TY - RPRT TI - Partnering with communities to co-design humanitarian health strategies: A SeeChange CommunityFirst Framework for implementation in MSF projects AU - Chapela Trillo, Violeta AU - Farber, Jessica AB - The CommunityFirst Framework is intended to be implemented by field teams at MSF. The theoretical aspects and evidence presented on the importance of community engagement are intended for all MSF staff seeking to learn more about why and how to shift the way we work with communities as humanitarians. We believe this guideline, and other tools like it (including OCA’s Person-Centred Approach Guidance07, and MSF Vienna Evaluation Unit’s Guidance for Involving Communities08), to be an important contribution to the growing movement of communities and humanitarian actors who are pushing for changes in the humanitarian system that translate to dignity, health, justice, equity and self-determination for communities around the world. Specifically, the CommunityFirst Framework is intended to guide MSF teams to co-design health strategies with communities, throughout all stages of the project cycle, for exploratory missions, projects that are just opening, projects that have been running for some time, or those that are closing. At the time of publication, the CommunityFirst Framework has been tested in pilot projects in: (1) Madre de Dios, Peru (MSF OCP, August 2022), (2) Tonkolili, Sierra Leone (MSF OCA, November 2022) and (3) Anzoátegui, Venezuela (MSF OCB, February 2023) The experiences from these pilots (feedback from teams, implementation results, adaptations to each context, etc.) have informed the adaptation of the Framework. CommunityFirst builds on existing community engagement work inside MSF and contributes a practical framework for co-designing health initiatives with communities. To avoid duplicating efforts and resources around community engagement inside MSF, the appendices in this guideline largely refer to already existing MSF resources.09 This guideline is meant to be a living document that can evolve and be adapted given the experience of MSF staff and community members and diverse community contexts. This guide can be used by anyone in MSF who is interested in partnering with communities to improve the responsiveness and impact of their humanitarian programs. This is the first iteration of the document. Subsequent iterations will be published based on additional testing during future phases of the CommunityFirst TIC project. DA - 2034/03// PY - 2034 PB - MSF UR - https://www.seechangeinitiative.org/ Y2 - 2024/03/25/14:20:16 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Challenge-led Innovation Workbook. Organising for Systems Innovation at Scale AU - Burkett, Ingrid AB - Organising for Systems Innovation at Scale Our team at Griffith Centre for Systems Innovation have been experimenting with and evolving a Challenge-led Innovation Approach (based on Mission-oriented approaches developed by Mariana Mazzucato at UCL IIPP and others internationally). We are using this approach to guide the way we work internally and engage with our systems innovation partners. We’ve facilitated intensive Re:Treats, worked with government bodies, businesses and civic organisations, and engaged deeply with others exploring this work. We have a bias for developing and testing HOW such approaches could be applied to respond to both local and global challenges rather than getting too caught up in the what and why of such approaches. We decided to openly share our learnings and thinking to date in this workbook, to spark conversations and innovation in both practice and thinking amongst those exploring how we work, and to learn together to address complex systems and challenges. We see this booklet as a first step in a longer learning journey. In it we share an overview of: the principles and processes that sparked our evolution to a Challenge-led Innovation framework (from Mission-oriented). examples of our learnings from other system innovators who are experimenting. an adaptable process to help guide the learning journey. learning tools and canvases to catalyse thinking, practice, and further adaptations. Part One sets out some foundations we’ve identified as important to Challenge-led Innovation. If you want to jump straight into the mapping process, we suggest you skip to Part Two. The final section, Part Three, focuses on what we have learnt about the conditions needed and how to get started on a Challenge-led initiative. CY - Logan DA - 2023/11// PY - 2023 LA - en PB - Griffith Centre for Systems Innovation UR - https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/1881573/GCSI-Challenge-Led-Innovation-Workbook.pdf Y2 - 2024/02/29/12:07:29 ER - TY - VIDEO TI - Practitioners Guidance to Assessing Systems Change: Co-Authors Preview AU - Gover, Dun AU - Nasution, Zulka AU - Okutu, David AU - Bolder, Meghan AU - Henao, Lina AB - Check out this video to see what’s inside our new resource: Practitioners' Guidance to Assessing Systems Change, developed by MEL Managers for MEL Managers. (Check out the Guidance here https://bit.ly/MSPMELClinics.) Hear from the authors about which parts they love the most and how this guide challenges MEL managers to assess systems change as an ongoing aspect of implementation, generating feedback that teams need to better understand and catalyze change, for more impact. DA - 2023/07// PY - 2023 PB - USAID UR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_szw6nIwbA Y2 - 2023/10/02/09:38:55 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Applied political economy analysis for human rights programs and campaigns: A guide for practitioners (second edition) AU - Pact AB - This updated guide provides practical guidance to practitioners in the human rights sector and beyond on how to integrate Applied Political Economy Analysis CY - Washington DC DA - 2023/07// PY - 2023 LA - en PB - Pact ST - Applied political economy analysis for human rights programs and campaigns UR - https://www.pactworld.org/library/applied-political-economy-analysis-human-rights-programs-and-campaigns-guide-practitioners Y2 - 2023/10/06/09:27:05 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Participation for Humanitarian Innovation - Toolkit AU - Smith, Amy AU - Thompson, Martha AU - Saida Benhayoune AU - Crespo Cardona, Omar AB - A resource designed to help organisations, teams and individuals manage innovation journeys responsibly and successfully. We have partnered with MIT D-Lab to develop a new resource to drive greater diversity and inclusion within project design and implementation. The Participation for Humanitarian Innovation (PfHI) toolkit sets out a robust approach to setting expectations for and monitoring the degree of participation within research and innovation projects for, with, and by people affected by crisis. The PfHI toolkit is composed of five tools: Opportunity Adviser: Identify and prioritise the desired benefits of participation while weighing the potential barriers. Participation Matrix: Agree on the precise degree of participation to target at a given project stage. Resource Navigator: Select tools and processes to address the needs of stakeholders, the project objectives and context. Quality Guidance: Ensure engagements are delivered to the highest standard. Assessment Matrix: Collectively evaluate the degree of participation achieved during an activity or project phase, learn and adapt. By applying these tools before, during and after a research and/or innovation project, implementors can ensure that stakeholders/end-users are included and participating at the highest possible degree. We encourage users of the PfHI toolkit to consider how else to integrate the tools into existing practices. For instance, the Evaluation Matrix could be used to supplement existing MEAL activities to: Establish baselines to measure changes in participation over time. Track the degree of participation/engagement of stakeholders. Regularly assess the degree of participation. Seek feedback from participants about the degree of their participation. Monitor the progress of activities related to stakeholder engagement. Our Participation for Humanitarian Innovation toolkit represents our ongoing commitment to responsible research and innovation across our portfolio of grants and for the humanitarian sector more broadly. We hope you will consider downloading and using the toolkit on your next project. CY - London DA - 2023/06// PY - 2023 LA - en-GB PB - Elrha UR - https://www.elrha.org/researchdatabase/participation-for-humanitarian-innovation/ Y2 - 2023/06/14/23:39:03 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Celebrating Adaptive Delivery: A View from the Frontline in Myanmar AU - Barnes, Katrina AU - Lonsdale, Jane T2 - IDS Working Paper AB - The conversation on adaptive management has grown fast amongst development actors. These conversations often focus on designing, commissioning, and managing large-scale development programmes. Exactly how this impacts the frontline, the implementers, and day-to-day project delivery is still being debated. Yet, perspectives drawn directly from practice are often largely missing within these debates. This paper is written by two development practitioners. Through this paper, we reflect on the difference between adaptive management and adaptive delivery, and how this interacts with risk and aid accountability, particularly in contexts of fragility. Drawing on examples of Oxfam in Myanmar work and our personal insights in relation to delivering programming across humanitarian, peace-building, and development, we suggest that in complex, conflict-affected, and highly political environments adaptive delivery already happens far more regularly than is currently recognised, as a necessity to get activities delivered. However, it happens despite the system, not because of it, and is therefore often hidden and carried out ‘under the radar’ rather than celebrated as a success in difficult environments. This paper was written in 2019, before the military seized control of Myanmar in February 2021. Whilst it draws on examples from pre-2021 Myanmar to illustrate real life cases, it is a contribution to a broader global debate on adaptive management in practice, specifically in fragile contexts. This is not specifically aimed at practitioners working in Myanmar at present, who are now working in a protracted crisis. This paper makes tangible recommendations on steps that donors, international non-governmental organisations, local staff, and partners could take to promote a system of encouraging and celebrating adaptability in programme delivery in fragile contexts. CY - Brighton, UK DA - 2023/02/02/ PY - 2023 DP - opendocs.ids.ac.uk LA - en PB - IDS SN - 586 ST - Celebrating Adaptive Delivery UR - https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/17860 Y2 - 2023/02/06/12:33:24 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Understanding Political Economy Analysis and Thinking and Working Politically AU - Whaites, Alan AU - Piron, Laure-Hélène AU - Menocal, Alina Rocha AU - Teskey, Graham AB - This guide is adapted from work by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with inputs from members of the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice (TWP CoP). It outlines how to understand and use a set of analytical tools that are collectively known as Political Economy Analysis (PEA). The guide aims to equip practitioners to act in an informed manner, given that development objectives are invariably politically complex, and entail engaging with counterparts’ political incentives and preferences. The guide summarises different types of tools – from very light-touch to more in-depth approaches – and provides advice on how development professionals can decide what is most appropriate in a given context, with illustrations based on the experiences of teams working on these issues. This guide will help development professionals and others to make use of PEA and to apply it to their own specific needs. The first part of the guide offers a general picture of the approach. The second part provides more specific guidance for those who are tasked with deploying a PEA. Contents --> Main audience What is PEA, its role and purpose (Section 2) --> General information for all readers The main elements of PEA (Section 3) Thinking and Working Politically (Section 4) --> Core information for teams planning and using PEA How to ensure quality (Section 5) --> Essential reading for those directly responsible for a PEA Important concepts and terminology (Annex) --> General information for all readers CY - London DA - 2023/02// PY - 2023 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - FCDO and TWP CoP UR - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/understanding-political-economy-analysis-and-thinking-and-working-politically Y2 - 2023/10/04/00:00:00 ER - TY - VIDEO TI - Strengthen Your Team’s CLA Practices: Introducing the CLA Maturity Tool for USAID Implementers AU - Social Impact , Inc AB - 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. DA - 2023/01/10/ PY - 2023 DP - YouTube ST - Strengthen Your Team’s CLA