitive findings Change.org has been used by nearly half a billion people around the globe. Using a dataset of 3.9 million signers of online petitions in 132 countries, we examine the number of successful petitions and assess whether petitions created by women have more success than those submitted by men. Our analysis shows that, even if women create fewer online petitions than men, their petitions are more likely to be successful. All else equal, when online petitions have an impact on government policy, the agenda being implemented is much closer to the issues women choose to focus on. In Rio Grande do Sul’s digital participatory budgeting (PB), we show that despite important demographic differences between online and offline voters, these inequalities do not affect which types of projects are selected for funding – a consequence of PB’s unique institutional design, which favors redistributive effects. In fact, of all the cases analyzed, none reflect the standard assumption that inequalities in who participates translate directly into inequalities in who benefits from the policy outcomes. Our results suggest that the socio-economic profile of participants predicts only in part who benefits from civic tech. Just as important to policy outcomes is how the platform translates civic participation into policy demands, and how the government responds to those demands. While civic tech practitioners pay a lot of attention to design from a technological perspective, our findings highlight the importance of considering how civic tech platforms function as political institutions that encourage certain types of behavior while discouraging others. Civic tech, it seems, is not inherently good nor bad for democratic institutions. Instead, its effect is a combination of who participates on digital platforms and the choices of platform designers and governments.

The Hidden Life of Theories of Change - Green, Duncan (From Poverty to Power, 2020)
A smart new report explores how a good idea - theories of change - is distorted by the way it is implemented in the aid sector

The Hidden Life of Theories of Change - Ho, Wenny; Tamas, Peter; van Wessel, Margit (Hivos, 2020)
Theory of Change is thought to be very useful for learning and adaptive management of complex interventions such as advocacy. Nevertheless, the use of Theory of Change is also under critique. One common criticism is that Theory of Change is often used as a framework that fixes agreements rather than as a living, guiding tool that helps reflection and adaptation. However, while such criticism stresses forms of control, little research has looked at the way Theory of Change and advocacy practice relate. This is a pertinent issue considering that formally agreed Theories of Change and realities on the ground can be very different. This raises questions: Do advocates work in ways different from what Theory of Change states, and if so, how, and why? How does the way they strategize relate to formal Theories of Change? With what implications? In this brief, we explore these more hidden aspects of the life of Theories of Change.

The high cost of accurate knowledge - Sutcliffe, Kathleen M.; Weber, Klaus (Harvard Business Review, 2003)
Many business thinkers believe it's the role of senior managers to scan the external environment to monitor contingencies and constraints, and to use that precise knowledge to modify the company's strategy and design. As these thinkers see it, managers need accurate and abundant information to carry out that role. According to that logic, it makes sense to invest heavily in systems for collecting and organizing competitive information. Another school of pundits contends that, since today's complex information often isn't precise anyway, it's not worth going overboard with such investments. In other words, it's not the accuracy and abundance of information that should matter most to top executives–rather, it's how that information is interpreted. After all, the role of senior managers isn't just to make decisions; it's to set direction and motivate others in the face of ambiguities and conflicting demands. Top executives must interpret information and communicate those interpretations–they must manage meaning more than they must manage information. So which of these competing views is the right one? Research conducted by academics Sutcliffe and Weber found that how accurate senior executives are about their competitive environments is indeed less important for strategy and corresponding organizational changes than the way in which they interpret information about their environments. Investments in shaping those interpretations, therefore, may create a more durable competitive advantage than investments in obtaining and organizing more information. And what kinds of interpretations are most closely linked with high performance? Their research suggests that high performers respond positively to opportunities, yet they aren't overconfident in their abilities to take advantage of those opportunities.
Keywords: Administrative Personnel; Data Collection; Decision Making; Organizational; Economic Competition; Information Management; Investments; Marketing; Organizational Innovation; United States

The Impact of Transparency and Accountability Initiatives - Gaventa, John; McGee, Rosemary (Development Policy Review, 2013)

The Implications of Complexity for Development - Barder, Owen (2012)
In this lecture, adapted from his May 2012 Kapuściński Lecture, Owen Barder explores the implications of complexity theory for development policy. He explains how traditional economic models have tried and failed to understand why some countries have managed to improve living standards while other countries have not.
Keywords: IMPORTANT

