Managing complexity (and chaos) in times of crisis. A field guide for decision makers inspired by the Cynefin framework - Snowden, Dave; Rancati, Alessandro (Publications Office of the European Union, 2021)
This field guide helps to navigate crises using the Cynefin framework as a compass. It proposes a four-stage approach through which we can: - assess the type of crisis and initiate a response; - adapt to the new pace and start building sensing networks to inform decisions; - repurpose existing structures and working methods to generate radical innovation; - transcend the crisis, formalise lessons learnt and increase resilience. The guide stresses the importance of setting and managing boundaries, building informal structures, keeping options open, distributing engagement and keeping an ongoing assessment of the evolving landscape. Action items, real life examples and demonstrations complement the references to the developing theoretical framework.

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

Thoughts on the use of hypotheses in adaptive management - Sparkman, Timothy (BEAM Exchange, 2015)
New insights, opinions and perspectives on market systems development, from experts and practitioners.

Applying Systems Thinking to Education: The RISE Systems Framework - Spivack, Marla (Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE), 2021)
Many education systems in low- and middle-income countries are experiencing a learning crisis. Many efforts to address this crisis do not account for the system features of education, meaning that they fail to consider the ways that interactions and feedback loops produce outcomes. Thinking through the feedback relationships that produce the education system can be challenging. The RISE Education Systems Framework, which is sufficiently structured to give boundaries to the analysis but sufficiently flexible to be adapted to multiple scenarios, can be helpful. The RISE Framework identifies four key relationships in an education system: politics, compact, management, and voice and choice; and five features that can be used to describe these relationships: delegation, finance, information, support, and motivation. This Framework can be a useful approach for characterising the key actors and interactions in the education system, thinking through how these interactions produce systems outcomes, and identifying ways to intervene that can shift the system towards better outcomes.

Applying Systems Thinking via Systemigrams™ for Defining the Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering (BKCASE) Project - Squires, Alice; Pyster, Art; Sauser, Brian; Olwell, David; Enck, Stephanie; Gelosh, Don; Anthony, Jim (INCOSE International Symposium, 2010)
Systems thinking is commonly accepted as the backbone of a successful systems engineering approach. As such, the Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering (BKCASE) team chose to leverage a systems thinking based tool, called Systemitool, to describe our project to the vast audience that would potentially become involved directly or indirectly in the success of the project. This paper describes the process and steps used by the authors and the BKCASE team to develop the project's systemic diagram, or Systemigram™, and the story behind the project, the products, and the vision of the BKCASE project. The goal of the paper is to provide guidance so that readers can leverage the lessons learned from this effort to successfully develop their own project definitions and stories.

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

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

Beyond "Lack of Political Will": Elaborating Political Economy Concepts to Advance "Thinking and Working Politically" Comment on "Health Coverage and Financial Protection in Uganda: A Political Economy Perspective" - Ssennyonjo, Aloysius (International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2022)
Political economy analysis (PEA) has been advanced as critical to understanding the political dimensions of policy change processes. However, political economy (PE) is not a theory on its own but draws on several concepts. Nannini et al, in concert with other scholars, emphasise that politics is characterised by conflict, contestation and negotiation over interests, ideas and power as various agents attempt to influence their context. This commentary reflects how Nannini et al wrestled with these PEA concepts - summarised in their conceptual framework used for PEA of the Ugandan case study on financial risk protection reforms. The central premise is that a common understanding of the PEA concepts (mainly structure-agency interactions, ideas, interests, institutions and power) forms a basis for strategies to advance thinking and working politically. Consequently, I generate several insights into how we can promote politically informed approaches to designing, implementing and evaluating policy reforms and development efforts.

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

Agile distributed software development in nine Central European teams: challenges, benefits and recommendations - Stadler, Manuel; Vallon, Raoul; Pazderka, Martin; Grechenig, Thomas (Information Technology, 2019)

Participation as assemblage: Introducing assemblage as a framework for analysing participatory processes and outcomes - Stage, Carsten; Ingerslev, Karen (Conjunctions. Transdisciplinary Journal of Cultural Participation, 2016)
The article presents a yet unexplored framework for analysing the multidimensionality and dis/connections of participatory processes and their outcomes by using the concept of the ‘assemblage’ (DeLanda, 2006). The case is an eight-month collaboration between a task force initiated by Central Denmark Region, the socio-economic company Sager der Samler, and citizens. The collaboration is aimed at bringing together and working across various institutional and user perspectives to act on a societal challenge. The analysis is theoretically based on a review of existing theories of participation and typologies for analysing and evaluating participation. In particu- lar, the analysis focuses on the assemblage approach as a way of acknowledging the institutional, affective, mate- rial and power-related complexity of participatory processes. The assemblage approach helps to analytically stress that the process under investigation should be evaluated both with a more traditional focus on decision-making or power allocation, as well as taking into account the social, personal-affective and material benefits produced, and the potential for change in the relationship between public administration and citizens.

Multiple case study analysis - Stake, Robert E. (The Guilford Press, 2006)
Examining situational complexity is a vital part of social and behavioral science research. This engaging text provides an effective process for studying multiple cases--such as sets of teachers, staff development sessions, or clinics operating in different locations--within one complex program. The process also can be used to investigate broadly occurring phenomena without programmatic links, such as leadership or sibling rivalry. Readers learn to design, analyze, and report studies that balance common issues across the group of cases with the unique features and context of each case. Three actual case reports from a transnational early childhood program illustrate the author's approach, and helpful reproducible worksheets facilitate multicase recording and analysis.
Keywords: Case method; Cross-cultural studies; Education; Europe, Eastern; Research Methodology; Step by Step (Program)

Chaos Report 2015 - Standish Group (Standish Group, 2015)

Chaos Report 2020 - Standish Group (Standish Group, 2020)

Adaptive management of natural resources: theory, concepts, and management institutions. - Stankey, George H.; Clark, Roger N.; Bormann, Bernard T. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 2005)
This report reviews the extensive and growing literature on the concept and application of adaptive management. Adaptive management is a central element of the Northwest Forest Plan and there is a need for an informed understanding of the key theories, concepts, and frameworks upon which it is founded. Literature from a diverse range of ﬁelds including social learning, risk and uncertainty, and institutional analysis was reviewed, particularly as it related to application in an adaptive management context. The review identiﬁes opportunities as well as barriers that adaptive management faces. It concludes by describing steps that must be taken to implement adaptive management.

Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective - Stanley, Kenneth O.; Lehman, Joel (Springer, 2015)
Why does modern life revolve around objectives? From how science is funded, to improving how children are educated -- and nearly everything in-between -- our society has become obsessed with a seductive illusion: that greatness results from doggedly measuring improvement in the relentless pursuit of an ambitious goal. In Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned, Stanley and Lehman begin with a surprising scientific discovery in artificial intelligence that leads ultimately to the conclusion that the objective obsession has gone too far. They make the case that great achievement can't be bottled up into mechanical metrics; that innovation is not driven by narrowly focused heroic effort; and that we would be wiser (and the outcomes better) if instead we whole-heartedly embraced serendipitous discovery and playful creativity.Controversial at its heart, yet refreshingly provocative, this book challenges readers to consider life without a destination and discovery without a compass.