Practices UR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwdO9FZq_PM Y2 - 2023/03/20/11:30:53 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Si Guides on System Innovation AU - Colchester, Joss AU - Si Network AB - So you have just hear about systems thinking and systems innovation and are keen to know more, Ok sparky let's get started.We have structured all the content into four main areas that we think you ... DA - 2023/// PY - 2023 LA - en PB - Si Network UR - https://www.systemsinnovation.network/spaces/7250774 Y2 - 2023/10/03/08:59:59 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Building a team culture for Adaptive Management in MSD: 5 Strategies MEL Managers Say Work AU - Gover, Dun AU - Nasution, Zulka AU - Okutu, David AU - Bolder, Meghan AU - Henao, Lina T2 - MSD in MEL Brief DA - 2023/// PY - 2023 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - USAID SN - 2 UR - https://agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/MSD%20in%20MEL%20Brief%202_Building%20Culture_508.pdf Y2 - 2023/10/02/09:38:55 KW - Bolder Meghan KW - Gover Dun KW - Henao Lina KW - Nasution Zulka KW - Okutu David ER - TY - RPRT TI - Enhancing partner and system-level learning: 8 Tips from MEL Managers AU - Gover, Dun AU - Nasution, Zulka AU - Okutu, David AU - Bolder, Meghan AU - Henao, Lina T2 - MSD in MEL Brief AB - Effective learning is a key driver of market systems change, with the potential to enhance system competitiveness, resilience, and inclusiveness. Shifting the Locus of Learning: Catalyzing Private Sector Learning to Drive Systemic Change recently outlined a rationale for enhancing the scale and quality of learning in a system and identifying 10 strategies programs can contextualize to catalyze learning. These strategies are also backed with robust examples from 13 programs doing this work across 11 countries. To deepen insights on what MSD Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Managers have experienced in putting several of those strategies into practice, the Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP) Activity convened a series of peer discussions as part of a larger initiative (see Figure 1). This brief shares the collective learning and experience on this topic of three senior MEL Managers who were interested in and had experience with this topic. The group represented full-time, program-based MEL Leads working on MSD programs funded by USAID and DFAT, based in Fiji, Albania, and Kosovo working for Adam Smith International, SwissContact, and DT Global, respectively. From those discussions, this paper synthesizes eight tips from MEL Managers for practically enhancing partner and system-level learning: 1. Identify the right decision-maker(s) at potential partners. 2. Use a co-creation process to identify learning opportunities. 3. Use diagnostics and assessments to strengthen partner and system capacity for actionable learning. 4. Use a phased capacity strengthening process tied to behavior change. 5. Measure partners’ continued investment in and use of learning—not the continuation of specific learning activities. 6. Work with sector-level institutions for scale but be aware of risks. 7. Leverage informal communities of practice to share learning. 8. Use the right terminology to talk about partner and system-focused learning. DA - 2023/// PY - 2023 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - USAID SN - 3 UR - https://agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/MSD%20in%20MEL%20Brief%203_PS%20Learning_508.pdf Y2 - 2023/10/02/09:38:55 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Practioners Guide to Assessing Systems Change AU - Gover, Dun AU - Nasution, Zulka AU - Okutu, David AU - Bolder, Meghan AU - Henao, Lina T2 - MSD in MEL Brief DA - 2023/// PY - 2023 PB - USAID SN - 1 UR - https://agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/MSD%20in%20MEL%20Brief%201_Practioners%20Guide%20to%20Assessing%20Systems%20Change_06.14.pdf Y2 - 2023/10/02/09:38:55 ER - TY - ELEC TI - Propel AU - Strhive AB - Learn from experience. Together. In the complex landscape of international development, organisations need a way to learn from their experiences and build on what works. Propel is the software solution that revolutionises the way organisations capture, access, and reuse learnings to adapt, innovate, and create lasting change on a global scale. Let's stop reinventing the wheel and build on what works, together. DA - 2023/// PY - 2023 UR - https://www.propelapp.org/ Y2 - 2023/08/07/14:13:02 ER - TY - RPRT TI - UNDP Digital Leadership Learning Modules AU - UNDP AB - In order to support the digital transformation of government operations Digital Learning Modules for Civil Servants are available, an off-the-shelf package of capacity development in form of replicable training modules to empower public servants at both the local and central government level to be leaders of digital transformation for delivering better public services. The modules cover a multitude of fundamental areas: comprehending digital government and services, human-centered design for inclusivity and agile learning cycles; feature the importance of security and privacy, the value of data and how to manage data and technology related risks; spotlight the key role of supportive leadership and offer practical tools for assessing and overcoming main barriers to ensure a successful digital transformation journey. DA - 2022/10// PY - 2022 LA - en PB - United Nations Development Programme UR - https://www.undp.org/publications/undp-digital-leadership-learning-modules Y2 - 2022/10/21/13:33:11 ER - TY - BOOK TI - The Learning Power of Listening AU - Guijt, Irene AU - Gottret, Maria Veronica AU - Hanchar, Anna AU - Deprez, Steff AU - Muckenhirn, Rita AB - 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." DA - 2022/06/07/ PY - 2022 DP - practicalactionpublishing.com PB - PRACTICAL ACTION PUBLISHING SN - 978-1-78853-200-6 UR - https://practicalactionpublishing.com/book/2622/the-learning-power-of-listening Y2 - 2022/07/26/11:39:48 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Measuring and Monitoring Adaptive Learning: A Landscape Review AU - LaFond, Anne AU - Adrian, Haley AB - This landscape review on measuring and monitoring adaptive learning highlights the learning from five adaptive programming guidelines and toolkits and one implementation science framework to inform the monitoring and evaluation of adaptive learning. The introduction of adaptive learning processes and skillsets in global health programming is part of an emerging strategy to advance a learning culture within projects and teams to improve health program performance. The monitoring and evaluation of adaptive learning is an emergent field aiming to monitor how adaptive learning processes have been introduced, how they are used, and whether they are having the intended results. Although there is a growing body of literature on adaptive programming more generally, there is a limited knowledge base on the monitoring and evaluation of adaptive learning interventions and their impacts. Unlike other implementation strategies or program management approaches, there are no standard metrics or a monitoring and evaluation framework to track the integration, implementation, and effectiveness of adaptive learning in health programming. CY - Washington DC DA - 2022/05// PY - 2022 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - USAID MOMENTUM Knowledge Accelerator UR - https://usaidmomentum.org/resource/adaptive-learning-measures-landscape-review/ ER - TY - BLOG TI - What, so what, now what? AU - Aston, Thomas T2 - Medium AB - Getting serious about systems change DA - 2022/03/18/ PY - 2022 LA - en UR - https://thomasmtaston.medium.com/what-so-what-now-what-4cef4d7e0281 Y2 - 2022/04/01/07:41:15 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Theory of Change Workbook: A Step-by-Step Process for Developing or Strengthening Theories of Change AU - Salib, Monalisa AB - While over time theories of change have become synonymous with simple if/then statements, a strong theory of change should actually be a much more detailed, context-specific articulation of how we *theorize* change will happen under a program. DA - 2022/02/15/ PY - 2022 LA - en M3 - Text PB - USAID ST - Theory of Change Workbook UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/theory-change-workbook-step-step-process-developing-or-strengthening-theories-change Y2 - 2022/03/17/13:58:01 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Systems Thinking and Practice: A Guide to Concepts, Principles and Tools for FCDO and Partners AU - Woodhill, Jim AU - Millican, Juliet T2 - K4D AB - 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. CY - Brighton DA - 2022/02/03/ PY - 2022 DP - opendocs.ids.ac.uk LA - en PB - Institute of Development Studies ST - Systems Thinking and Practice UR - https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/17862 Y2 - 2023/02/08/15:50:53 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Market systems change rubric AU - Loveridge, Donna AB - This systems change rubric describes different performance levels according to various systems elements, such as policy (formal rules), practices and relationships and connections. Programmes can use the rubric to assess the performance of systems to help decide where and how to intervene, or during and post-implementation to conduct progress assessments, and assess the effectiveness of interventions and type, breadth and depth of systems change. Each performance level description highlights the type of data and information that needs to be collected. One analysis is completed, users can compare this to the performance descriptions to see which level best matches the analysis. This helps programmes draw conclusions about systems changes. The rubric was developed in 2020 and tested in 2021 and builds on systems change thinking and frameworks from two previous FSG publications. It can be used as: pre-intervention to conduct an assessment during an intervention to conduct progress assessments and reflect on the effectiveness of interventions to change systems and inform decision making post intervention to make judgements about whether interventions were valuable given the resources, time and effort spent Useful for: Implementation managers to determine the effectiveness of interventions, as well as by Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) teams to track progress against expected outcomes. CY - Oxford DA - 2022/01// PY - 2022 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - Oxford Policy Management ER - TY - RPRT TI - MOTION HANDBOOK - Developing a transformative Theory of Change AU - Palavicino, Carla Alvial AU - Matti, Cristian AU - Witte, Jenny AB - A step-by-step guide on how to develop a Transformative Theory of Change, for innovation projects, programmes and organisations working on systems transformation. The MOTION project was initiated with one key question in mind: how can we help projects and organisations be more transformative, using the framework and concept provided by the multi-level perspective? And what kind of tools, methods and frameworks can we co-design that translate scientific concepts into practises relevant for policy practitioners? This led us into a co-creation journey during which researchers from the Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC) and EIT Climate-KIC project partners experimented, reflected and learned from each other in building the approach that we share in this handbook. Through this journey, we gained a deeper understanding of what the portfolio approach means in a transformative system change context and which skills and competences are needed to facilitate processes of co-creation in the science-policy-practice interface. We had the opportunity to configure the key building blocks of our theoretical approach, the Transformative Outcomes, into practical insights and actions that can easily be applied by innovation organisations at many levels. This handbook is the culmination of the journey as it translates key learnings from the MOTION project into practical insights that are relevant to practitioners working on systems transformation. CY - Utrecht DA - 2022/01// PY - 2022 PB - TIPC, Utrecht University UR - https://transitionshub.climate-kic.org/publications/motion-handbook-developing-a-transformative-theory-of-change/ Y2 - 2023/01/24/09:46:49 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Sensemaking Workshop Preparation Guide and Facilitator Guide and Sensemaking Training AU - UNDP AB - Based on experience from running Sensemaking workshops for UNDP offices and government partners, the Asia-Pacific Regional Innovation Centre developed the Sensemaking Preparation Guide and Facilitator Guide to share its knowledge with teams and organization that are interested in using the Sensemaking process. DA - 2022/01// PY - 2022 LA - en PB - UNDP UR - https://www.undp.org/publications/sensemaking-workshop-preparation-guide-and-facilitator-guide-and-sensemaking-training Y2 - 2023/01/24/10:41:38 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Guidance Note: Practical introduction