The Indispensable Community: Why Some Brand Communities Thrive When Others Perish - Millington, Richard (Feverbee, 2018)
How to Build Bigger, Better, and More Active Online CommunitiesBuzzing Communities cuts through the fluff to offer a clear process for creating thriving online communities. This book combines a century of proven science, dozens of real-life examples, practical tips, and trusted community-building methods. This step-by-step guide includes a lifecycle for tracking your progress and a framework for managing your organization's community efforts. This Book Will Help You to Understand what the members of your community really want. Dramatically increase the number of newcomers that become regulars. Avoid the mistakes most organizations make when they try to build online communities. Develop a fantastic, user-friendly website for your members. Grow your online community to critical mass and beyond Keep members engaged and active in your community. Measure the community's return on investment and explain the benefits to your organization.

The Innovative Power of Positive Deviance - Goldstein, Jeffrey; Hazy, James; Lichtenstein, Benyamin B. (Complexity and the Nexus of Leadership, 2010)

The International Development Innovation Alliance - IDIA (R4D, 2017)
Brochure from the International Development Innovation Alliance

The Internet and Democracy Building in Lusophone African Countries - Salgado, Dr Susana (Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2014)
This timely book fills an important gap in the literature on the influence of the Internet and new media in Portuguese speaking African countries. Based on extensive field work throughout the region the author examines the influence of the Internet in the transition to democracy in Africa, and asks whether there are new possibilities for popular activism to emerge from evolving communication environments and media systems.The book analyses the different forms of democracy, the concept of development, and addresses the debate about the relationship between democracy and development and explores the influence of the media in the democratization process, the promises that digital media bring to this process and to development and the implications of the African digital divide. In certain countries in this region democracy and independent news media are in their infancy but are starting to take hold, giving an excellent opportunity to observe the dynamics of civil society and the influence of increased freedom, new voting powers and new media in particular. The book offers important insights into the roles and functions that the media in general, and the Internet in particular, can perform in the creation of a more democratic society, as well as in empowering and educating citizens in democratic values.
Google-Books-ID: WC3jBAAAQBAJ
Keywords: Business & Economics / Industries / Computers & Information Technology; History / Africa / General; Political Science / Political Ideologies / Democracy

The interplay between social learning and adaptive capacity in climate change adaptation: A systematic review - Phuong, Thi Hong Le; Biesbroek, G. Robbert; Wals, Arjen E.J. (NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, 2017)
Successful implementation climate change adaptation depends to a large extent on the capabilities of individuals, organizations, and communities to create and mobilize the adaptive capacity (AC) of their socio-ecological system. Creating and mobilizing AC is a continuous process that requires social learning (SL). Although rich with empirical cases, the literature theorizing and empirically investigating the relationship between AC and SL is highly fragmented. This paper aims to critically examine the peer-reviewed literature that focusses on SL and AC in the context of climate change adaptation (CCA). Special attention is paid to the interplay between the two. Understanding this interplay can help improve our understanding of how CCA takes place in practice and advances theoretical debates on CCA. Systematic review methods are used to analyse 43 papers (1997–2016). Our findings reveal three perspectives that each play an important role in different contexts: an AC-focused perspective, a SL-focused perspective, and a hybrid perspective. These differences in conceptualizations of the relationship between SL and AC may seem trivial at first, but they have consequences for the design of learning-based interventions aimed at helping communities respond to climate change. It appears that such interventions need to be preceded by an analysis of the climate change context in order to decide whether to emphasize AC, SL or both simultaneously.
Keywords: Adaptive capacity; Climate change adaptation; Social learning; Systematic review

The journey from rhetoric to reality: participatory evaluation in a development context - Chouinard, Jill Anne; Cousins, J. Bradley (Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 2015)
In this paper, we focus on participatory evaluation in the context of international development and specifically on the emerging empirical knowledge base. In a prior review and critique of research on participatory evaluation (Cousins and Chouinard 2012), we examined 121 studies, with only 21 (17 %) situated in development contexts. However, the circumstances and challenges for international development and for development evaluation are distinct from those found in developed countries and therefore warrant separate consideration. To provide a more focused and detailed understanding of participatory evaluation in international development contexts, in this paper we augment our initial sample to a total of 40 studies on participatory evaluation in development published over the past 16.5 years. Based on an analysis of this research and related theoretical and conceptual contributions we identify and discuss eight emergent themes: multiplicity of relationships, consequences of stakeholder selection, characterization of participation, contextual complexity, methodological requirements, cultural influence, politics and power and learning and capacity building. We conclude with some reflections on an agenda for research.