Appreciative Inquiry: Organization Development and the Strengths Revolution - Stavros, Jacqueline M.; Godwin, Lindsey N.; Cooperrider, David L. (Practicing Organization Development, 2015)
A ppreciative Inquiry (AI) is a theory and practice of inquiry-and-changethat shifts the perspective of organization development (OD) methodsby suggesting that the very act of asking generative questions has pro-found impact in organizational systems. Inquiry and change are not separatemoments. Our questions focus our attention on what is “there” to be noticed.Reflecting its social constructionist roots (Cooperrider, Barrett, and Srivastva1995; Gergen 1995), which suggest that words create worlds, AI offers a newchange imperative by suggesting that we be aware of the negativity bias thatpervades our investigations into organizational life and instead shift our focusto the good, the better, and the possibilities that often go undernoticed in oursystems. Building on Gergen (1995) and Cooperrider and Avital (2003), Cooper-rider and Godwin (2012) summarize, “AI posits that human systems move in thedirection of the questions they most frequently and authentically ask; knowl-edge and organizational destiny are intimately interwoven; what we know andhow we study it has a direct impact on where we end up” (740).Leveraging the power of generative questions, AI changes the focus of whatwe typically study in organizational life, questioning the prevailing mindset that“organizations are problems to be solved,” (Cooperrider and Srivastva 1987).Instead, AI suggests that “organizations are mysteries and miracles of humanrelatedness; they are living systems, alive and embedded in ever-wideningwebs of infinite strength and limitless human imagination. Organizations, ascenters of human connectivity and collaboration, are ‘universes of strengths,’” (Cooperrider and Godwin 2010, 10). AI invites change agents to look intotheir organizations with “appreciative eyes”—scanning the system for thingsfor which to be grateful, seeking out what is next and what is possible, andfocusing on valuing those things of value worth valuing. AI theorists posit thatsuch a shift in our approach to organizational change is needed if we are toinspire our imaginative capacities to their fullest potential.

Understanding ‘theory of change’ in international development: A review of existing knowledge - Stein, Danielle; Valters, Craig (LSE, 2012)
This is a review by Danielle Stein and Craig Valters of the concepts and debates within ‘Theory of Change’ (ToC) material, resulting from a search and detailed analysis of available donor, agency and expert guidance documents. The review was undertaken as part of a Justice and Security Research Program (JSRP) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) collaborative project, and focuses on the field of international development.

Virtuous cycles of learning: Using formative, embedded, and diagnostic developmental assessments in a large-scale leadership program - Stein, Z.; Dawson, Theo; Van Rossum, Zachary; Rothaizer, Joel; Hill, S. (Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, 2014)
This article presents preliminary results from a series of ongoing action-research projects involving the use of embedded diagnostic developmental assessments (called LectaTests™) in leadership education contexts. These findings are presented to support a particular metatheoretical approach to learning and education in which embedded assessments form a crucial part of ongoing virtuous cycles of action, feedback, support, and learning. We present two types of evidence. First, we compare developmental growth across eight program evaluations in which LectaTests were and were not embedded. Second, we examine how embedding LectaTests in a large-scale leadership development program affected the growth of managers and their direct reports. We review these findings with an eye toward detecting the benefits of using developmental assessment as embedded diagnostics alongside their use as research instruments. We begin by using Integral Theory to structure a discussion about the ideal function of developmental assessments in educational contexts.

Prioritizing and Selecting Strategic Approaches in USAID Biodiversity Programming - Stem, Caroline; Swaminathan, Vinaya; Flores, Marco (Measuring Impact, 2018)
This guide supplements Biodiversity How-To Guide 2: Using Results Chains to Depict Theories of Change in USAID Biodiversity Programming. Step 4, Brainstorming Strategic Approaches, involves generating a suite of potential strategic approaches for a design team to consider. Step 5 introduces the practice of prioritizing and selecting among these draft strategic approaches but does not provide in-depth guidance on the process and criteria for doing so.

Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto - STEPS Centre (STEPS Centre, 2010)
Our Manifesto project publication is available in print, on CD or to view online. Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto recommends new ways of linking science and innovation to development for a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future. The multimedia version, with added audio, video and background documents, is available on CD and online.

Broadening the range of designs and methods for impact evaluations - Stern, Elliot; Stame, Nicoletta; Mayne, John; Forss, Kim; Davies, Rick; Befani, Barbara (DFID, 2012)

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

Using Information on Results in Program Management – The case of Samarth-NMDP in Nepal - Stewart, Tim; Joshi, Sanju; Miehlbradt, Alexandra (The Donor Committee for Enterprise Development, 2015)
Keywords: Case Report

A Critique of the Claims About Mobile Phones and Kerala Fisherman. The Importance of the Context of Complex Social Systems - Steyn, Jacques (The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2016)
This paper challenges some fundamental aspects of research and conclusions relating to the use of technology for community development. Views of technology, in this case the mobile phone, as a tool for increased economic welfare are often skewed due to extreme reductionism, ambiguous interview questions and poor data sources. Research of complex social systems or sub-systems give the wrong answers when reductionist methodologies are used. To demonstrate such shortcomings, the 2007 paper of Robert Jensen serves as an example. His conclusion that mobile phones enable Kerala fishermen to increase their economic welfare is the most cited paper on ICT4D topics, but there are fundamental methodological and logical problems with the claim, while other research came to contradictory conclusions. This critique is presented on many levels: ideological, paradigmatic, methodology, logical, statistical and semantic.

An introduction to multi-stakeholder partnerships - Stibbe, Darian; Prescott, Dave (The Partnering Initiative, 2016)
This briefing document for the GPEDC High Level Meeting in November 2016 offers a definition of multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) and shows how they are being used, where they have come from, and what the different sectors bring to the table. It provides an overview of the challenges the present, what they require from individuals and organisations, and how they get started. The report was written with the support of the PEP Initiative, and funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Walking the Long Road Together - Stilger, Bob (Afternow: When We Cannot See the Future Where Do We Begin?, 2017)
On March 11, 2011, overwhelming and incomprehensible disaster struck the northeast coast of Japan. Life for those in the region would never be the same. This book is about the awakening that follows disaster. About the minutes and months and years that come after now. It is about what happens when we're smacked on the side of the head and open our eyes, startled out of the trance in which we have been living our days. It is about the opportunities always present, often invisible, to create the lives we want, now. AfterNow chronicles the author's journey with the Japanese people over 6 years -- his own story of awakening after plunging into this disaster and the stories from people who found where to take their first step, and the next. It offers the tools and processes and worldview people discovered to create what comes after now. It is built around two big ideas. The first is that after disaster, we find our way forward, together. We come awake, together. Disaster obliterates the past, plunges the present into chaos and cocoons the future. We need each other to see and build the new. The second idea is that we don't have to wait for the tragedy of disaster to make the communities and lives we want. We can engage each other with respect, curiosity and generosity and begin to co-create what we want, now. We live in a period of precipitous, unpredictable change. The book is for those who want to make this time more livable and less insane. In Japan and all over the world, we are living in the messy middle where old forms are falling apart and new possibilities are in early stages. The ground is pulled out from under us on a regular basis. Our work right now is to learn to coexist with the messiness. We need to keep trying things, to keep learning. We need to remain focused on our purpose and follow the braided strand of intention and surrender as we find our way forward. embracing radical uncertainty, showing up as fully as we can each moment, each breath.