to adaptive management AU - DT Global AB - DT Global is proud to introduce our new Guidance Note: Practical Introduction to Adaptive Management There is a growing consensus around adaptive management as an effective (even necessary) approach when programs are tackling complex development problems. While there is no standard definition of adaptive management, there is general agreement that such programs need to routinely engage with and respond to program context; constantly test what works in that context; and adjust approaches, plans, and activities based on continuous learning. However, there remains a more limited body of evidence about what this looks like in practice—the enabling conditions, systems, resourcing, skills, and attitudes to effectively operationalise adaptive management. There is also limited guidance around when adaptive management is required, and to what extent—both critical and often overlooked considerations when planning for successful adaptive management. This Guidance Note draws together lessons and good practice in adaptive management from across DT Global’s diverse portfolio of donor-funded programs. It outlines our conceptual framework for adaptive management, with practical guidance on how it can be applied by our program teams. It is also designed to help our teams distinguish adaptive management from good (non adaptive) project management, consider when adaptive management is most useful on a program, and how adaptive a program (or part of a program) should be. DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 PB - DT Global UR - https://dt-global.com/assets/files/dt-global-guidance-note-introduction-to-adaptive-management.pdf Y2 - 2023/01/24/10:25:32 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Human Learning Systems: A practical guide for the curious AU - Lowe, Toby AU - Padmanabhan, Chandrima AU - McCart, Des AU - McNeill, Karen AU - Brogan, Andy AU - Smith, Mark AB - Our new guide provides practical advice to help any organisation working in public service apply the Human Learning Systems approach to their work. In doing so, they will be better equipped to explore, learn and respond to the unique strengths and needs of each person, family and community they serve. CY - London DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 PB - Centre for Public Impact UR - https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/partnering-for-learning/human-learning-systems/a-practical-guide-for-the-curious48hjg7 Y2 - 2022/08/02/00:00:00 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Context-monitoring for adaptive management AU - Pickwick, Sarah DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 PB - World Vision UR - https://oxfamapps.org/fp2p/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/World-Vision-Context-monitoring-for-adaptive-management-.docx Y2 - 2022/01/12/00:00:00 ER - TY - RPRT TI - An introductory systems thinking toolkit for civil servants AU - UK Government AB - This document is a an Introductory Toolkit for for civil servants. It is one component of a suite of documents that aims to act as a springboard into systems thinking for civil servants unfamiliar with this approach. These documents introduce a small sample of systems thinking concepts and tools, chosen due to their accessibility and alignment to civil service policy development, but which is by no means comprehensive. They are intended to act as a first step towards using systems thinking approaches to solve complex problems and the reader is encourage to explore the wider systems thinking field further. CY - London DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 LA - en PB - UK Government Office for Science UR - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/systems-thinking-for-civil-servants/toolkit Y2 - 2023/02/08/15:56:28 ER - TY - RPRT TI - CLA Maturity Tool - Card Deck (Implementing Partners version 1) AU - USAID LEARN AB - USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) and its support mechanism, LEARN, have developed a Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework and Maturity tool to help USAID missions think more deliberately about how to plan for and implement CLA approaches that fit the mission’s context and assist them in achieving their development objectives. While the tool is intended primarily for USAID audiences to be used in participatory self-assessment workshops, the CLA Framework and maturity spectrum are relevant to a wider audience. USAID’s CLA Framework identifies key components and subcomponents of daily work that may be opportunities for intentional, systematic, and resourced CLA. The framework recognizes the diversity of what CLA can look like in various organizations and programs while also giving CLA structure, clarity, and coherence across two key dimensions: • CLA in the Program Cycle: how CLA is incorporated throughout Program Cycle processes, including strategy, project, and activity design and implementation; and • Enabling Conditions: how an organization’s culture, business processes, and resource allocation support CLA integration. Recognizing that CLA is not binary—it’s not an issue of “doing it or not doing it”—PPL and LEARN have developed a spectrum of practice for each of the 16 subcomponents in the framework. The spectrum offers examples of what integration might look like at different stages: Not Yet Present, Emergent, Expanding, Advanced and Institutionalized. The maturity stage descriptions are only illustrative and are intended to spark reflection on current practice and opportunities for improvements. In this resource, each CLA subcomponent page describes the key concepts for that topic and includes a description of the maturity stages. Although the descriptions were originally developed for USAID, the majority of the concepts easily transfer or have equivalents in the partner community. For example, although organizations outside of USAID may not hold “Portfolio Reviews” (part of the Pause & Reflect subcomponent), the majority hold some type of meeting to review programmatic progress. This is the seventh version of the CLA Framework and maturity spectrum. PPL and LEARN will continue reviewed and periodically update them based on user feedback, so if you have comments about the content, please email learning@usaid.gov. We would also love to hear how you’ve used this content with your team or organization. CY - Washington DC DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 PB - USAID UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/508c_cla_maturity_tool_card_deck_ip_v1_2022-07-29.pdf Y2 - 2023/01/03/12:59:23 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Maturity Spectrum (v7) AU - USAID LEARN AB - USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) and its support mechanism, LEARN, have developed a Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework and Maturity tool to help USAID missions think more deliberately about how to plan for and implement CLA approaches that fit the mission’s context and assist them in achieving their development objectives. While the tool is intended primarily for USAID audiences to be used in participatory self-assessment workshops, the CLA Framework and maturity spectrum are relevant to a wider audience. USAID’s CLA Framework identifies key components and subcomponents of daily work that may be opportunities for intentional, systematic, and resourced CLA. The framework recognizes the diversity of what CLA can look like in various organizations and programs while also giving CLA structure, clarity, and coherence across two key dimensions: • CLA in the Program Cycle: how CLA is incorporated throughout Program Cycle processes, including strategy, project, and activity design and implementation; and • Enabling Conditions: how an organization’s culture, business processes, and resource allocation support CLA integration. Recognizing that CLA is not binary—it’s not an issue of “doing it or not doing it”—PPL and LEARN have developed a spectrum of practice for each of the 16 subcomponents in the framework. The spectrum offers examples of what integration might look like at different stages: Not Yet Present, Emergent, Expanding, Advanced and Institutionalized. The maturity stage descriptions are only illustrative and are intended to spark reflection on current practice and opportunities for improvements. In this resource, each CLA subcomponent page describes the key concepts for that topic and includes a description of the maturity stages. Although the descriptions were originally developed for USAID, the majority of the concepts easily transfer or have equivalents in the partner community. For example, although organizations outside of USAID may not hold “Portfolio Reviews” (part of the Pause & Reflect subcomponent), the majority hold some type of meeting to review programmatic progress. This is the seventh version of the CLA Framework and maturity spectrum. PPL and LEARN will continue reviewed and periodically update them based on user feedback, so if you have comments about the content, please email learning@usaid.gov. We would also love to hear how you’ve used this content with your team or organization. CY - Washington DC DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 PB - USAID UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/cla_maturity_spectrum_handouts_20170612_0.pdf Y2 - 2023/01/03/12:55:47 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Framework & Key Concepts (Implementing Partner Version 1) AU - USAID LEARN AB - Although collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) are not new to USAID and its implementing partners, they often do not happen regularly or systematically and are not intentionally resourced. The CLA Framework above identifies components and subcomponents to help you think more deliberately about what approach to CLA might be best tailored to your organizational or project context. The framework recognizes the diversity of what CLA can look like in various organizations and projects while also giving CLA structure, clarity, and coherence across two key dimensions: - CLA in the Program Cycle: how CLA is incorporated into planning and design processes throughout the Program Cycle in order to improve their effectiveness; and - Enabling Conditions: how an organization’s culture, daily operating processes, and resource allocation support CLA integration. Organizations need both integrated CLA practices appropriate for their context and conducive enabling conditions to become stronger learning organizations capable of managing adaptively. The framework stresses the holistic and integrated nature of the various components of CLA to reinforce the principle that CLA is not a separate workstream—it should be integrated into existing processes to strengthen the discipline of development and improve aid effectiveness. CY - Washington DC DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - USAID UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/508c_cla_maturity_tool_card_deck_ip_v1_2022-07-29.pdf Y2 - 2023/01/03/12:59:23 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Learning to adapt & adapting to learn - Using elements of outcome mapping in the ‘Resilient Adolescents in the Syria Crisis’ programme AU - van Ongevalle, Jan AU - Kvintradze, Ana AU - Rennesson, Gaël AU - Miller, David AB - This learning paper highlights how elements of outcome mapping were used by Save the Children Sweden in a project (2018-2020) that supports adolescents, affected by the Syria crisis, to become more resilient. The paper first outlines how the spheres of influence framework has been applied to develop an actor focused theory of change. It then describes how progress markers, as an alternative to SMART indicators, were formulated to monitor the programme’s results. The paper also outlines how long lists of progress markers were categorised in a more realistic and practical results framework. The paper then continues to elaborate how outcome journals, qualitative data analysis techniques and regular review meetings and reflection workshops were utilised for data collection, for collective learning among programme stakeholders and for informing planning and programme adjustment. Various practical guidelines and tips on how to implement elements of outcome mapping are provided. The final part of the paper explores to what extent outcome mapping was able to foster several key enablers of adaptive programme management and highlights some of the challenges that programme stakeholders faced. Practical recommendations towards the use of outcome mapping in future programmes are also proposed. DA - 2021/06// PY - 2021 PB - Save the Children UR - https://www.outcomemapping.ca/download/Outcome%20Mapping%20Learning%20Paper_SAP_02062021.pdf Y2 - 2022/09/30/08:38:35 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Implementing adaptive management: A front-line effort — Is there an emerging practice? AU - Teskey, Graham AU - Tyrrel, Lavinia T2 - Working Paper AB - Among the many principles that currently inform donor-funded development initiatives, three appear to stand out: they should be politically informed, locally led, and adaptive. There is as yet little practical guidance for aid implementers regarding how to operationalise these approaches. What will it take to shift practice away from linear and planned approaches, towards models which foster local leadership and which engage with emergent and complex systems? This paper suggests that the answer is not to throw out the discipline of the logical framework, results frameworks, or theories of change. Rather they need to be handled rather more reflectively and ‘elastically’. The purpose of this paper is to set out how this can be achieved, and to propose 15 tools for donors, implementors and front-line staff to apply adaptive management (AM) in practice, at critical stages of the project cycle and within the dominant aid paradigm. This is what we are calling PILLAR: politically informed, locally led and adaptive responses. We are framing PILLAR to cover the full project cycle (design, implementation and review), hence the nomenclature of an ‘end to end’ approach. Our hope is that these tools will eventually replace the current planned, log-frame driven and top-down approach to aid design and delivery which dominates the development sector. CY - Canberra DA - 2021/04// PY - 2021 PB - Abt Associates UR - https://abtassocgovernancesoapbox.