The Knowledge-Creating Company - Nonaka, Ikujiro (Harvard Business Review, 2007)
Editor’s Note: This 1991 article helped popularize the notion of “tacit” knowledge—the valuable and highly subjective insights and intuitions that are difficult to capture and share because people carry them in their heads. Years later, the piece can still startle a reader with its views of organizations and of the types of knowledge that inform […]
Keywords: Creativity; Innovation; Product development; Research & development

The landscape of innovation approaches - Leurs, Bas (States of Change, 2018)
An overview of innovation methods and approaches we’ve come across in government innovation practice.

The Last 10 Per Cent: Why the World Needs a Leaner, More Innovative and Pragmatic Development Sector, Today - Harper, Erica (Routledge India, 2023)
Criticism that the development sector has not delivered in terms of eliminating extreme poverty, fast-tracking growth and preventing conflict, is neither new nor surprising. In fact, it may be the one thing that scholars, donors and practitioners agree on. While many of these concerns are valid, this book makes a case that the sector is closer to unlocking the gates to more effective and efficient development outcomes than is popularly believed. Specifically, it argues that by overturning a few myths, making better use of evidence and employing some different rules, practitioners, policy specialists and donors can foster the changes in the development architecture that are needed to reach the 10 percent of the world’s population still living in extreme poverty.Engaging, provocative and clear sighted, the book provides insight into interventions around democratic governance, refugee response, counterterrorism, gender mainstreaming, environmental protection and private sector engagement. It is instructive reading for professionals across the development sector, think tanks and NGOs.

The Learning Power of Listening - Guijt, Irene; Gottret, Maria Veronica; Hanchar, Anna; Deprez, Steff; Muckenhirn, Rita (PRACTICAL ACTION PUBLISHING, 2022)
Steff had the pleasure to co-author the first SenseMaker Practitioner Guide with a group of friends and colleagues supported and published by Oxfam and CRS. This practical guide is for those who wish to use SenseMaker to conduct assessments, monitor progress, and undertake evaluations or research. Drawing on more than a decade of experience, the authors share dozens of examples from international development, providing practical tips and ideas for context-specific adaptations. They show how the method can be used to for difficult-to-measure outcomes related to poverty reduction, social justice, peacebuilding, resilience, gender norms, behavior change, governance and environmental management. ​ SenseMaker is a unique participatory method of inquiry that encourages and enables novel insights not obtained from conventional quantitative and quantitative and qualitative methods. It is action-oriented and, therefore, well-suited for people needing data- informed insights for adaptive management. "Writing this guide together with Irene, Veronica, Anna and Rita was an enormous learning process in itself and has further shaped our thinking and practice. We hope it will support first-time and experienced users to enhance their practice and that it will inspire people to explore and innovate further with the method."
Pages: 1-188

The Limits of Accounting-Based Accountability in Education (and Far Beyond): Why More Accounting Will Rarely Solve Accountability Problems - Honig, Dan; Pritchett, Lant (Center for Global Development, 2019)
Accountability is rightly at the center of the conversation regarding how to improve governance systems, particularly health and education systems. But efforts to address accountability deficits often focus primarily on improving what can be counted and verified—what we term “accountingbased accountability.” We argue that introducing greater accounting-based accountability will only very rarely be the appropriate solution for addressing accountability problems. We illustrate this by exploring the role of Accountability ICT in (not) improving education system performance. Strengthening “real” accountability is not the same as improving data systems for observation and verification, and often attempts at the latter undermine the former. The development discourse’s frequent semantic misunderstanding of the term “accountability” has pernicious effects on system reform efforts and ultimately global welfare.