Behind the scenes: International NGOs’ influence on reproductive health policy in Malawi and South Sudan - Storeng, Katerini T.; Palmer, Jennifer; Daire, Judith; Kloster, Maren O. (Global Public Health, 2019)
Global health donors increasingly embrace international nongovernmental organisations (INGOs) as partners, often relying on them to conduct political advocacy in recipient countries, especially in controversial policy domains like reproductive health. Although INGOs are the primary recipients of donor funding, they are expected to work through national affiliates or counterparts to enable ‘locally-led’ change. Using prospective policy analysis and ethnographic evidence, this paper examines how donor-funded INGOs have influenced the restrictive policy environments for safe abortion and family planning in South Sudan and Malawi. While external actors themselves emphasise the technical nature of their involvement, the paper analyses them as instrumental political actors who strategically broker alliances and resources to shape policy, often working ‘behind the scenes’ to manage the challenging circumstances they operate under. Consequently, their agency and power are hidden through various practices of effacement or concealment. These practices may be necessary to rationalise the tensions inherent in delivering a global programme with the goal of inducing locally-led change in a highly controversial policy domain, but they also risk inciting suspicion and foreign-national tensions.

FOCEVAL – Promoting Evaluation Capacities in Costa Rica:: Smart(er) Implementation with Capacity WORKS? - Storm, Sabrina (Transformation, Politics and Implementation, 2017)
The National Monitoring and Evaluation System of Costa Rica and its corresponding laws were established during the 1990s. Since then, the country has endeavored to implement monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities as part of its public policy framework. Nevertheless, hardly any systematic evaluations had been conducted, and monitoring activities had been reduced mainly to the institutional self-reporting of implementation compliance. Persisting regional disparities and growing levels of inequality among the population raised the level of pressure on the government to present reliable information on the effectiveness of public interventions. Hence, results-oriented evaluations were promoted by some Costa Rican departments as

Propel - Strhive (2023)
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.

Theory of Action: Creating Craddle to Career Proof Points - Strive Together (Strive Together, 2014)
StriveTogether’s Theory of Action provides a framework for improving educational outcomes and ensuring a community transforms how it serves children.

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

Glass Half Full: Civic Space and Contestation in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal - Surie, Mandakini D.; Saluja, Sumaya; Nixon, Nicola (The Asia Foundation, 2023)
The past decade has witnessed a surge of interest in and concern over the global trend toward democratic regression. In South Asia, regulatory and institutional frameworks have become increasingly restrictive, curbing the ability of citizens and civil society organizations to occupy and use civic spaces to organize, express themselves, and participate in decisions that affect the lives of people whose interests they serve. Of course, this is only one half of the story. The other half is how citizens, collectives, and organizations adapt by carving out spaces where they can maintain—or even expand—the boundaries of their engagement in local and national civic spaces. In this paper, we examine how civic spaces are evolving in three South Asian countries—Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal—drawing on the experiences and perspectives of civil society representatives. The paper concludes with recommendations for donors and development practitioners on how they can make relevant investments that will strengthen civic spaces and support democratic resilience in the region.

Process and Contextual Factors Supporting Action-Oriented Learning: A Thematic Synthesis of Empirical Literature in Natural Resource Management - Suškevičs, Monika; Hahn, Thomas; Rodela, Romina (Society & Natural Resources, 2019)
Despite a long-term focus on learning in natural resource management (NRM), it is still debated how learning supports sustainable real-world NRM practices. We offer a qualitative in-depth synthesis of selected scientific empirical literature (N = 53), which explores factors affecting action-oriented learning. We inductively identify eight key process-based and contextual factors discussed in this literature. Three patterns emerge from our results. First, the literature discusses both facilitated participation and self-organized collaboration as dialogical spaces, which bridge interests and support constructive conflict management. Second, the literature suggests practice-based dialogs as those best able to facilitate action and puts a strong emphasis on experimentation. Finally, not emphasized in existing reviews and syntheses, we found multiple evidence about certain contextual factors affecting learning, including social-ecological crises, complexity, and power structures. Our review also points at important knowledge gaps, which can be used to advance the current research agenda about learning and NRM.
Keywords: Ecosystem governance; Social learning; intermediaries; social-ecological systems; structural constraints

Learning for social-ecological change: a qualitative review of outcomes across empirical literature in natural resource management - Suškevičs, Monika; Hahn, Thomas; Rodela, Romina; Macura, Biljana; Pahl-Wostl, Claudia (Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2018)

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

Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time - Sutherland, Jeff (Crown Business, 2014)
We live in a world that is broken. For those who believe that there must be a more agile and efficient way for people to get things done, here from Scrum pioneer Jeff Sutherland is a brilliantly discursive, thought-provoking book about the leadership and management process that is changing the way we live. In the future, historians may look back on human progress and draw a sharp line designating "before Scrum" and "after Scrum." Scrum is that ground-breaking. It already drives most of the world's top technology companies. And now it's starting to spread to every domain where leaders wrestle with complex projects. If you've ever been startled by how fast the world is changing, Scrum is one of the reasons why. Productivity gains of as much as 1200% have been recorded, and there's no more lucid - or compelling - explainer of Scrum and its bright promise than Jeff Sutherland, the man who put together the first Scrum team more than twenty years ago. The thorny problem Jeff began tackling back then boils down to this: people are spectacularly bad at doing things with agility and efficiency. Best laid plans go up in smoke. Teams often work at cross purposes to each other. And when the pressure rises, unhappiness soars. Drawing on his experience as a West Point-educated fighter pilot, biometrics expert, early innovator of ATM technology, and V.P. of engineering or CTO at eleven different technology companies, Jeff began challenging those dysfunctional realities, looking for solutions that would have global impact. In this book you'll journey to Scrum's front lines where Jeff's system of deep accountability, team interaction, and constant iterative improvement is, among other feats, bringing the FBI into the 21st century, perfecting the design of an affordable 140 mile per hour/100 mile per gallon car, helping NPR report fast-moving action in the Middle East, changing the way pharmacists interact with patients, reducing poverty in the Third World, and even helping people plan their weddings and accomplish weekend chores. Woven with insights from martial arts, judicial decision making, advanced aerial combat, robotics, and many other disciplines, Scrum is consistently riveting. But the most important reason to read this book is that it may just help you achieve what others consider unachievable - whether it be inventing a trailblazing technology, devising a new system of education, pioneering a way to feed the hungry, or, closer to home, a building a foundation for your family to thrive and prosper.

Integrating Food Security and Wild Caught Fisheries Management in USAID Programming. Illustrative situation Model and Results Chain - Swaminathan, Vinaya; Best, Barbara; Ajroud, Brittany (Measuring Impact, 2018)
Integrating Food Security and Wild Caught Fisheries Management in USAID Programming is an illustrative case example that demonstrates how two adaptive management programming tools—situation models and results chains—can help USAID staff and its partners to better design and implement activities that integrate food security, nutrition, and sustainable management of wild fisheries.

Creating adaptive policies: a guide for policymaking in an uncertain world - Swanson, Darren; Bhadwal, Suruchi (IDRC, 2009)
Keywords: Adaptive natural resource management; Environmental policy; Government policy; Sustainable development

Portfolios of Agile Projects: A Complex Adaptive Systems’ Agent Perspective - Sweetman, Roger; Conboy, Kieran (Project Management Journal, 2018)
While agile approaches can be extremely effective at a project level, they can impose significant complexity and a need for adaptiveness at the project portfolio level. While this has proven to be highly problematic, there is little research on how to manage a set of agile projects at the project portfolio level. What limited research that does exist often assumes that portfolio-level agility can be achieved by simply scaling project level agile approaches such as Scrum. This study uses a complex adaptive systems lens, focusing specifically on the properties of projects as agents in a complex adaptive portfolio to critically appraise current thinking on portfolio management in an agile context. We then draw on a set of 30 expert interviews to develop 16 complex adaptive systems (CAS)-based propositions as to how portfolios of agile projects can be managed effectively. We also outline an agenda for future research and discuss the differences between a CAS-based approach to portfolio management and traditional approaches.