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/abt-associates_adaptive-management_a-frontline-effort_digital-1.pdf Y2 - 2024/02/12/00:00:00 ER - TY - RPRT TI - A Guide to Assessing the Political Economy of Domestic Climate Change Governance AU - Worker, Jesse AU - Palmer, Niki AB - This paper discusses how understanding the domestic political economy of climate governance is critical for developing informed strategies to build and sustain political ambition. It provides guidance and a methodology for domestic stakeholders to determine the types of institutional reforms, incentives, coalitions, and policy design that can entrench long-term political support for climate ambition. The assessment can also help users identify political barriers to more equitable climate action and identify reforms that may strengthen inclusion and accountability. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Highlights ▪ There is overwhelming evidence of the social, economic, and environmental case to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and rapidly scale up adaptation. Yet, despite a proliferation of climate laws and policies over the last 10–15 years, emissions are still rising, and adaptation needs remain urgent. ▪ This calls for a more sophisticated assessment of the political economy factors that may enable or constrain implementation of policies and actions and sustain political commitment at the country level. ▪ This guide offers an assessment methodology to understand how structural factors, rules and norms, stakeholders and interests, and ideas and narratives influence the political economy of climate action in a given country context. ▪ The methodology was developed on the basis of climate policy, governance, and political economy literature with contributions from subject matter experts. ▪ We intend the assessment to support civil society coalitions, reform-minded civil servants and politicians, international organizations, and other stakeholders. ▪ The resulting analysis should deepen the understanding of context while informing the advocacy, policy design, coalition building, capacity building, and communications of domestic stakeholders. CY - Washington DC DA - 2021/03/23/ PY - 2021 DP - www.wri.org LA - en M3 - Working Paper PB - World Resources Institute UR - https://www.wri.org/publication/guide-assessing-political-economy-domestic-climate-change-governance Y2 - 2021/03/23/15:11:21 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Adaptive Learning Guide: A pathway to stronger collaboration, learning, and adapting AU - Ross, Joey AU - Karlage, James AU - Etheridge, James AU - Alade, Mayowa AU - Fifield, Jocelyn AU - Goodwin, Christian AU - Semrau, Katherine AU - Hirschhorn, Lisa AB - The purpose of this Adaptive Learning Guide is to provide MOMENTUM project teams with the information and resources to integrate adaptive learning into the design, implementation, and improvement of MNCH/FP/RH programs. This guide provides a conceptual introduction to adaptive learning using links to existing resources and real-world examples of how adaptive learning can drive continuous learning and improvement in project work. The guide is built upon three foundational assumptions: We work in dynamic, often unpredictable environments. Unexpected turns of events will occur. Progress is rarely, if ever, linear. Integrating the principles and practices of USAID’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Toolkit into projects and initiatives requires designing for learning and adaptation. We intend the guide to serve as a “starting point” for interested individuals and teams to begin or strengthen the processes that support the integration of adaptive learning into project work. CY - Washington DC DA - 2021/03// PY - 2021 DP - Zotero SP - 86 LA - en PB - USAID MOMENTUM Knowledge Accelerator ER - TY - JOUR TI - A Systems Framework for International Development: The Data-Layered Causal Loop Diagram AU - Blair, Courtney AU - Gralla, Erica AU - Wetmore, Finley AU - Goentzel, Jarrod AU - Peters, Megan T2 - Production and Operations Management AB - Meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require adapting or redirecting a variety of very complex global and local human systems. It is essential that development scholars and practitioners have tools to understand the dynamics of these systems and the key drivers of their behavior, such as barriers to progress and leverage points for driving sustainable change. System dynamics tools are well suited to address this challenge, but they must first be adapted for the data-poor and fragmented environment of development work. Our key contribution is to extend the causal loop diagram (CLD) with a data layer that describes the status of and change in each variable based on available data. By testing dynamic hypotheses against the system's actual behavior, it enables analysis of a system's dynamics and behavioral drivers without simulation. The data-layered CLD was developed through a 4-year engagement with USAID/Uganda. Its contributions are illustrated through an application to agricultural financing in Uganda. Our analysis identified a lack of demand for agricultural loans as a major barrier to broadening agricultural financing, partially refuting an existing hypothesis that access to credit was the main constraint. Our work extends system dynamics theory to meet the challenges of this practice environment, enabling analysis of the complex dynamics that are crucial to achieving the SDGs. DA - 2021/// PY - 2021 DO - 10.1111/poms.13492 DP - Wiley Online Library VL - 30 IS - 12 SP - 4374 EP - 4395 LA - en SN - 1937-5956 ST - A Systems Framework for International Development UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/poms.13492 Y2 - 2022/07/01/08:55:09 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Don’t Build It: A Guide For Practitioners In Civic Tech / Tech For Development AU - Jordan, Luke AB - If you just remember these... If you can avoid building it, don’t build it; if you have to build it, hire a CTO, ship early, and mature long; and no matter what, draw on a trusted crew, build lean and fast, and get close to and build with your users as soon as possible. --- This guide aims to help you avoid bad projects, structure the team right, ship and learn quicker, and mature longer. The guide starts with project selection, including why the best project to select is no project at all. It moves on to team structure, and the extreme importance of a full-time senior tech lead (or chief technology officer (CTO), understood as an excellent engineering manager). It then covers timelines, emphasizing shipping early but having enormous patience getting to maturity, above all in finding product-use-fit, and avoiding vanity metrics. The guide then goes into some detail on hiring, covering the CTO role, senior contractors, designers and young engineers. The longest section, by some distance, is that on hiring. Hiring is the one thing considered critical in every piece of the lore, by founders and investors and managers alike, across all sectors. It is also the field in which I think I got it mostly right, and for reasons I can explain in ways that I believe will be helpful. DA - 2021/// PY - 2021 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - Grassroot and MIT Governance Lab UR - https://mitgovlab.org/resources/dont-build-it-a-guide-for-practitioners-in-civic-tech Y2 - 2021/04/29/00:00:00 ER - TY - ELEC TI - Thinking Tools Studio AU - Waters Center T2 - Waters Center for Systems Thinking AB - Tools to help you Think DA - 2021/// PY - 2021 LA - en UR - https://thinkingtoolsstudio.waterscenterst.org/ Y2 - 2021/07/30/09:36:55 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Diseño transformacional de proyectos AU - Kehrer, Daniel AB - There are many definitions of the term ‘transformation’ or ‘transformational change’. The first section of the report develops a basic understanding of transformations or transitions (used synonymously) viewed from various perspectives. In this, transformations are defined as processes that use disruptive innovations to change systems into fundamentally new systems that subsequently form the new mainstream. Section two describes existing approaches to environmental and climate finance in international cooperation and discusses them in light of the proposed definition. All of the approaches have the potential to be further refined and in that process often to increase the precision of what is understood by each type of transformation. The definitions already state which criteria and indicators are referred to and how relevant they are. There is wide diversity in the type of criteria and indicators used by the various organisations, and how they are classified, but certain common features can be identified and with the aid of the literature on transformations they can be combined to form a comprehensive framework. With this in mind, the derivation of quality criteria for transformative interventions is explained in section 3.1. Transformational change at one and the same time calls for big decisions and innumerable projects in a particular field of transformation; the projects cannot be planned on the drawing board but still should be coordinated with each other. Section 3.2 offers guidance on this. Section 3.3 argues in favour of focusing more closely on the ‘process promise’ and employing a more iterative and more adaptable commissioning procedure. Finally, section 3.4 introduces two types of indicators under the various criteria: design indicators, which measure the quality of interventions that are aimed at influencing transformations (process orientation), and outcome indicators, which measure the process and/or progress of a transformation itself. CY - Bonn DA - 2020/11// PY - 2020 PB - GIZ UR - https://www.giz.de/expertise/downloads/GIZ-BMU_2020_Transformative%20Project%20Design_EN.pdf Y2 - 2021/03/31/08:49:20 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Transformative project design AU - Kehrer, Daniel AB - There are many definitions of the term ‘transformation’ or ‘transformational change’. The first section of the report develops a basic understanding of transformations or transitions (used synonymously) viewed from various perspectives. In this, transformations are defined as processes that use disruptive innovations to change systems into fundamentally new systems that subsequently form the new mainstream. Section two describes existing approaches to environmental and climate finance in international cooperation and discusses them in light of the proposed definition. All of the approaches have the potential to be further refined and in that process often to increase the precision of what is understood by each type of transformation. The definitions already state which criteria and indicators are referred to and how relevant they are. There is wide diversity in the type of criteria and indicators used by the various organisations, and how they are classified, but certain common features can be identified and with the aid of the literature on transformations they can be combined to form a comprehensive framework. With this in mind, the derivation of quality criteria for transformative interventions is explained in section 3.1. Transformational change at one and the same time calls for big decisions and innumerable projects in a particular field of transformation; the projects cannot be planned on the drawing board but still should be coordinated with each other. Section 3.2 offers guidance on this. Section 3.3 argues in favour of focusing more closely on the ‘process promise’ and employing a more iterative and more adaptable commissioning procedure. Finally, section 3.4 introduces two types of indicators under the various criteria: design indicators, which measure the quality of interventions that are aimed at