The limits of agile - can we apply it to policy making? - Ollerhead, Lisa (2015)
Bringing new policy tools and techniques to the UK Government

The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development: Changing Rules for Realistic Solutions - Andrews, Matt (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Institutional reforms are common across the globe. Think of efforts to build new governments in Afghanistan and Iraq; or decades worth of interventions intended to improve fiscal management, reduce corruption or introduce efficient public sector service delivery in African countries.These reforms often have limited results, however. They lead to new laws that are not properly implemented, and new organizations that have poor capacities and fail to function as needed. In this book, Matt Andrews explains why reform results are frequently limited and suggests ways to overcome these limits. In the first half of the book, Andrews argues that reforms fail to make governments better when they are introduced as signals to gain short-term support–from donors and others. Reforms as signals introduce unrealistic best practices that do not fit developing country contexts and are not considered relevant by implementing agents. The result is a set of new forms that do not function properly. Andrews uses examples to prove this point, ranging from efforts to introduce fiscal rules in Argentina to reforms aimed at international accounting standard adoption in many African countries, and anti corruption interventions in Malawi and Uganda. In the second half of the book, Andrews notes that there are instances where reforms are not being introduced as signals, and are having more of an impact on government effectiveness. Examples include local government reforms in Rwanda, anti corruption initiatives in Indonesia, and a variety of initiatives ranging from results based management to civil service modernization and internal control regime adoption in governments like Kenya, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Andrews uses these examples to discuss ways in which reforms can actually provide realistic solutions to governance challenges in developing countries. Lessons from these experiences suggest that reform limits can be overcome by focusing interventions on problem solving, and promoting incremental and localized processes to find solutions, involving multiple agents who can authorize and implement reforms.

The Long and Short of It: Responding to immediate needs while pursuing long-term goals - Pett, Jamie (LearnAdapt, 2020)
How can we balance our need to respond to a crisis with our long-term goals for systemic change?

The M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation) Universe - INTRAC (INTRAC, 2019)
The M&E Universe is a free, online resource developed by INTRAC to support development practitioners involved in monitoring and evaluation (M&E). It consists of a series of short papers (2-6 pages) on different subjects related to M&E. To begin exploring the Universe right away, use the button below. To find out more, read on.

The Methods Lab evaluation toolkit - ODI (2016)
The Methods Lab develops and tests flexible approaches to impact evaluation for interventions that are harder to evaluate because of their complexity. This toolkit brings together analysis, guidance and templates for anyone: planning an impact evaluation designing a monitoring and evaluation system working in a consortium or managing a portfolio of projects

The 'Most Significant Change' (MSC) Technique - Davies, Rick; Dart, Jess (CARE International, 2005)
This publication is aimed at organisations, community groups, students and academics who wish to use MSC to help monitor and evaluate their social change programs and projects, or to learn more about how it can be used. The technique is applicable in many different sectors, including agriculture, education and health, and especially in development programs. It is also applicable to many different cultural contexts. MSC has been used in a wide variety of countries by a range of organisations. By 2004, MSC had been used both by NGOs and governments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and Australasia.

The MSP Guide: How to Design and Facilitate Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships - Brouwer, Herman; Woodhill, Jim; Hemmati, Minu; Verhoosel, Karèn; van Vugt, Simone (Practical Action Publishing, 2016)
In recent years, multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) have become popular for tackling the complex challenges of sustainable development. This guide provides a practical framework for the design and facilitation of these collaborative processes that work across the boundaries of business, government, civil society and science. The guide links the underlying rationale for multistakeholder partnerships, with a clear four phase process model, a set of seven core principles, key ideas for facilitation and 60 participatory tools for analysis, planning and decision making. The guide has been written for those directly involved in MSPs – as a stakeholder, leader, facilitator or funder – to provide both the conceptual foundations and practical tools that underpin successful partnerships. What’s inside draws on the direct experience of staff from the Wageningen Centre of Development Innovation (WCDI), at Wageningen University & Research, in supporting MSP processes in many countries around the world. The guide also compiles the ideas and materials behind WCDI’s annual three week international course on facilitating MSPs and social learning. This work has been inspired by the motivation and passion that comes when people dare to “walk in each other’s shoes” to find new paths toward shared ambitions for the future.