Tips on Learning from Context: Formal and Informal Approaches to Understanding the Local Political Economy - Swift, Sarah (USAID, 2018)
Successfully adapting your programmatic efforts and policy engagement to the context depends on maintaining your understanding of that context. Given this, continuous learning and feedback loops--not only about your programming, but also about the environment you are working within--are important components of USAID’s work. Since our environments are always changing, in ways big and small, this can be intimidating. One can imagine a scenario where learning consumes the limited time and budgets available, especially for small programs. The question becomes: How can we learn enough, at the right times, to limit missed opportunities and warning signs, while avoiding being consumed by data collection and analysis that never influences our work? This document capitalizes on the experiences of USAID staff as well as emerging learning from other donors and researchers to highlight a range of approaches--formal and informal, time-bound and continuous--that can support ongoing learning within the operational tempo of a busy Mission team or Operating Unit.

Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success - Syed, Matthew (Hachette UK, 2015)
The Sunday Times No.1 Bestseller From the Bestselling Author of BounceWhat links the Mercedes Formula One team with Google?What links Team Sky and the aviation industry?What connects James Dyson and David Beckham?They are all Black Box Thinkers.Black Box Thinking is a new approach to high performance, a means of finding an edge in a complex and fast-changing world. It is not just about sport, but has powerful implications for business and politics, as well as for parents and students. In other words, all of us.Drawing on a dizzying array of case studies and real-world examples, together with cutting-edge research on marginal gains, creativity and grit, Matthew Syed tells the inside story of how success really happens - and how we cannot grow unless we are prepared to learn from our mistakes.
Keywords: Psychology; Sports & Recreation / Sports Psychology; Strategic Planning

Beyond Ballotocracy: Citizens' Voices and the Many Faces of Unruly Politics - Tadros, Mariz (IDS Bulletin, 2014)

Developmental Evaluation - Tamarack Community (2012)
This webpage from Tamarack Community provides links to audio files of an interview between Mark Cabaj and Michael Patton in which they discuss the topic of development evaluation. This is an "approach that has proven particularly useful and effective at addressing the unique challenges of evaluating the real nature of community change work. Learning Objectives: To deepen appreciation for the role of evaluation and evaluation thinking To explore the distinctions between various types of evaluation To understand more about developmental evaluation and its use To investigate concepts, tools and resources available to support working with developmental evaluation methods" (Tamarack Community)

Evaluating Community Impact: Capturing and Making Sense of Community Outcomes - Tamarack Institute (2017)

Measuring Results & the DCED Standard - Tanburn, Jim (DCED Webinar, 2014)
This page gives an introduction to the DCED Standard, which is a framework that helps practitioners to measure results in Private Sector Development (PSD).

2015 Rhode Island Wildlife Action Plan - Chapter 5 Monitoring and Adaptive Management - Terwilliger Consulting (State of Rhode Island, 2015)

Adaptive management: why we find it so hard to operationalise - Teskey, Graham (Abt Associates - Governance Soapbox, 2018)

Implementing the new development agenda - Wrap up - Teskey, Graham (DDD 4 Conference, 2017)

In praise of... Logframes - Teskey, Graham (From Poverty to Power, 2021)
In all the jobs I have held, the only training that has ever stayed with me was a three-day course on logframes, held in a very pleasant beach hotel on Fiji’s beautiful coral coast. This was a few months after I joined what was then the Overseas Development Administration, DFID’s forerunner. Three days on logframes. Yes really. Our Pacific team were gathered together to learn this new skill. The course was designed not only to help us think rigorously about how change happens, but also to ensure that we had a shared understanding of what constitutes good design. Twenty-five years later I am aware that logframes are out of fashion: references to the ‘tyranny of the logframe’ abound, its vertical determinism, and its lack of flexibility. Donors seem to have replaced logframes with things called ‘Program Logics’, as in the schematic below. You don’t have to be able to read it to get the picture… (and it’s logframes that are supposed to be too vertical…?).

Thinking and Working Politically – Are We Seeing the Emergence of a Second Orthodoxy? - Teskey, Graham (Governance Working Paper 1, 2017)
There now is a persuasive volume of evidence that demonstrates that capacity and technical knowledge alone are insufficient to change deeply entrenched political interests and bureaucratic norms. These critiques demonstrate that an understanding of power asymmetries is frequently the critical missing ingredient in project design and implementation. Many eminent thinkers have looked at the difference between success and failure in development, and all point to the primacy of domestic politics. This point has not been lost on development agencies and some have tried to provoke greater attention to the role that politics plays. However, this recognition is yet to pass into the mainstream of development practice. Despite the slow but sure accretion of this knowledge the international community seems to be wedded to doing development traditionally. The purpose of this paper is to consider the extent to which a ‘second orthodoxy’ is slowly emerging which can stand alongside, and in some cases may supplant, the ‘first orthodoxy’ of the traditional project framework. Care has to be taken in making this argument, as there is certainly no consensus within the development community on its importance, and even among advocates, there are slightly differing interpretations of what this second orthodoxy looks like. Further, it is not absolutely clear that the two orthodoxies can co-exist. The paper does not call for any ‘paradigm shift’ in how development practitioners conceptualise programs and projects, nor does it demand that the project framework be scrapped; the former would be impossible and the latter undesirable. Equally readers will find no claims that Doing Development Differently or ‘Thinking and Working Politically’ will always and everywhere guarantee better development outcomes. Rather, the paper seeks to summarise how the two orthodoxies differ, where the second orthodoxy now stands, and propose how it can be taken forward in practical terms.

Thinking and working politically: What have we learned since 2013 - Teskey, Graham (TWP Community of Practice, 2021)
The Thinking and Working Politically (TWP) Community of Practice (CoP) was established at a small meeting tacked on at the end of a meeting of Governance Advisers working for the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development (DFID) on South and South-East Asian countries, held in Delhi in November 2013. Since then, a number of meetings have been held throughout the world, each addressing different issues; ‘TWP’ has entered the lexicon of mainstream development; the CoP has expanded to more than 300 people; a Washington DC chapter has been established; and the International CoP has been granted modest funding from DFID’s successor, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It is legitimate to ask, however, what has been achieved operationally: how have the ideas underpinning TWP affected operational practice? This short paper traces the evolution of the idea and practice of TWP from 2013 to late 2021, and identifies what we have learned. What has been successful, and what has not? I asked in 2017 whether TWP had become a second orthodoxy (Teskey, 2017). Did this represent hubris or was 2017 in some ways the apogee of what might rather grandly be called the TWP ‘movement’?

What is Political Economy Analysis (PEA) and why does it matter in development? - Teskey, Graham (From Poverty to Power, 2020)
Graham Teskey shares a great internal links round up and guide to 'political economy analysis'

Implementing adaptive management: A front-line effort — Is there an emerging practice? - Teskey, Graham; Tyrrel, Lavinia (Working Paper, 2021)
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.