influencing transformations (process orientation), and outcome indicators, which measure the process and/or progress of a transformation itself. CY - Bonn DA - 2020/11// PY - 2020 PB - GIZ UR - https://www.giz.de/expertise/downloads/GIZ-BMU_2020_Transformative%20Project%20Design_EN.pdf Y2 - 2021/03/31/08:49:20 ER - TY - ELEC TI - A Guide To Agile Project Management Methodology & Tools AU - Aston, Ben T2 - The Digital Project Manager AB - Looking to brush-up on agile? Here's your complete guide to agile project management, agile principles and key components, and the best agile tools for 2020. DA - 2020/10/01/T03:28:20+00:00 PY - 2020 LA - en-US UR - https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/agile-project-management/ Y2 - 2020/11/19/10:54:15 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Adaptive management: A practical guide to mitigating uncertainty and advancing evidence-based programming AU - Byom, K. AU - Ingram, M. AU - Oakley, A. AU - Serpe, L. AB - Pact’s Adaptive Management Guide provides practical guidance to development practitioners globally on the mindsets, behaviors, resources, and processes that underpin an effective adaptive management system. It presents an approach to managing adaptively that is rooted in complexity analysis and program theory. It draws on Pact’s global experiences and work on topics as diverse as health, livelihoods, markets, governance, capacity development, women and youth, and more. This document begins with an introduction to adaptive management, then walks through successive steps to determine how much adaptation a project requires and how to design an appropriate system. The second half of this guidebook contains a toolkit of examples and templates that projects can tailor to their needs. CY - Washington DC DA - 2020/10// PY - 2020 LA - en PB - PACT ST - Adaptive management UR - https://www.pactworld.org/library/adaptive-management-practical-guide-mitigating-uncertainty-and-advancing-evidence-based Y2 - 2021/01/04/11:34:24 ER - TY - BLOG TI - Four ways development practitioners can borrow from private sector adaptive approaches AU - Pett, Jamie T2 - LearnAdapt AB - Agile, lean startup and human-centred design can be an answer — if you’re asking the right questions DA - 2020/09/28/T15:49:09.590Z PY - 2020 LA - en UR - https://medium.com/learnadapt/four-ways-development-practitioners-can-borrow-from-private-sector-adaptive-approaches-e5af0689ca78 Y2 - 2020/10/14/09:56:38 ER - TY - RPRT TI - SystemCraft - a primer: How to Tackle our Toughest Problems AU - Simpson, Kate AU - Randall, Ian AB - 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?’ CY - Nairobi DA - 2020/09// PY - 2020 PB - Wasafiri UR - https://www.wasafirihub.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Wasafiri-SystemCraft-2020-Small.pdf Y2 - 2021/11/09/12:10:22 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Uncertainty and COVID-19: A turning point for Monitoring Evaluation, Research and Learning? - A discussion note for aid actors, policymakers and practitioners AU - Tyrrel, Lavinia AU - Roche, Chris AU - Jackson, Elisabeth AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly shifted the context in which aid and development is being delivered. The global scale of the pandemic and the speed at which it is spreading mean that the ‘normal’ economic, ideological and organisational influences which shape (if not determine) aid delivery are in flux. This means that – for a relatively short-period – there is scope for aid actors to work collectively to embed more locally-led, politically-informed and adaptive forms of MERL in aid and development practice. These forms of Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) are not only well-suited to the current global pandemic. They also offer ways for aid program decision makers and practitioners to make sense of the complex and uncertain contexts in which much development work takes place. Applying locally-led, politically-informed and adaptive forms of MERL in the COVID-19 context and beyond requires a shift in mindset and approaches. Situations of complexity, in which it is difficult to predict the relationships between cause and effect, do not lend themselves to linear approaches and fixed indicators. Instead, they require ‘navigation by judgement’, ongoing learning and adaptation and greater privileging of local knowledge, and of the perspectives of those who are often excluded. Rather than being focused on upwards accountability, simple numbers and good news stories, the core function of MERL in this context is to support a better understanding – in real-time – of the changing operating context, to generate learning about the immediate impact of policy and program responses and their longer-term effects, and to inform decision making by front line staff. Whether the opportunities afforded by this ‘critical juncture’ are realised will depend on the degree to which those in the aid and development sector use this opportunity to promote a shift in the deep incentive structures within which development agencies are embedded. On the one hand, the pandemic underscores the limits of the linear understandings of change which underpin many orthodox approaches to planning, design and associated MERL. On the other hand, there is a vested interest in the status quo amongst many organisations, consultants, researchers and MERL practitioners. This is because approaches which promote locally-led development inevitably require those in power to relinquish control. While a range of factors make this shift difficult, there is more scope to change internal ways of working in development agencies than is commonly acknowledged. There is no time like the present to advocate for a ‘new normal’ for MERL. DA - 2020/05// PY - 2020 PB - Abt Associates UR - https://abtassocgovernancesoapbox.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/200514-uncertainty-and-covid19-a-turning-point-for-merl-final.pdf Y2 - 2020/10/15/10:04:43 ER - TY - VIDEO TI - A pragmatic approach to assessing system change - Webinar AB - Few topics inspire as much confusion and debate as systemic change. What is it? How do you measure it? Does it even matter? Assessing changes in systems might be more doable than you think. This webinar explored a back-to-basics approach to assessing system change. In November 2019, thirty results measurement specialists, managers and consultants got together in Bangkok. They took part in workshops on a back-to-basics approach to assessing system changes, applying it to cases from participants’ programmes. Since then, the insights from the workshop have been further developed into a pragmatic approach to assessing system changes that builds on what programmes are actually doing and learning from practice. It can be: applied by programmes using a variety of different systemic change frameworks applied across a variety of sectors implemented with internal resources using familiar methods for information gathering The speakers walked through the approach using examples from the 2019 workshop, including PRISMA in Indonesia and Skills for Jobs (S4J) in Albania. DA - 2020/04/30/ PY - 2020 LA - en PB - DCED UR - https://beamexchange.org/community/webinar/assessing-system-change/ Y2 - 2020/10/15/08:34:09 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Monitoring for problem-solving, adaptive management, reporting and learning AU - Dominique Morel AU - Dzino-Silajdzic, Velida AU - Hagens, Clara AB - Internal and external stakeholders have different information needs over a project’s life, for purposes that include adaptive management, accountability, compliance, reporting and learning. A project’s monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning, or MEAL, system should provide the information needed by these stakeholders at the level of statistical reliability, detail and timing appropriate to inform data use. In emergency contexts where the situation is still fluid, ‘informal monitoring’ has proved helpful to staff’s ongoing assessment of the broader environment in order to identify changes in the situation, in other actors’ responses, and in priority unmet needs that would require corresponding changes in the response.2 The same distinction between informal monitoring of possible changes in the project’s operating context—whether identified as project assumptions and risk factors or not—and formal monitoring of the activities included in the response and project indicators, is relevant for development contexts too. Informal monitoring: Ongoing assessment of changes in operating context Formal monitoring: Tracking progress against project activities and indicators Within formal monitoring, it is useful to further differentiate between light monitoring and rigorous monitoring: - Light monitoring aims to provide timely feedback on new activities (or new locations or target groups) or aspects of the project’s theory of change (activity-to-output or output-to-IR change) logic that staff are less confident about, to check for early signs that progress is being made and that assumptions are holding true while there is still ample time to make adjustments if necessary.3 - Rigorous monitoring aims to collect representative data for evidence-based project management, reporting and learning, not just at midterm but throughout project implementation. CY - Baltimore, USA DA - 2020/04// PY - 2020 PB - Catholic Relief Services UR - https://www.crs.org/sites/default/files/tools-research/monitoring_for_problem_solving_adaptive_mgt_reporting_and_learning_2020.pdf Y2 - 2022/02/24/15:44:19 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Listen carefully. Tread lightly. Adapt quickly. Approaching Adaptive Management: Examples from our Somalia Education Programming AU - CARE T2 - CARE Learning AB - Adaptive management approaches potentially offer us opportunities to deliver high quality results in circumstances where change is complex, including in fragile, unstable or conflict affected places. However, building adaptive programming continues to be a challenge for the sector. For CARE, our Department for International Development -UK Aid funded Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) programming has provided useful learning on how to operationalise adaptive approaches. In this paper we expand on our learning from this project and offer some recommendations for how to create more opportunities for truly adaptive programming in the future. In particular: • Projects that are designed to adapt need budget structures, results frameworks and governance that enable the process of adaptation. In our GEC projects the approaches employed by DFID, including the introduction of Review and Adaptation meetings have served to support meaningful adaptation. • Adaptive projects require both strong participatory elements and flexible governance and accountability structures. Whilst rigorous and comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems are important without these other elements appropriate adaptation can be hindered. • Adaptive Management requires resources. Where the expected change is complex, adaptation is frequently necessary to ensure we are responding to context and evidence. This should be adequately resourced if we are to expect results. In an environment where many INGOs work consistently within complex environments, the sector also needs more opportunities to trial these approaches and could benefit from more funding streams available which include the kinds of approaches used by DFID in current GEC programming DA - 2020/// PY - 2020 PB - CARE UR - https://insights.careinternational.org.uk/media/k2/attachments/CARE_Adaptive-Management-and-the-GEC-in-Somalia_2020.pdf Y2 - 2020/10/15/11:24:12 ER - TY - RPRT TI - AdaptScan - Improving your Team's Adaptive Management AU - Mercy Corps DA - 2020/// PY - 2020 PB - Mercy Corps UR - https://www.mercycorps.