The MSP Tool Guide: Sixty tools to facilitate Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships - Brouwer, Herman; Brouwers, Jan (CDI, Wageningen University and Research, 2016)
What is ‘The MSP Tool Guide’ all about? This compilation of 60 tools is an companion to The MSP Guide, the Wageningen University & Research CDI resource on how to design and facilitate effective multi-stakeholder partnerships. At the request of many readers we have compiled them into one document to enable easy storing and sharing. These tools are available in summarized version in the MSP Guide in Chapter 6. The detailed versions on how to use the tool, and when to use it, are available on the portal www.mspguide.org/tools-and-methods. The content of this portal is compiled in this Tool Guide.

The New Development Economics: We Shall Experiment, but How Shall We Learn? - Rodrik, Dani (SSRN, 2008)
Development economics is split between macro-development economists - who focus on economic growth, international trade, and fiscal/macro policies - and micro-development economists - who study microfinance, education, health, and other social programs. Recently there has been substantial convergence in the policy mindset exhibited by micro evaluation enthusiasts, on the one hand, and growth diagnosticians, on the other. At the same time, the randomized evaluation revolution has led to an accentuation of the methodological divergence between the two camps. Overcoming the split requires changes on both sides. Macrodevelopment economists need to recognize the distinct advantages of the experimental approach and adopt the policy mindset of the randomized evaluation enthusiasts. Micro-development economists, for their part, have to recognize that the utility of randomized evaluations is restricted by the narrow and limited scope of their application. As the Chinese example illustrates, extending the experimental mindset to the domain of economy-wide reforms is not just possible, it has already been practiced with resounding success in the most important development experience of our generation.
Keywords: Economics; Finance; Health Care; International Development; International Economics; International Trade; Macroeconomics; Microeconomics; Social Policy; Welfare

The new dynamics of strategy: Sense-making in a complex and complicated world - Kurtz, C.F.; Snowden, Dave (IBM Systems Journal, 2003)
Keywords: IMPORTANT

The NGO-Academia Interface: Realising the shared potential - Green, Duncan (The Social Realities of Knowledge for Development, 2017)
This edited collection of peer-reviewed papers explores critical challenges faced by organisations and individuals involved in evidence-informed development through a diverse set of case studies and t...

The open book of social innovation - Murray, Robin; Caulier-Grice, Julie; Mulgan, Geoff (Young Foundation & NESTA, 2010)

The Operational Guide - for the making markets work for the poor (M4P) approach (Second Edition) - The Springfield Centre (SDC & DFID, 2015)
In 2008, SDC and DFID published three documents aimed at improving the understanding and use of the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach: the M4P Synthesis, M4P Perspectives and M4P Operational Guide. Since then the field has grown, diversified and, importantly, learned much more. A second edition was commissioned to capture that learning, maintain the momentum and realise the ambition that development can still 'do better'. The second edition provides an accessible resource to help practitioners put the market systems development approach into practice. It explains the key principles and frameworks which guide effective intervention in – and development of – market systems. It addresses common challenges with examples of good practice based on practitioner experience. Who is it for? The Operational Guide is for people whose job entails trying to make market systems work better for poor women and men. These people include: Individuals currently involved in funding or implementing the approach. Development agencies wishing to incorporate market systems thinking and practice in their work. National stakeholders that wish to play a more strategic and catalytic role within market systems. What is new? Application, application, application! Whilst the key principles and frameworks will be familiar, the advice on their operational application – from start to finish – has been significantly bolstered Enhanced guidance on facilitation. Greater emphasis on what constitutes good facilitation practice, building on a wealth of practitioner experience More real-life examples. The Operational Guide is laced with examples from programmes past and present, working in a diverse array of systems Peer learning focus. Direct insights from practitioners, highlighting 'bumps in the road' and how to avoid them. The Guide aims to provide an accessible operational resource to help practitioners put the market systems development approach into practice. It explains the key principles and frameworks which guide the process of effective intervention in – and development of – market systems, addressing common challenges with examples of good practice based on practitioner experience. HOW SHOULD IT BE USED? The Guide explores, sequentially, the key elements of the implementation process: strategy, diagnosis, vision, intervention, measurement and management. It is not intended to be read from cover to cover; readers can go directly to the chapter most relevant to their needs without having read preceding chapters. However each chapter does build upon the preceding one and may refer to other chapters. THE GUIDE IS STRUCTURED AS FOLLOWS: INTRODUCTION Overview of the objectives, structure and format of the Guide CONTEXT A reminder of what market systems development means 1. STRATEGY Core principles and framework for setting programme strategy 2. DIAGNOSIS Core principles and framework for diagnosing system constraints 3. VISION Core principles and frameworks for defining and planning intervention 4. INTERVENTION Core principles and framework to guide effective intervention 5. MEASUREMENT Core principles and framework for measuring results 6. MANAGEMENT Key considerations in managing market systems development programmes GLOSSARY Definition of key terms used in market systems development