Thinking and working politically in large, multi-sector Facilities: lessons to date - Teskey, Graham; Tyrrel, Lavinia (Governance Working Paper 2, 2017)

Thinking and working politically with technology: State of the art meets art of the state - Thampi, Gopa; Nixon, Nicola (From Poverty to Power, 2020)
Based on its work in Sri Lanka, The Asia Foundation argues for greater attention to the local political dynamics into which digital solutions are introduced

Towards characterizing the adaptive capacity of farmer-managed irrigation systems: learnings from Nepal - Thapa, Bhuwan; Scott, Christopher; Wester, Philippus; Varady, Robert (Environmental change assessments, 2016)
Small-scale irrigation systems managed by farmers are facing multiple challenges including competing water demand, climatic variability and change, and socioeconomic transformation. Though the relevant institutions for irrigation management have developed coping and adaptation mechanisms, the intensity and frequency of the changes have weakened their institutional adaptive capacity. Using case examples mostly from Nepal, this paper studies the interconnections between seven key dimensions of adaptive capacity: the five capitals (human, financial, natural, social, and physical), governance, and learning. Long-term adaptation requires harnessing the synergies and tradeoffs between generic adaptive capacity that fosters broader development goals and specific adaptive capacity that strengthens climate-risk management. Measuring and addressing the interrelations among the seven adaptive-capacity dimensions aids in strengthening the long term sustainability of farmer-managed irrigation systems.

Participation in ICT Development Interventions: Who and How? - Thapa, Devinder; Sæbø, Øystein (The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2016)
The aim of participatory development (PD) in the context of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development (ICT4D) is to empower underprivileged communities and disadvantaged segments of the stakeholders. The literature on ICT4D is replete with empirical evidence showing that ICT interventions often fail since they are often externally initiated, with very limited involvement from the affected (Heeks, 2002). Clearly, the principles and concepts of PD are relevant to ICT4D. However, we should not consider PD a panacea but need to understand the caveats and processes by which PD happens. Questions to ask include: What are the various challenges in PD? Who are the relevant stakeholders? Why and how do actors enrol in the project? How do we create sustainable ICT4D projects through PD? To understand these research questions, we present a case analysis of a project in Nepal called the Nepal Wireless Networking Project (NWNP). Investigating the specific initiatives that they enabled, telemedicine, education and jobs, we propose that the key participants in the NWNP were activist actors and the affected and that activists drew upon existing Social Capital to enrol the affected through a process explained by Actor Network Theory (ANT). In the process, they built other forms of Social Capital, which in turn extended the benefits of PD to several mountain villages.

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

Assessing the use of technological tools and strategies by Oxfam Novib partners in Angola, Burundi, Egypt, Niger, Pakistan, Rwanda and Uganda - The Engine Room (2014)
This report presents findings and insights from the Oxfam Novib pilot module of TechScape, which assessed how Oxfam Novib partners in seven countries related to the use of technology in their work. This report does not aim to draw conclusions about the nature of technology use by Oxfam Novib partners per se, or even the partners included in this assessment. The dramatic difference in organizational activities, contexts and objectives are too great for that. Detailed analysis of how partners are relating to technology in their work, and specific recommendations for greater efficiency and impact are presented in the TechScape Country Briefs. This report aims instead: • to describe the context in which the assessments took place, • to propose insights gained from the cumulative process about measurement, learning and capacity development, and • to identify opportunities for Oxfam Novib to pursue capacity development and knowledge sharing between countries and across the network, through mechanisms that minimize resource demands and directly target documented needs.

Primer: Technology to monitor and share information on rainforests and forest people's rights - The Engine Room (The Engine Room & Rainforest Foundation Norway, 2016)

Organisational Performance Index - The Kenya Institute of Management (2014)
The OPI Business Excellence Model exists to help organizations improve their performance and succeed in the competitive global marketplace. We are dedicated to improving African organizations regardless of sector, size or structure. The OPI was developed in response to feedback from organization participating in Company of the Year Award (COYA) and SME of the Year Award (SMOYA), who called on the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) to refine the assessment methodology in order to emphasize the relationship between instilling smart business processes and generating strong business results. Whilst there are numerous management tools and techniques commonly used, the OPI Excellence Model is a practical, non-prescriptive framework which provides a holistic view of the organisation and it can be used to determine how these different methods fit together and complement each other. The Model can therefore be used in conjunction with any number of these tools, based on the needs and function of the organisation, as an overarching framework for developing sustainable excellence. We also administer the Annual Company of the Year Awards (COYA) and the SME of the Year Awards (SMOYA). Our key services are to identify and recognize role-model organizations, share best management practices, and help organizations achieve best-in-class performance levels. The OPI is an excellence model that generates a rating between 1 and 10, which sets a minimum score that an organisation must attain to remain competitive. The attainment of a minimum Organisation Performance Index ( OPI) demonstrates that organisations have applied an organisational strategy that drives effectiveness and competitiveness; failure to attain the minimum OPI demonstrates the organisation has not engaged the processes required to enable world class organisational performance.

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

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

Horizontal Evaluation: Stimulating social learning among peers - Thiele, G; velasco, C; Manrique, K (ILAC Brief, 2006)
Horizontal evaluation is a flexible evaluation method that combines self-assessment and external review by peers. We have developed and applied this method for use within an Andean regional network that develops new methodologies for research and development (R&D). The involvement of peers neutralizes the lopsided power relations that prevail in traditional external evaluations, creating a more favourable atmosphere for learning and improvement. The central element of a horizontal evaluation is a workshop that brings together a group of ‘local participants’ who are developing a new R&D methodology and a group of ‘visitors’ or ‘peers’ who are also interested in the methodology. The workshop combines presentations about the methodology with field visits, small group work and plenary discussions. It elicits and compares the perceptions of the two groups concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology; it provides practical suggestions for improvement, which may often be put to use immediately; it promotes social learning among the different groups involved; and it stimulates further experimentation with and development of the methodology in other settings.

A flowering of approaches to complexity and development? - Thorpe, Ian (KM on a dollar a day, 2015)
We are an important juncture in development at the moment with the Sustainable Development Goals due to be finalized later this year, and with discussion now turning full swing into what needs to h…

What We Know About Traditional MERL Tech - Insights from a Scoping Review - Tilton, Zach; Harnar, Michael; Raftree, Linda; Perrin, Paul; Bruening, Gretchen; Banerji, Soham; Gordley, John; Foster, Hanna; Behr, Michele (Western Michigan University, 2020)
This paper explores the peer-reviewed evidence base of “traditional” technology-enabled monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL Tech) in international development assistance from 2015 to 2019. The authors conducted a scoping review that searched seven databases, screened 3,054 reference titles and abstracts, coded 886 abstracts, and extracted and analyzed conclusions and recommendations from the full texts of 256 studies. The findings reveal the most frequently reported technologies, MERL activities, and the sub-sectors, and the geographies where those tech-enabled activities occur. Gaps in the evidence for specific technologies, MERL activities, and sectors are mapped. The data reveals which technologies are trusted more than others and reported barriers to effective MERL Tech implementation and areas that researchers suggest for further investigation. The results suggest that the evidence from peer-reviewed studies is not proportional to estimated MERL Tech activity, significant publication bias exists, and further knowledge synthesis of unindexed grey literature is needed to provide a more comprehensive and possibly accurate description of MERL Tech practice.