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/AdaptScan_Module.pdf Y2 - 2020/10/15/11:40:43 ER - TY - RPRT TI - A Pragmatic Approach to Assessing System Change: How to put it into practice AU - Miehlbradt, Alexandra AU - Shah, Rachel AU - Posthumus, Hans AU - Kessler, Adam AB - Planning for and assessing system change is a strategic management issue. It is critical for everything from developing a strategy and designing interventions, to adapting strategy, improving implementation and reporting impact. But many programmes get stuck when it comes to assessing system change. The private sector development field has struggled to agree on an approach that programmes can implement and stakeholders can understand. However some mature programmes are starting to assess system change more effectively. Building on these emerging practices, this paper outlines a process that programmes can use to assess system changes regularly and practically. Two complementary papers: Overview and How to put it into practice The Overview summarises the approach and How to put it into practice provides more detailed implementation guidance, worked examples, and useful tips. The Overview explores how to: develop a system change strategy and intervention plans that lay the groundwork for system change assessment, including how to set system boundaries and how to identify the system changes a programme aims to catalyse assess system changes using both: - an intervention lens focused on changes introduced by specific interventions - a helicopter lens that provides a whole system view By analysing findings from both lenses, programmes can improve their strategy and report on their contribution to system change. How to put it into practice uses two case examples for illustration throughout the paper - PRISMA’s work in the maize system in East Java and Indonesia and S4J’s work in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system in Albania. It targets practitioners responsible for facilitating and/or assessing system change. The paper explains how to: articulate the system changes that a programme aims to catalyse assess those changes use the results to inform decision making and reporting The approach described in the paper builds on the practices outlined in the DCED Results Measurement Standard. The guidance provided has been designed to be useful to programmes that aim to catalyse system changes whether or not they apply the DCED Standard. DA - 2020/// PY - 2020 DP - Zotero SP - 91 LA - en PB - DCED UR - https://beamexchange.org/community/webinar/assessing-system-change/ Y2 - 2020/10/15/00:00:00 ER - TY - RPRT TI - LAC MEL Specialists Use Peer Network to Improve Quality and Use of Evidence AU - Anderson, Todd M AU - Prevatt, Amy T2 - CLA Case Competition AB - Based on consultations and stocktakings with LAC Missions, the LAC Bureau identified Mission Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialists as influential decision makers regarding data and evidence use. The LAC Bureau aims to improve the quality and use of evidence for decision making, and ultimately to improve development outcomes. DA - 2019/08/14/T13:48:53-04:00 PY - 2019 LA - en M3 - Text PB - USAID UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/lac-mel-specialists-use-peer-network-improve-quality-and-use-evidence Y2 - 2020/02/14/12:30:08 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Failing Forward: How CARE is Focusing on What Goes Wrong to Improve Impact AU - Janoch, Emily T2 - CLA Case Competition AB - CARE's Failing Forward initiative is sparking opportunities to showcase the ideas that don't work so we can spend more time implementing the ones that do. It's changing the conversation inside the organization, and leading to changes in the way we design and implement programs. DA - 2019/08/07/ PY - 2019 LA - en M3 - Text PB - CARE ST - Failing Forward UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/failing-forward-how-care-focusing-what-goes-wrong-improve-impact Y2 - 2020/02/14/12:30:01 ER - TY - RPRT TI - A Guide to Digital Feedback Loops. An approach to strengthening program outcomes through data for decision making AU - Whittle, Dennis AU - Campbell, Megan AB - Feedback is information about what happens as a result of what you do. Using that information to adapt what you do or how you do it creates what is called a feedback loop. A digital feedback loop uses digital technology at some stage of the feedback loop. Digital feedback loops help USAID missions improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their activities and can support partner countries on their journey to self-reliance through increased information sharing and improved government and civil society capacity. USAID missions and their partners have used digital feedback loops to improve HIV treatment targeting in Zimbabwe, engage three million young people in Nigeria in policy, and reduce field reporting times from one month to one day. Digital feedback loops provide access to information faster and more cheaply than ever before. As part of an adaptive management approach, digital feedback loops increase our ability to act on opportunities and respond to challenges. That in turn can improve outcomes and reduce the risk of waste and failure. This guide outlines the case for integrating digital feedback loops into your work, and provides tools, resources and guiding questions to support you as you get started. The guide includes examples of how USAID missions are using digital feedback loops to improve their programs in various sectors and provides worksheets to help you apply digital feedback loops to your own context. DA - 2019/05// PY - 2019 PB - USAID UR - https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/15396/A_Guide_to_Digital_Feedback_Loops.pdf Y2 - 2019/05/31/11:14:13 ER - TY - JOUR TI - How We Model Matters: A Manifesto for the Next Generation of Program Theorizing AU - Whynot, Jane AU - Lemire, Sebastian AU - Montague, Steve T2 - Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation AB - In this concluding article, grounded on the exemplary contributions contained in the preceding pages, the guest editors scale the proverbial soapbox and present a manifesto to guide the pursuit and advancement of the next generation of program theorizing. Formulating ten declarations for program theory development and examination, the modest hope of the authors is to motivate and inspire reflective evaluation practitioners to broaden their views, approaches, and techniques for future program theorizing. DA - 2019/03/01/ PY - 2019 DO - 10.3138/cjpe.53070 DP - DOI.org (Crossref) VL - 33 IS - 3 J2 - CJPE LA - en SN - 1496-7308, 0834-1516 ST - How We Model Matters UR - https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjpe/article/view/53070 Y2 - 2019/08/12/21:34:54 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Bringing adaptive management to life: Insights from practice AU - Arora, Anmol AU - Gogoi, Elizabeth AU - Joy, Divya AU - Kumar, Pankaj AU - Luthra, Rajni AU - Pal, Uma AU - Pervaiz, Arif CY - Oxford DA - 2019/03// PY - 2019 DP - Zotero LA - en PB - Oxford Policy Management UR - http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/2019/03/26/bringing-adaptive-management-to-life-insights-from-practice/ Y2 - 2019/05/15/00:00:00 ER - TY - BLOG TI - Thinking and Working Politically in Economic Development Programmes – Some Sprints and Stumbles from a DFID Programme in Kyrgyzstan AU - Koleros, Andrew AU - Rinnert, David T2 - From Poverty to Power AB - A DFID programme in Kyrgyzstan offers useful insights into how the Thinking and Working Politically approach can escape from its governance ghetto DA - 2019/02/06/T07:00:19+00:00 PY - 2019 LA - en-GB UR - https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/thinking-and-working-politically-in-economic-development-programmes-some-sprints-and-stumbles-from-a-dfid-programme-in-kyrgyzstan/ Y2 - 2019/02/06/09:37:26 KW - Case Study ER - TY - RPRT TI - Peacebuilding design, monitoring, and evaluation: A Training Package for participants and trainers at intermediate to advanced levels AU - Ernstorfer, Anita AU - Barnard-Webster, Kiely AB - This training package includes 7 Training Modules and a set of Annexes (Annexes A-O). The Training Modules build on each other and should ideally be used in a sequenced way in a training setting. However, for groups with specific training needs around particular areas, modules can also be used individually, but need to be tailored by the trainers and facilitators to meet the needs of specific audiences. The annexes provide worksheets and hand-outs that can be used as resources during the training for specific modules and exercises. CY - New York DA - 2019/02// PY - 2019 PB - Carnegie Corporation UR - https://www.cdacollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PB-DME-Training-Package-final.pdf Y2 - 2022/06/17/13:12:01 ER - TY - COMP TI - EvalC3 AU - Davies, Rick AB - Tools for developing, exploring and evaluating predictive models of expected outcomes DA - 2019/// PY - 2019 ET - 2.3.39 UR - https://evalc3.net/ Y2 - 2017/05/25/19:31:44 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Monitoring and Result Measurement for Adaptive Programming - How to Use Data to Manage a MSD Program: Lessons from PRISMA AU - Khan, Khaled AU - Seely, Kevin AU - Ridwan, Mustika AU - Mulya, Bodhiya AB - Using monitoring data to improve interventions is harder than it seems. Decision-makers are often busy implementing activities, unclear about their roles in data collection and analysis, and uncertain what data matters most or when. PRISMA, an AUD77 million agricultural Market Systems Development (MSD) programme funded by DFAT Australia, has encountered these challenges. With the programme completing its first five year phase, this case study shares ten key lessons divided into three sections: shaping the culture, developing systems, and top management decisions. These lessons aim to help program, sector and intervention managers make better use of monitoring data to improve interventions. DA - 2019/// PY - 2019 PB - PRISMA UR - https://aip-prisma.or.id/data/public/uploaded_file/05_Monitoring%20and%20Result%20Measurement%20for%20Adaptive%20Programming%20-%20How%20to%20Use%20Data%20to%20Manage%20a%20MSD%20Program%20-%20Lessons%20from%20PRISMA.pdf Y2 - 2020/02/14/12:40:55 ER - TY - RPRT TI - The Rapid Evaluation, Action, and Learning (REAL) Approach: A toolkit to measure and refine changes and interventions in health campaigns AU - PATH AB - Evaluative Tools for Improving Campaign Effectiveness Public health campaigns aim to control disease or deliver essential health services and products through time-limited and periodic channels. Many countries use campaigns to augment or replace routine service delivery, to target certain populations, or to accelerate progress towards coverage targets. The Root Cause Analysis and Rapid Evaluation, Action, and Learning toolkits present a systematic but flexible approach to identifying the root causes of campaign bottlenecks and then designing, testing, and refining solutions to optimize potential impact. These toolkits respond to a growing need for “fit-for-purpose” rapid-testing, adaptive learning approaches to evaluation and the need for a culture shift toward iterative adaptation and improvement that integrates measurement and evidence-informed decision-making into daily practice. The comprehensive package of toolkits, in addition to the individual Root Cause Analysis toolkit and Rapid Evaluation, Action, and Learning toolkit are available below. DA - 2019/// PY - 2019 PB - PATH UR - https://media.path.org/documents/RapidTestingProtocol_Toolkit02.pdf Y2 - 2023/11/15/10:49:10 ER - TY - ELEC TI - Humanitarian Innovation Guide AU - ELHRA AB - The Humanitarian Innovation Guide is a growing online resource to help individuals and organisations define humanitarian problems and successfully develop innovative solutions. ABOUT THE GUIDE The humanitarian sector is investing in exciting innovations, but it is not yet producing a steady pipeline of well-designed solutions that effectively address problems, evidence their impact, and have the potential to be scaled. As stated in a recent independent evaluation of the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (Triple Line, 2017), a review of the innovation ecosystem in 2015 found significant gaps in resources for innovation, including a shortage of guidance on the skills needed to manage successful innovation projects. These findings were echoed in the research carried out to inform this resource. As part of a grant agreement with the European Commission to provide financial and technical support to emerging humanitarian innovations, and in line with our strategic aim to develop the sector’s skills and capabilities in humanitarian innovation, this resource aims to translate our own learning, along with learning from across the sector, into a practical, grounded guide for innovators working in humanitarian contexts. Building on our unique position in the sector, the Humanitarian Innovation Guide is designed to provide targeted support to individuals and organisations attempting to develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing humanitarian assistance, resulting in a more effective humanitarian response. The Guide is written with two audiences in mind: humanitarian practitioners who are seeking to develop a new approach to their work and want to apply an innovation lens to solving problems; and social entrepreneurs from outside the sector who have identified an opportunity to engage with the sector and need a humanitarian framework to contextualise their innovation plans. We also hope that it will be a useful resource for innovation managers who are tasked with supporting innovation in their agencies, labs or networks. As the first step-by-step guide to managing innovation in the humanitarian sector, we hope that its continued development will better enable individuals, organisations and the wider sector to: Plan the activities involved in an innovation process and systematise the management of innovation. Manage a successful innovation project and generate evidence for innovation. Ensure that innovations are developed in an ethical way, with full consideration of risks and responsibilities. DA - 2018/07// PY - 2018 LA - en-GB UR - https://higuide.elrha.org/ Y2 - 2022/06/10/13:32:50 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Managing