The origins, development, and application of Qualitative Comparative Analysis: the first 25 years - Marx, Axel; Rihoux, Benoît; Ragin, Charles (European Political Science Review, 2014)
A quarter century ago, in 1987, Charles C. Ragin published The Comparative Method, introducing a new method to the social sciences called Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). QCA is a comparative case-oriented research approach and collection of techniques based on set theory and Boolean algebra, which aims to combine some of the strengths of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Since its launch in 1987, QCA has been applied extensively in the social sciences. This review essay first sketches the origins of the ideas behind QCA. Next, the main features of the method, as presented in The Comparative Method, are introduced. A third part focuses on the early applications. A fourth part presents early criticisms and subsequent innovations. A fifth part then focuses on an era of further expansion in political science and presents some of the main applications in the discipline. In doing so, this paper seeks to provide insights and references into the origin and development of QCA, a non-technical introduction to its main features, the path travelled so far, and the diversification of applications.

The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning - Lent, Jeremy (Prometheus Books, 2017)
This fresh perspective on crucial questions of history identifies the root metaphors that cultures have used to construct meaning in their world. It offers a glimpse into the minds of a vast range of different peoples: early hunter-gatherers and farmers, ancient Egyptians, traditional Chinese sages, the founders of Christianity, trail-blazers of the Scientific Revolution, and those who constructed our modern consumer society. Taking the reader on an archaeological exploration of the mind, the author, an entrepreneur and sustainability leader, uses recent findings in cognitive science and systems theory to reveal the hidden layers of values that form today's cultural norms. Uprooting the tired cliches of the science-religion debate, he shows how medieval Christian rationalism acted as an incubator for scientific thought, which in turn shaped our modern vision of the conquest of nature. The author probes our current crisis of unsustainability and argues that it is not an inevitable result of human nature, but is culturally driven: a product of particular mental patterns that could conceivably be reshaped. By shining a light on our possible futures, the book foresees a coming struggle between two contrasting views of humanity: one driving to a technological endgame of artificially enhanced humans, the other enabling a sustainable future arising from our intrinsic connectedness with each other and the natural world. This struggle, it concludes, is one in which each of us will play a role through the meaning we choose to forge from the lives we lead.

The Patterns of Possibility - How to Recast Relationships to Create Healthier Systems and Better Outcomes - Winhall, Jennie; Leadbeater, Charles (The Rockwool Foundation, 2022)
In Building Better Systems, we introduced four keys to unlock system innovation: purpose and power, relationships and resource flows. These four keys make up a set. Systems are often hard to change because power, relationships, and resource flows are locked together in a reinforcing pattern to serve the system’s current purpose. Systems start to change fundamentally when this pattern is disrupted and opened up so that a new configuration can emerge, serving a new purpose. In this article series we delve deeper into these four keys and provide practical advice on how they can be put to use. This article is about relationships. Systems are defined by the patterns of interactions between their parts: their relationships. Those interactions generate the outcomes of the system as a whole. Transforming the outcomes of a system requires remaking its relationships and then unlocking the other keys to system innovation: purpose, power and resources. This shift in relationships allows all those in the system to learn faster, to be more creative. System innovators redesign the relationships in the system to allow dramatically enhanced learning across the system, and thereby generate far better outcomes.