Doing adaptive management at Sida - Tim Ruffer; Helen Bailey; Stefan Dahlgren; Patrick Spaven; Mark Winters (Evaluation Brief, 2019)
Lessons from the market systems development approach The evaluation focuses on Sida’s management of MSD projects. The projects are applying the MSD approach with an aim to: - contribute to improved MSD programming by Sida through better management practices across the project cycle - generate recommendations on how Sida can create conducive conditions for systems approaches and adaptive programming more generally. The brief assesses Sida’s organisational capacity for adaptive management in three dimensions: - leadership and culture - staff capacities - skills, and systems and procedures

Nairobi Is Organizing- Grassroots Organizing &Public Participation for Social Change - TISA (2015)
The Institute for Social Accountability

Development Policy and Impact Evaluation: Learning and Accountability in Private Sector Development - Ton, Giel (Handbook of Development Policy, 2021)
There is broad recognition of the challenges in evaluating policy and programmes on their contribution to sustainable development. Impact evaluations of PSD programmes are carried out at the behest of a particular configuration of interest groups with different expectations. Some groups want to know whether a programme has worked, others want to know how to do these programmes better, others fear that PSD programmes might result in sub-optimal or adverse development outcomes in recipient countries, and some want to be sure that the programme benefits the private sector in the donors' domestic economies. This chapter discusses these with reference to private sector development programmes and explores how contribution analysis, which is a structured stepwise process of theory-based evaluation, can address these challenges and generate findings to improve learning and accountability.

Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D)-A design challenge? - Tongia, Rahul; Subrahmanian, Eswaran (IEEE, 2006)
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Designing Participatory Meetings and Brownbags: A TOPS Quick Guide to Linking Development Practitioners - TOPS (Technical and Operational Performance Support Program, USAID, 2013)
Visit this resource for ideas on designing meetings and brownbags that are engaging and build inopportunities for participant dialogue.

Triangulation, Respondent Validation, and Democratic Participation in Mixed Methods Research - Torrance, Harry (Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2012)
Over the past 10 years or so the “Field” of “Mixed Methods Research” (MMR) has increasingly been exerting itself as something separate, novel, and significant, with some advocates claiming paradigmatic status. Triangulation is an important component of mixed methods designs. Triangulation has its origins in attempts to validate research findings by generating and comparing different sorts of data, and different respondents’ perspectives, on the topic under investigation. Respondent validation has sometimes been included in such processes, but it is an element that has not attracted significant attention from the MMR community. The article argues that attention to respondent validation is a significant issue for methodological debate and that it should be an important aspect of the development of democratic participation in MMR.

Integrating farmers’ adaptive knowledge into flood management and adaptation policies in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A social learning perspective - Tran, Thong Anh; Rodela, Romina (Global Environmental Change, 2019)
Flood management and adaptation are important elements in sustaining farming production in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). While over the past decades hydraulic development introduced by the central government has substantially benefited the rural economy, it has simultaneously caused multiple barriers to rural adaptation. We investigate the relational practices (i.e., learning interactions) taking place within and across the flood management and adaptation boundaries from the perspective of social learning. We explore whether and how adaptive knowledge (i.e., experimental and experiential knowledge) derived from farmers’ everyday adaptation practices contributes to local flood management and adaptation policies in the selected areas. We collected data through nine focus groups with farmers and thirty-three interviews with government officials, environmental scientists, and farmers. Qualitative analysis suggests that such processes are largely shaped by the institutional context where the boundary is embedded. This study found that while the highly bureaucratic operation of flood management creates constraints for feedback, the more informal arrangements set in place at the local level provide flexible platforms conducive to open communication, collaborative learning, and exchange of knowledge among the different actors. This study highlights the pivotal role of shadow systems that provide space for establishing and maintaining informal interactions and relationships between social actors (e.g., interactions between farmers and extension officials) in stimulating and influencing, from the bottom-up, the emergence of adaptive knowledge about flood management and adaptation in a local context.
Keywords: Adaptation; Flood management; Knowledge brokers; Mekong Delta; Shadow systems; Social learning; Vietnamese

Theory-Based Approaches to Evaluation: Concepts and Practices - Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (Government of Canada, 2021)
This document introduces some of the key concepts of theory-based approaches to evaluation. It is hoped that readers will be encouraged by the information and advice provided in this document and will explore the use (e.g., through pilot evaluations) of theory-based approaches to evaluation in a federal setting. To support this, Sections 1.0 to 8.0 of the document describe the general application of theory-based approaches to evaluation, and Sections 9.0 and 10.0 discuss the potential application of theory-based approaches to a range of federal programs. This document is neither an exhaustive training program in theory-based evaluation nor a step-by-step guide to undertaking a theory-based evaluation. Evaluators who wish to integrate theory-based approaches into their practices are encouraged to pursue additional readings (including those referenced in this document) and, as appropriate, to seek additional support in undertaking a theory-based evaluation.

A Rubric to Evaluate Citizen-Science Programs for Long-Term Ecological Monitoring - Tredick, Catherine A.; Lewison, Rebecca L.; Deutschman, Douglas H.; Hunt, Timothy ANN; Gordon, Karen L.; Von Hendy, Phoenix (BioScience, 2017)
Abstract. Citizen-science (CS) programs provide a cost-effective way to collect monitoring data over large temporal and spatial scales. Despite the recent prol

What is the Outcomes Star? - Triangle (Triangle, 2022)
The Outcomes Stars are a suite of evidence-based outcomes measurement and keywork tools, which drive an ‘enabling help’ approach to service delivery. They support a person-centred, collaborative and trauma informed approach and give service users, workers, managers and commissioners vital information about needs and progress. Since the first version was published in 2006, the unique features of the Outcomes Star contributed to its popularity and widespread use, with over 1,000 organisations with licenses to use the Star including over 500 charities and 170 local authorities

Outcome mapping for health system integration - Tsasis, Peter; Evans, Jenna; Forrest, David; Jones, Richard Keith (Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 2013)
Health systems around the world are implementing integrated care strategies to improve quality, reduce or maintain costs, and improve the patient experience. Yet few practical tools exist to aid leaders and managers in building the prerequisites to integrated care, namely a shared vision, clear roles and responsibilities, and a common understanding of how the vision will be realized. Outcome mapping may facilitate stakeholder alignment on the vision, roles, and processes of integrated care delivery via participative and focused dialogue among diverse stakeholders on desired outcomes and enabling actions. In this paper, we describe an outcome-mapping exercise we conducted at a Local Health Integration Network in Ontario, Canada, using consensus development conferences. Our preliminary findings suggest that outcome mapping may help stakeholders make sense of a complex system and foster collaborative capital, a resource that can support information sharing, trust, and coordinated change toward integration across organizational and professional boundaries. Drawing from the theoretical perspectives of complex adaptive systems and collaborative capital, we also outline recommendations for future outcome-mapping exercises. In particular, we emphasize the potential for outcome mapping to be used as a tool not only for identifying and linking strategic outcomes and actions, but also for studying the boundaries, gaps, and ties that characterize social networks across the continuum of care.