to Adapt: Analysing adaptive management for planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning AU - Desai, Harsh AU - Maneo, Gabriele AU - Pellfolk, Erica AU - Schlingheider, Annika T2 - Oxfam Research Reports AB - Adaptive management is at the heart of ‘Doing Development Differently’. It emerges from stakeholders’ calls for development programmes to be more flexible and responsive to their contexts. Whether it becomes a mainstreamed practice depends on how much it is DA - 2018/03/22/ PY - 2018 DP - policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk LA - English PB - Oxfam ST - Managing to Adapt UR - https://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/managing-to-adapt-analysing-adaptive-management-for-planning-monitoring-evaluat-620446 Y2 - 2018/05/14/11:02:16 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Reflection methods: Tools to make learning more meaningful AU - Gordijn, Femke AU - Eernstman, Natalia AU - Helder, Jan AU - Brouwer, Herman AB - This handbook summarises methods that can be used to facilitate the process of reflection on the knowledge and experiences people acquire during a capacity development trajectory or training event. We believe that by explicitly integrating reflection in the learning process the learning will become clearer and better articulated and will contribute more strongly to meaningful change. Therefore we advise facilitators to deliberately include reflective learning sessions in their process design and implementation. This handbook can inspire you to do so and provides many methods which help to facilitate this. CY - Wageningen DA - 2018/01// PY - 2018 DP - DOI.org (Crossref) LA - en PB - Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation ST - Reflection methods UR - https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/b03d4b46-36ad-4d89-a7cf-2669f0b43319 Y2 - 2023/02/09/12:00:14 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Mission-Based Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Platforms Assessment Report AU - Arntson, Laura AU - Giannoni, Tonya AU - Peek, Nancy AU - Saarlas, Kristin AB - In 2016, the Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) commissioned an internal stocktaking of USAID's mission-based MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) Platforms. CY - Washington DC DA - 2017/12/04/ PY - 2017 LA - en PB - USAID UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/mission-based-monitoring%2C-evaluation-and-learning-platforms-assessment-report Y2 - 2019/03/12/14:30:19 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Program Cycle - How-To Note: Strategy-Level Portfolio Review AU - USAID CY - Washington D.C. DA - 2017/07// PY - 2017 PB - USAID PPL UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/how_to_note_portfolio_review_final_compliant_1_r.pdf Y2 - 2019/02/25/13:48:41 ER - TY - RPRT TI - The Beginner’s Guide to Political Economy Analysis (PEA) AU - Whaites, Alan AB - 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? CY - London DA - 2017/07// PY - 2017 PB - National School of Government International UR - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/766478/The_Beginner_s_Guide_to_PEA.pdf Y2 - 2021/01/04/11:56:54 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Amateur hour: CfC's 'surprising' success in addressing school congestion in the philippines AU - Sidel, John T. T2 - Coalitions for Change AB - 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. DA - 2017/05// PY - 2017 PB - Asia Foundation UR - http://asiafoundation.org/publication/strategy-testing-an-innovative-approach-to-monitoring-highly-flexible-aid-programs/ Y2 - 2016/03/23/16:47:09 KW - IMPORTANT ER - TY - BLOG TI - Using PDIA to Put Data Into Action AU - Bhatia, Vinisha AU - Powell, Josh T2 - Development Gateway AB - We recently wrote about how the data for development community needs to take a more context aware, demand-driven approach to data. Applying theories of change... DA - 2017/03/27/ PY - 2017 UR - http://www.developmentgateway.org/blog/using-pdia-put-data-action Y2 - 2017/06/03/11:27:08 ER - TY - RPRT TI - One step to a thousand miles: building accountability in Liberia AU - Gilberds, Heather AB - Lessons for enabling accountability and integrity in Liberia DA - 2017/// PY - 2017 PB - Accountability Lab Liberia ST - One step to a thousand miles UR - http://www.makingallvoicescount.org/publication/one-step-thousand-miles-building-accountability-liberia Y2 - 2017/05/12/14:06:56 ER - TY - BLOG TI - From analysis to action: operationalising learning and adaptation in Savings at the Frontier AU - Salehi, Yusef DA - 2016/11/23/ PY - 2016 UR - http://www.opml.co.uk/projects/savings-frontier KW - IMPORTANT ER - TY - RPRT TI - LEARN Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning Plan AU - Learning Lab AB - LEARN and USAID/PPL are managing an area of work known as Evidence Base for Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (EB4CLA). The purpose of this work is to answer key learning questions: CY - Washington DC DA - 2016/11// PY - 2016 PB - USAID UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/public_learn_merl_plan_update_20160922.pdf Y2 - 2016/09/23/13:29:30 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Thinking and Working politically to support developmental leadership and coalitions: The Pacific Leadership Program AU - Denney, Lisa AU - McLaren, Rebecca T2 - Research Paper CY - Birmingham DA - 2016/10// PY - 2016 PB - DLP Program SN - 41 UR - http://publications.dlprog.org/Denney_McLaren.pdf Y2 - 2018/09/24/08:45:56 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Adaptive programming in practice: shared lessons from the DFID-funded LASER and SAVI programmes AU - Derbyshire, Helen AU - Donovan, Elbereth T2 - Synthesis Paper 3 AB - LASER synthesis papers aim to help donors and other stakeholders better understand why and how to approach investment climate reform programming differently. The papers reflect emerging best practice and lessons learnt on what works and what does not work in doing development differently. The papers have been peer-reviewed by experts in the field including senior advisers at DFID, World Bank, IFC and the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (amongst others). DA - 2016/08// PY - 2016 PB - DFID-LASER Programme UR - http://savi-nigeria.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Laser_Savi_Report-online-version-final-120816pdf.pdf Y2 - 2019/06/10/00:00:00 KW - IMPORTANT KW - Practice ER - TY - RPRT TI - Reforming solid waste management in Phnom Penh AU - Denney, Lisa T2 - Working Politically in Practice AB - This paper tracks the efforts of an Asia Foundation team and local stakeholders as they worked to support improvements in the solid waste management sector in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The team worked in a flexible way with a range of partners, and with particular focus on understanding the incentives and politics affecting service delivery. While reform of the sector remains in progress, steps have been taken to introduce more competition and better public sector management of solid waste collection in the city. This case study lays out the real-time decisions and processes which drove the strategy and implementation of this project, providing useful insights into how politically astute and flexible programs can be successfully implemented. This case has emerged from an action research process, which was led by a researcher from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and conducted over the course of almost two years. By capturing and analyzing the experiences of the program team in Phnom Penh, the paper intends to provide practical insights for others in the development community aiming to implement similar kinds of programming. DA - 2016/05// PY - 2016 SN - 8 UR - http://asiafoundation.org/publication/reforming-solid-waste-management-phnom-penh Y2 - 2016/03/23/16:47:09 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Reflections on implementing politically informed, searching programs: lessons for aid practitioners and policy makers AU - Cole, William AU - Ladner, Debra AU - Koenig, Mark AU - Tyrrel, Lavinia T2 - Working Politically in Practice DA - 2016/04// PY - 2016 SN - 5 UR - http://asiafoundation.org/publication/reflections-implementing-politically-informed-searching-programs Y2 - 2016/03/23/16:47:09 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Dealing with uncertainty: Reflections on donor preferences for pre-planned project models AU - Tyrrel, Lavinia AU - Cole, William T2 - Working Politically in Practice DA - 2016/04// PY - 2016 SN - 6 UR - http://asiafoundation.org/publication/dealing-with-uncertainty Y2 - 2016/03/23/16:47:09 KW - IMPORTANT ER - TY - RPRT TI - Using political economy analysis in conflict, security and justice programmes AU - Denney, Lisa DA - 2016/03// PY - 2016 SP - 20 M3 - Toolkit PB - ODI UR - https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/10362.pdf Y2 - 2018/12/10/00:00:00 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Leather sector reform in Bangladesh AU - Harris, Dan T2 - Working Politically in Practice AB - This paper examines the Asia Foundation’s efforts to support change in Bangladesh’s leather sector. Working closely with local partners, the Asia Foundation team has specifically supported efforts to move tanneries out of a dangerously polluted location to a modern industrial park that will improve compliance with health and environmental protection standards, and potentially lead to growth in the sector. At the time of release, this critical relocation has already begun. This case study lays out the real-time decisions and processes which drove the strategy and implementation of this project, providing useful insights into how politically astute and flexible programs can be successfully implemented. This case has emerged from an action research process, which was led by a researcher from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and conducted over the course of almost two years. By capturing and analyzing the experiences of the program team in Bangladesh, the paper intends to provide practical insights for others in the development community aiming to implement similar kinds of programming. This is the seventh paper in the DFAT-TAF Partnership Working Politically in Practice Paper Series released under the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) Partnership. DA - 2016/03// PY - 2016 SN - 7 UR - http://asiafoundation.org/publication/leather-sector-reform-bangladesh/ Y2 - 2016/03/23/16:47:09 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Moving Targets, Widening Nets: monitoring incremental and adaptive change in an Empowerment and Accountability programme. The experience of the State Accountability and Voice Initiative in Nigeria AU - Derbyshire, Helen AU - Barr, Julian AU - Fraser, Steve AU - Mwamba, Wilf DA - 2016/02// PY - 2016 PB - DFID UR - http://savi-nigeria.org/resource/moving-targets-widening-nets-monitoring-incremental-adaptive-change-empowerment-accountability-programme/ Y2 - 2016/07/27/09:45:23 KW - IMPORTANT KW - Practice ER - TY - RPRT TI - Monday morning in Kigali: what do you do when you get off the plane? Practical guidance for PDIA practitioners AU - LASER T2 - Synthesis Paper, 1 AB - In order to help enhance the effectiveness of donors and development practitioners on the ground, LASER has produced a range of practical guidance and tools. These are primarily intended for the international development community engaged in designing and implementing investment climate programmes, though can also be used more widely by other stakeholders across sectors. General guidance and tools: Monday morning in Kigali January 2016 - what do you do when you get off the plane? Practical guidance for PDIA practitioners DA - 2016/01// PY - 2016 PB - DFID-LASER Programme UR - http://www.laserdev.org/media/1151/monday-morning-in-kigali-updated-january-2016.pdf Y2 - 2016/09/07/00:00:00 KW - IMPORTANT KW - Practice ER - TY - BOOK TI - The MSP Tool Guide: Sixty tools to facilitate Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships AU - Brouwer, Herman AU - Brouwers, Jan AB - 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. CY - Wageningen DA - 2016/01// PY - 2016 DP - DOI.org (Crossref) LA - en PB - CDI, Wageningen University and Research SN - 978-1-85339-965-7 978-1-78044-669-1 ST - The MSP Guide UR - https://www.developmentbookshelf.com/doi/book/10.3362/9781780446691 Y2 - 2023/02/09/11:55:58 ER - TY - BOOK TI - The MSP Guide: How to Design and Facilitate Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships AU - Brouwer, Herman AU - Woodhill, Jim AU - Hemmati, Minu AU - Verhoosel, Karèn AU - van Vugt, Simone AB - 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. DA - 2016/01// PY - 2016 DP - DOI.org (Crossref) LA - en PB - Practical Action Publishing SN - 978-1-85339-965-7 978-1-78044-669-1 ST - The MSP Guide UR - https://www.developmentbookshelf.com/doi/book/10.3362/9781780446691 Y2 - 2023/02/09/11:55:58 ER - TY - RPRT TI - State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) - Approach Paper