The political economy of pre-trial detention: Indonesia case study - Domingo, Pilar; Sudaryono, Leopold (ODI, 2016)

The Politics of Evidence and Results in International Development: Playing the Game to Change the Rules? - Eyben, Rosalind; Guijt, Irene; Roche, Chris; Shutt, Cathy (Practical Action Publishing, 2015)
Understanding and demonstrating the effectiveness of efforts to improve the lives of those living in poverty is an essential part of international development practice. But who decides what counts as good or credible evidence? Can the drive to measure results do justice to and promote transformational change change that challenges the power relations that produce and reproduce inequality, injustice and the non-fulfillment of human rights? The Politics of Evidence in International Development provides a critical examination of the results agenda, with practical strategies for rendering it more helpful in supporting transformative development. The book deconstructs the origins and concepts of the results and evidence agendas employed in international development. It describes with concrete examples the current effects and consequences of the agenda, and goes on to outline a range of strategies used by individuals and organizations to resist, adapt or comply with the useful and problematic demands for results-oriented measurement and evidence of value for money."

The Politics of Evidence: From Evidence-based Policy to the Good Governance of Evidence - Parkhurst, Justin (Taylor & Francis, 2017)
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.tandfebooks.com/, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license. There has been an enormous increase in interest in the use of evidence for public policymaking, but the vast majority of work on the subject has failed to engage with the political nature of decision making and how this influences the ways in which evidence will be used (or misused) within political areas. This book provides new insights into the nature of political bias with regards to evidence and critically considers what an ‘improved’ use of evidence would look like from a policymaking perspective. Part I describes the great potential for evidence to help achieve social goals, as well as the challenges raised by the political nature of policymaking. It explores the concern of evidence advocates that political interests drive the misuse or manipulation of evidence, as well as counter-concerns of critical policy scholars about how appeals to ‘evidence-based policy’ can depoliticise political debates. Both concerns reflect forms of bias – the first representing technical bias, whereby evidence use violates principles of scientific best practice, and the second representing issue bias in how appeals to evidence can shift political debates to particular questions or marginalise policy-relevant social concerns. Part II then draws on the fields of policy studies and cognitive psychology to understand the origins and mechanisms of both forms of bias in relation to political interests and values. It illustrates how such biases are not only common, but can be much more predictable once we recognise their origins and manifestations in policy arenas. Finally, Part III discusses ways to move forward for those seeking to improve the use of evidence in public policymaking. It explores what constitutes ‘good evidence for policy’, as well as the ‘good use of evidence’ within policy processes, and considers how to build evidence-advisory institutions that embed key principles of both scientific good practice and democratic representation. Taken as a whole, the approach promoted is termed the ‘good governance of evidence’ – a concept that represents the use of rigorous, systematic and technically valid pieces of evidence within decision-making processes that are representative of, and accountable to, populations served.
Google-Books-ID: RTQlDwAAQBAJ
Keywords: Public policy; Social Policy; Social Services & Welfare

The politics of evidence: from evidence-based policy to the good governance of evidence - Parkhurst, Justin O. (Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017)
Introduction – Evidence-based policymaking : an important first step, and the need to take the next – Bias and the politics of evidence – The overt politics of evidence : bias and the pursuit of political interests – The subtle politics of evidence - the cognitive-political origins of bias – What is "good evidence for policy"? From hierarchies to appropriate evidence – What is the "good use of evidence" for policy? – From evidence-based policy to the good governance of evidence
OCLC: 1004900516

The politics of legal empowerment: Legal mobilisation strategies and implications for development - Domingo, Pilar; O'Neil, Tam (ODI, 2014)
 Legal mobilisation can improve the lives of poor or marginalised people by: o contributing to pro-poor change in policy, law and regulation of service delivery across different sectors; o advancing the realisation of rights, and achieving redress for rights violations; o contesting unjust and illegal practices of resource allocation and power relations, including in relation to land and natural resources; o enabling citizens to exercise social accountability through legal action.  The outcomes of legal empowerment of the poor are not politically neutral and need to be understood within broader social and political environments;  Better coordination between justice, sector and governance interventions will maximise the development and social impact of international support for legal empowerment.