Micropolitics in collective learning spaces for adaptive decision making - Tschakert, Petra; Das, Partha Jyoti; Shrestha Pradhan, Neera; Machado, Mario; Lamadrid, Armando; Buragohain, Mandira; Hazarika, Masfique Alam (Global Environmental Change, 2016)
Recent advances on power, politics, and pathways in climate change adaptation aim to re-frame decision-making processes from development-as-usual to openings for transformational adaptation. This paper offers empirical insights regarding decision-making politics in the context of collective learning through participatory scenario building and flexible flood management and planning in the Eastern Brahmaputra Basin of Assam, India. By foregrounding intergroup and intragroup power dynamics in such collective learning spaces and how they intersect with existing micropolitics of adaptation on the ground, we examine opportunities for and limitations to challenging entrenched authority and subjectivities. Our results suggest that emancipatory agency can indeed emerge but is likely to be fluid and multifaceted. Community actors who are best positioned to resist higher-level domination may well be imbricated in oppression at home. While participatory co-learning as embraced here might open some spaces for transformation, others close down or remain shut.
Keywords: Co-learning; Flood management; Participatory scenarios; Politics of adaptation; Power

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning approaches in an adaptive management context - Tsui, Josephine (Helpdesk Request, 2016)

Monitoring and evaluation of policy influence and advocacy - Tsui, Josephine; Hearn, Simon; Young, John (Working Paper, 2014)
Policy influence and advocacy are increasingly regarded as a means of creating sustainable policy change in international development. It is often also seen as a difficult area to monitor and evaluate. Yet there is an increasingly rich strand of innovation in options to monitor, evaluate and learn from both the successes and failures of policy influence and advocacy interventions. This paper explores current trends in monitoring and evaluating policy influence and advocacy; discusses different theories of how policy influence happens; and presents a number of options to monitor and evaluate different aspects of advocacy interventions. Case studies describe how some organisations have used these options in practice to understand their impact and improve their advocacy strategies.

The Role of Outcome Mapping in Developing a Rural Telemedicine System - Tucker, William; Blake, Edwin (University of the Western Cape, 2008)
We describe the use of Outcome Mapping to guide the design of a rural telemedicine consultation system in South Africa. While Outcome Mapping was not primarily intended to guide design, we show that it tied in well with a cyclical participatory design method for an Information and Communication Technology for Development project

Exploring the prospects for adaptive governance in marine transboundary conservation in East Africa - Tuda, Arthur Omondi; Kark, Salit; Newton, Alice (Marine Policy, 2019)
This article explores the prospects for adaptive governance in a proposed marine transboundary conservation initiative in East Africa. Adaptive governance that involves interdependent state and non-state actors learning and taking action on joint environmental problems is suggested for effective transboundary resource governance. Using the concept of adaptive co-management, the current multi-stakeholder marine governance systems in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania are compared to illuminate opportunities and constraints for adaptive marine transboundary conservation governance between Kenya and Tanzania. The concept of networks and the formal method of social network analysis (SNA) are applied as the main methodological device. Using questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, social network data of 70 organizations (local resources users, government agencies and NGOs) was generated from Kenya (n = 33) and Tanzania (n = 37). Results show the existence of strong collaboration networks for marine resource governance in both Kenya and Tanzania. Social proximity is the common driver of network formation. Collaboration networks in Kenya and Tanzania have contributed to enhanced learning among marine resource managers. Conclusions point to the need to focus on common challenges relating to low levels of rule-compliance, limited access to information on the state of resources and poor integration of science into marine management decisions. Finally, differences in views regarding the state of marine ecosystems need to be addressed to improve prospects for joint problem-solving in marine transboundary conservation.
Keywords: Adaptive co-management; Adaptive governance; Collaboration; Marine transboundary conservation; Social network analysis

What does ‘adaptive programming’ mean in the health sector? - Tulloch, Olivia (ODI, 2015)
• There is considerable interest in the concept of adaptive development and what it may look like in different sectors, including health. • Adaptive types of programming from the health sector are relatively advanced; as we work towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), experiences in health can provide useful lessons for other areas of development. • The international health community may not use the label ‘adaptive development’, but many are already conducting adaptive work. ‘Quality improvement’ is one such tried and tested approach. • Quality improvement is problem-driven, iterative and flexible. The methodology and principles can be used to identify, test and implement changes in any context or part of a health system. • Quality improvement is being used successfully, but there is still limited experience and evidence of how to apply its values and philosophy beyond the project level and embed it within national structures and systems. • Systems thinking and analysis of the political economy environment may help embed complex interventions like quality improvement and sustain their achievements

Doing weeknotes - What weeknotes are, how weeknotes work, and how to start writing weeknotes of your own - Turnbull, Giles (Use the Human Voice, 2024)
Doing weeknotes brings together various things I’ve written about weeknotes in different places. This text expands on things I wrote in The agile comms handbook, as well as various blog posts. Quite a lot of it is brand new. - Weeknotes for beginners - Why write weeknotes - The weeknotes rules - Weeknotes within the corporate environment - What weeknotes can bring about - Examples of good weeknotes - How to write weeknotes - Weeknotes tips and tricks - Further reading

What's in a name? Unpacking “participatory” environmental monitoring - Turreira-García, Nerea; Lund, Jens; Domínguez, Pablo; Carrillo-Anglés, Elena; Brummer, Mathias; Duenn, Priya; Reyes-García, Victoria (Ecology and Society, 2018)
Turreira-García, N., J. F. Lund, P. Domínguez, E. Carrillo-Anglés, M. C. Brummer, P. Duenn, and V. Reyes-García. 2018. What's in a name? Unpacking “participatory” environmental monitoring. Ecology and Society 23(2):24. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10144-230224

Getting Past the Rhetoric #1: Tendering for ‘Thinking and Working Politically’ in Large Facilities - Tyrrel, Lavinia (Abt Associates - Governance Soapbox, 2018)

Getting Past the Rhetoric #2: Managing for ‘Thinking and Working Politically’ in Large Facilities - Tyrrel, Lavinia (Abt Associates - Governance Soapbox, 2018)

Dealing with uncertainty: Reflections on donor preferences for pre-planned project models - Tyrrel, Lavinia; Cole, William (Working Politically in Practice, 2016)
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Uncertainty and COVID-19: A turning point for Monitoring Evaluation, Research and Learning? - A discussion note for aid actors, policymakers and practitioners - Tyrrel, Lavinia; Roche, Chris; Jackson, Elisabeth (Abt Associates, 2020)
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.

Managing Facilities: a stock-take from the first 12 months - Tyrrel, Lavinia; Teskey, Graham; de Lacy, Jacqui (Governance Working Paper 3, 2017)

Beneficiary feedback mechanisms - UK Aid (FCDO, 2022)
This guidance seeks to ensure that UK Aid Direct applicants and grant holders understand what the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) means by beneficiary feedback mechanisms, and more specifically, that they: • Understand the terms used that relate to beneficiary feedback mechanisms in UK Aid Direct guidance and templates • Understand beneficiary feedback mechanisms and why they are a useful tool for project monitoring and learning • Learn how to use beneficiary feedback mechanisms during project implementation. • Can demonstrate that using beneficiary feedback mechanisms can lead to greater accountability.

Case study - Lepra - Adaptive programming in “reaching the unreached” - UK Aid Direct (DFID, 2017)

An introductory systems thinking toolkit for civil servants - UK Government (UK Government Office for Science, 2022)
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.