Series AU - SAVI AB - 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’ –... CY - London DA - 2016/// PY - 2016 PB - DFID UR - http://savi-nigeria.org/approach/ Y2 - 2017/02/14/08:11:51 KW - IMPORTANT ER - TY - RPRT TI - Theory of Change Thinking in Practice AU - van Es, Marjan AU - Guijt, Irene AU - Vogel, Isabel AB - Want to know better how your interventions can contribute to change? A Theory of Change (ToC) approach helps in deepening your understanding - and that of your partners - of how you collectively think change happens and what the effect will be of your intervention. Not only does it show what political, social, economic, and/or cultural factors are in play, it also clarifies your assumptions. Once a ToC has been developed, it can be used to continually reflect on it in ways that allow for adaptation and checking of assumptions of your intervention. This user friendly guideline helps you to use a Theory of Change approach. Theories of change are the ideas and beliefs people have – consciously or not – about why and how the world and people change. How people perceive and understand change and the world around them is infused by their underlying beliefs about life, human nature and society. They are deep drivers of people’s behaviour and of the choices they make. Social change processes are complex and characterised by non-linear feedback loops: our own actions interact with those of others and a myriad of influencing factors. This triggers reactions that cannot be foreseen and makes outcomes of change interventions unpredictable. Given these uncertainties, how can we plan strategically and sensibly? How can social change initiatives move forward in emerging change processes in a flexible way, while remaining focused on the goal? In this context of complexity, Hivos has found a theory of change (ToC) approach useful in guiding its strategic thinking and action, as well as its collaborative efforts with others. As it fosters critical questioning of all aspects of change interventions and supports adaptive planning and management in response to diverse and quickly changing contexts. It contributes to the quality and transparency of strategic thinking, and therefore to personal, organisational and social learning. This guide builds on the experiences of Hivos working with a ToC approach. It is a practical guide for Hivos staff in applying a Theory of Change approach, but is also very useful for others working on social change such as social entrepreneurs and innovators. This guide builds on the work of a ToC Learning Group initiated by Hivos and comprising of staff of the Centre for Development Innovation (CDI) of Wageningen University and Research Centre and of experts Iñigo Retolaza Eguren, Isabel Vogel and Irene Guijt. For current thinking and work on the use of Theory of Change thinking in complex change processes, see http://www.theoryofchange.nl DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015 LA - English UR - https://www.hivos.org/theory-change-thinking-practice Y2 - 2016/04/20/14:29:25 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Implementing Innovation: A User's Manual for Open Government Programs AU - Reboot Design AB - This guide draws from our experience around the world helping government reformers achieve real change. It is a practical resource for anyone working to implement an open government initiative. DA - 2015/10/27/T13:47:44+00:00 PY - 2015 ST - Introducing “Implementing Innovation UR - http://reboot.org/2015/10/27/introducing-implementing-innovation-users-manual-open-government-programs/ Y2 - 2016/03/23/16:52:31 ER - TY - BOOK TI - Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results AU - Stroh, David Peter AB - 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. CY - White River Junction DA - 2015/10/16/ PY - 2015 DP - Amazon SP - 264 LA - English PB - Chelsea Green Publishing SN - 978-1-60358-580-4 ST - Systems Thinking For Social Change ER - TY - RPRT TI - Strategy Testing: An innovative approach to monitoring highly flexible aid programs AU - Ladner, Debra T2 - Working Politically in Practice AB - 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. DA - 2015/09// PY - 2015 PB - The Asia Foundation SN - 3 UR - http://asiafoundation.org/publication/strategy-testing-an-innovative-approach-to-monitoring-highly-flexible-aid-programs/ Y2 - 2019/05/16/00:00:00 ER - TY - THES TI - Navigating by Judgment: Organizational Structure, Autonomy, and Country Context in Delivering Foreign Aid AU - Honig, Daniel AB - This dissertation examines when initiatives by International Development Organizations (IDOs) are more, and less, successful. The core argument is that allowing field-level agents to drive initiatives – what I call organizational Navigation by Judgment – will often be the most effective way to deliver aid. This inverts what a classical application of the principal agent model – the workhorse of studies of public management and bureaucracy – would predict, with better performance resulting from less control. In the delivery of foreign aid the costs of monitoring to the principal are often overshadowed by the deleterious effects of the monitoring itself. The core of the argument is that development implementation requires soft information, tacit knowledge, and flexibility that are crowded out by tight controls or an organizational navigation strategy focused on short term measurement and targets. As a result there are increasing returns to Navigation by Judgment in environments that are uncertain or difficult to understand from the outside and tasks where outputs are difficult to observe and/or poorly correlated with long term intervention goals. Insecure political authorizing environments which constrain the autonomy of IDOs prevent these organizations from Navigating by Judgment in situations where this is the best strategy. Empirically, this dissertation examines a cross-IDO dataset of projects (including over 14,000 projects over 50 years over 9 organizations), which I have assembled. It also examines eight cases of development interventions in Liberia and South Africa. These cases are matched pairs comparing the performance and navigation strategies of the US Agency for International Development (a low autonomy IDO) and the UK’s Department for International Development (a higher autonomy IDO) in capacity building and health sector interventions. DA - 2015/05/11/ PY - 2015 DP - dash.harvard.edu LA - en M3 - Doctoral dissertation PB - Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences ST - Navigating by Judgment UR - https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/17467366 Y2 - 2018/02/12/11:18:43 KW - IMPORTANT ER - TY - RPRT TI - Institutional Change, Political Economy, and State Capabilities : Learning from Edo State, Nigeria AU - Bain, Katherine AU - Porter, Doug AU - Watts, Michael T2 - Justice, security, and development series AB - This paper is one of a series aimed at deepening the World Bank’s capacity to follow through on commitments made in response to the World Development Report (WDR) 2011, which gave renewed prominence to the nexus between conflict, security, and development. Nigeria is a remarkable illustration of how deeply intractable the cycle of poverty, conflict, and fragility can become when tied to the ferocious battles associated with the political economy of oil. This paper places the corpus of analytic and programmatic work concerning institutional reform in conversation with a now substantial body of work on resource politics and most especially, the debate over the politico-institutional character (sometimes called political settlements or pacting arrangements associated with the order of power) and reform landscape of the petro-state. Recent institution reform policy writing appears to have little to say about the political and economic conditions in which crises and institutional disjunctures may authorize, and thereby enable, agents to embark on institutional reforms. The authors focus on Edo state for two reasons. First, it does not on its face appear to be an obvious location in which to explore a reform experience, given its entanglement in the Niger Delta conflict and the maladies typically associated with state fragility. Second, Edo is of interest also because of the changes that its experience is contributing to the World Bank country team’s effort to engage operationally across all its instruments with the political economy of institutional reform in Nigeria, its largest client country in Africa. CY - Washington DC DA - 2015/// PY - 2015 PB - World Bank UR - https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/22379 Y2 - 2018/01/17/19:56:59 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Introduction to SAVI's way of working - State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) AU - SAVI AB - We are piloting a new approach to identifying and supporting our partners.  This breaks with convention in many ways in order to improve impact.  SAVI Approach Papers summarise key aspects of SAVI’s way of working. They explain what we do, and why – and link to relevant tools and frameworks. Our approach is summarized in... CY - London DA - 2015/// PY - 2015 PB - DFID UR - http://savi-nigeria.org/introduction-to-savis-way-of-working/ Y2 - 2016/07/27/10:01:39 KW - Practice ER - TY - RPRT TI - The Operational Guide - for the making markets work for the poor (M4P) approach (Second Edition) AU - The Springfield Centre AB - 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 DA - 2015/// PY - 2015 LA - en PB - SDC & DFID UR - https://beamexchange.org/resources/167/ Y2 - 2021/01/15/09:22:48 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Development entrepreneurship: how donors and leaders can foster institutional change AU - Faustino, Jaime AU - Booth, David T2 - Working Politically in Practice AB - Various communities of practice have been established recently to advance the general idea of thinking and working politically in development agencies. This paper makes a contribution by describing the practice of what has been called development entrepreneurship and explaining some of the ideas from outside the field of development that have inspired it. DA - 2014/12// PY - 2014 PB - The Asia Foundation SN - 2 ST - Development entrepreneurship UR - http://www.odi.org/publications/9118-development-entrepreneurship Y2 - 2016/03/23/16:47:09 ER - TY - RPRT TI - Navigating complexity: Adaptive management in the Northern Karamoja Growth, Health & Governance program AU - Allana, Amir AB - Development actors increasing agree that managing programs adaptively – especially complex interventions – can improve their effectiveness. But what does adaptive management look like in practice? CY - Portland DA - 2014/10// PY - 2014 PB - MercyCorps ST - Navigating complexity UR - https://www.mercycorps.org/research-resources/navigating-complexity-adaptive-management-northern-karamoja-growth-health Y2 - 2017/04/18/00:00:00 KW - IMPORTANT KW - Practice ER - TY - BOOK TI - Learning and adapting: the use of monitoring and evaluation in countering violent extremism: a handbook for practitioners AU - Dawson, Laura AU - Edwards, Charlie AU - Jeffray, Calum AU - Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies AB - IN 2013, the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) was awarded a grant under the Kanishka Project to develop a handbook for monitoring and evaluating counter violent extremism (CVE) policies and programmes. The aim of this handbook is to support CVE policy-makers and practitioners (those who design, manage and evaluate CVE programmes), by providing them with key terms regarding violent extremism and radicalisation, describing the purpose of evaluation, and providing examples of key methodologies they can employ to conduct monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in this emerging policy field. The handbook will enable readers to understand why, when and how to conduct an evaluation of a CVE policy, programme or project. . DA - 2014/// PY - 2014 DP - Open WorldCat LA - English PB - Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies SN - 978-0-85516-124-8 ST - Learning and adapting UR - http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn31896-eng.pdf Y2 - 2019/09/17/10:38:28 ER - TY - ELEC TI - Learning Lab - Collaborate, Learn and Adapt for better development outcomes AU - Learning Lab T2 - USAID AB - CLA is: a component of several missions' CDCSes. a conceptual framework for some principles and operational processes that can enable USAID to become a more effective learning organization and thereby a more effective development organization. an approach to facilitating local participation and capacity and promoting country-led development. For more information on CLA visit: DA - 2013/01/07/T12:01:49-05:00 PY - 2013 LA - und M3 - Text UR - https://usaidlearninglab.org Y2 - 2016/08/05/14:49:47 ER - TY - BOOK TI - A trainer's guide for participatory learning and action T2 - IIED Participatory methodology series A3 - Pretty, Jules A3 - Guijt, Irene CY - London DA - 2002/// PY - 2002 DP - K10plus ISBN ET - Reprint SP - 267 LA - eng SN - 978-1-899825-00-4 ER -