The politics of public sector performance: pockets of effectiveness in developing countries - Roll, Michael (Routledge, 2014)
OCLC: 869850351

The Politics of Uncertainty : Challenges of Transformation - Scoones, Ian; Stirling, Andy; Stirling, Andy (Routledge, 2020)
Why is uncertainty so important to politics today? To explore the underlying reasons, issues and challenges, this book’s chapters address finance and banking,

The power of positive deviance - Marsh, David R; Schroeder, Dirk G; Dearden, Kirk A; Sternin, Jerry; Sternin, Monique (BMJ : British Medical Journal, 2004)
Identifying individuals with better outcome than their peers (positive deviance) and enabling communities to adopt the behaviours that explain the improved outcome are powerful methods of producing change

The Power of Positive Deviance - Pascale, Richard; Sternin, Jerry; Sternin, Monique (Harvard Business Press, 2010)

The precautionary principle: protecting public health, the environment and the future of our children - World Health Organization (World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, 2004)
OCLC: 551147957

The Principle of the Malevolent Hiding Hand; or, the Planning Fallacy Writ Large - Flyvbjerg, Bent; Sunstein, Cass R. (Soocial Research, 2016)
We identify and document a new principle of economic behavior: the principle of the Malevolent Hiding Hand. In a famous discussion, Albert Hirschman celebrated the Hiding Hand, which he saw as a benevolent mechanism by which unrealistically optimistic planners embark on unexpectedly challenging plans, only to be rescued by human ingenuity, which they could not anticipate, but which ultimately led to success, principally in the form of unexpectedly high net benefits. Studying eleven projects, Hirschman suggested that the Hiding Hand is a general phenomenon. But the Benevolent Hiding Hand has an evil twin, the Malevolent Hiding Hand, which blinds excessively optimistic planners not only to unexpectedly high costs but also to unexpectedly low net benefits. Studying a much larger sample than Hirschman did, we find that the Malevolent Hiding Hand is common and that the phenomenon that Hirschman identified is rare. This sobering finding suggests that Hirschman’s phenomenon is a special case; it attests to the pervasiveness of the planning fallacy, writ very large. One implication involves the continuing need to de-bias decisions and decision support tools like cost-benefit analysis; another is that accountability for decision makers, planners, and forecasters is required for such de-biasing to be effective and lasting.
Keywords: Behavioral economics; Cost-benefit analysis; Hiding hand; Planning fallacy

The Promise of Lean Experimentation - Murray, Peter; Ma, Steve (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2015)
By adopting a model from business, nonprofit organizations can launch, test, and implement new programs and services more efficiently. Includes magazine extras.
Keywords: IMPORTANT

The Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol (QUIP) - Copestake, James; Remnant, Fiona (2015)
This brief presents an overview of the QUIP in three steps: the background to the QUIP and its main aims; the data collection and analysis methodology; and QUIP in the context of other approaches to evaluation. Each section can be read independently, depending on time available.

The Radical How - Greenway, Andrew; Loosemore, Tom (Nesta and Public Digital, 2024)
Any mission-focused government should be well equipped to define, from day one, what outcomes it wants to bring about. But radically changing what the government does is only part of the challenge. We also need to change how government does things. The usual methods, we argue in this paper, are too prone to failure and delay. There’s a different approach to public service organisation, one based on multidisciplinary teams, starting with citizen needs, and scaling iteratively by testing assumptions. We’ve been arguing in favour of it for years now, and the more it gets used, the more we see success and timely delivery. We think taking a new approach makes it possible to shift government from an organisation of programmes and projects, to one of missions and services. It offers even constrained administrations an opportunity to improve their chances of delivering outcomes, reducing risk, saving money, and rebuilding public trust. The Radical How in a nutshell The struggles and shortcomings of delivering in government are well rehearsed. Many of the root causes that make it tough have been restated several times over several decades. But what to do? We believe the government can and should change how it delivers, by: organising around multidisciplinary teams embracing incremental, feedback-driven iteration focusing more on outcomes. The Radical How is a change of mindset as much as a change in organisation. It promotes methods and processes that have been shown to work, multiple times, at scale. They are the default ways of working for many of the world’s most successful companies. However, the occasions where they have been deployed are rare in government. These occasions have come about thanks to exceptional leaders, exceptional circumstances, or both. We think they’d make a big difference if they became the norm, rather than the exception. We also think that without them, mission oriented government will not become a reality. New policy ideas will remain just that, rather than translating into profound improvements to society. Central to this approach is the widespread adoption of internet-era ways of working. This paper explains both those and our thinking in more detail, with reference to real examples.