A mini-primer of critical systems heuristics. - Ulrich, W. (2005)
"Critical Systems Heuristics," also just called "Critical Heuristics" or "CSH," is a framework for reflective practice based on practical philosophy and systems thinking. The basic idea of CSH is to support boundary critique – a systematic effort of handling boundary judgments critically. Boundary judgments determine which empirical observations and value considerations count as relevant and which others are left out or are considered less important. Because they condition both "facts" and "values," boundary judgments play an essential role when it comes to assessing the meaning and merits of a claim. Their systematic discussion can help bridge differences of perspectives across disciplines and between experts and non-experts. They also lend themselves to a specific critical employment, called emancipatory boundary critique, against claims that do not uncover their underlying boundary assumptions. CSH can thus serve as a tool for coproducing knowledge as well as for critical and emancipatory purposes on the part of people concerned by, but not necessarily involved in, the definition of relevant facts and values.

Werner Ulrich's Homepage - Ulrich, Werne (2018)
This website provides a variety of resources from Werner Ulrich's work in a range of philosophical and research areas with a particular focus on his own work in critical systems thinking and practice or, Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH).

A Brief Introduction to Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) - Ulrich, Werner (2005)

Critical systems heuristics - Ulrich, Werner; Reynolds, Martin (Systems Approaches to Manging Change: A Practical Guide, 2010)
This chapter provides a detailed introduction to critical systems heuristics and the use of its central tool boundary critique. What Is CSH? Two Studies in Applying CSH Using CSH as an Intervention Tool: Some Basic Concepts A Core Concept of CSH: Systematic Boundary Critique Boundary Critique Applied to NRUA-Botswana Boundary Critique Applied to ECOSENSUS-Guyana Boundary Critique and Personal Competence Recognising Boundary Judgements – and Keeping Them Fluid Towards a New Ethos of Professional Responsibility

A Framework for Freshwater Ecosystem Management - UN Enviornment (2018)

A Practical Guide for Collective Action against Corruption - UN Global Compact (UN Global Compact, 2015)
All anti-corruption professionals looking to better understand the relationship between collective action and corruption should refer to these two comprehensive guides that the UN Global Compact published. The 2015 guide has modules that cover theoretical concepts, practical recommendations for undertaking CA initiatives, and multiple in-depth case studies of CA projects around the world.

Uniting Against Corruption - A Playbook on Anti-Corruption Collective Action - UN Global Compact (UN Global Compact, 2021)
The 2021 guide provides an easy-to-follow six-step approach on how to develop, implement, and sustain a CA, with respect to the reader’s local corruption landscape and potential stakeholders. The adaptive framework proposed can be used to address corruption challenges, mitigate possible business risks, and achieve optimal results.

Feasibility Study: Crowdsourcing High-frequency food price data in rural Indonesia - UN Global Pulse (2015)

Project Cycle Hacker's Toolkit - changing the conversation around your projects - UNDP (UNDP, 2017)
The Istanbul Regional Hub partnered with Nesta and 4 country offices (fYR Macedonia, Moldova, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan) to develop a program that can help us bring innovation closer to the center of the organization by embedding it in the key project management business processes - The Project Cycle Hackers Toolkit.

Scaling Up Development Programmes - UNDP (UNDP, 2013)
Many development organizations, national and local governments and civil society organizations are faced with the issue of scaling up development interventions — the main questions raised time and again are: a) what should be scaled up, and how it can be scaled up; b) is there a strong reason for a particular initiative to be scaled up; and c) what should be the value-added of the scaling up efforts, and how can practitioners ensure that technological and other innovations are being integrated for improved development effectiveness? Answers to these questions depend on a host of complex realities—the relative strengths and weaknesses in national and local systems, political and economic situations, including vulnerability of country systems to shocks, commitments from development partners, power dynamics between various groups and stakeholders in a given country, regional and global environments. For the United Nations Country Teams (UNCT) and UNDP offices, another factor to consider is how to maximize our respective comparative advantages. This guidance note summarizes the main conceptual thinking available from development institutions and academia, and presents a simplified conceptual framework and roadmap for scaling up processes. It also provides UNDP programme staff and UNCTs with practical actions and checklists to consider when designing and implementing programmes that support national scaling up initiatives, and proposes actions that can be undertaken at the regional and global levels. Although intended for internal audiences, the scaling up concept and recommendations can also be used by the public and private sector, civil society and social entrepreneurs. This note benefited from a wide consultative process held in 2011, including practical recommendations and proposals from colleagues at country offices and regional/global centres. Their insights have been instrumental in the distillation of main recommendations presented in this note, and the individuals who provided substantive contributions are gratefully noted in the Acknowledgements section.

Sensemaking Workshop Preparation Guide and Facilitator Guide and Sensemaking Training - UNDP (UNDP, 2022)
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.

UNDP Digital Leadership Learning Modules - UNDP (United Nations Development Programme, 2022)
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.

The UNDP Accelerator Labs enter a year of maturity: let a thousand flowers bloom! - Annual report 2022 - UNDP accelerator labs (UNDP, 2022)
The UNDP Accelerator Labs were designed as an agile and dynamic Network to allow communication and information transfer between 91 Accelerator Labs in 115 countries, and with the global innovation ecosystem, UNDP as a whole, and thousands of partners including grassroots innovators and their communities. The accumulated knowledge of this Network creates new pathways to the solutions that hold the key to sustainable development problems. What it looked like and how it unfolded last year will be illuminated in this annual report: The UNDP Accelerator Labs enter a year of maturity: let a thousand flowers bloom!

An Upside Down View of Governance - Unsworth, Sue (Institute of Development Studies, 2010)
Informal institutions and personalised relationships are usually seen as governance problems. However the research presented in this synthesis paper suggests that they can also be part of the solution...

It's the politics! Can donors rise to the challenge? - Unsworth, Sue (A Governance Practitioner’s Notebook: Alternative Ideas and Approaches, 2015)
The Governance Practitioner’s Notebook takes an unusual approach for the OECD-DAC Network on Governance (GovNet). It brings together a collection of specially written notes aimed at those who work as governance practitioners within development agencies. It does so, however, without attempting to offer definitive guidance – instead aiming to stimulate thinking and debate. To aid this process the book is centred on a fictional Governance Adviser. The Notebook’s format provides space for experts to speak on today’s governance issues: politics, public sector reform and stakeholder engagement. It encourages debate, charts the evolution of donor thinking, and highlights future challenges in the age of the Sustainable Development Goals. Each section introduces both technical issues and major areas of debate, providing ideas for future development support to institutional reform.
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Acquisition and Assistance Strategy - USAID (USAID, 2018)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of tomorrow is one in which the Agency enables partner countries to plan, resource, and manage their own development through strengthened capacity and commitment — this is the essence of the Journey to Self-Reliance. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the Agency obligated over 80 percent of its programmatic funding — a total of $17 billion — through acquisition and assistance (A&A) mechanisms. Partnering and procurement are central to how we do our work. Therefore, we must think holistically about with whom we work and how we work, if we are to achieve our ambitious goals for the USAID of tomorrow. The purpose of this document is to provide a transparent strategy that guides changes to Agency policy and practice for both our staff and implementing partners in how we approach our core A&A work. This strategy, which builds on previous and current reform efforts, outlines the shifts we will make to embrace a self-reliance model for A&A and move concretely toward the goal of ending the need for foreign assistance. GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF PARTNERING AT USAID USAID’s partnering approaches have evolved significantly over time as we have tested new and innovative ways of working. The principles outlined below support the Journey to Self-Reliance by empowering our staff and partners to produce results-driven solutions responsive to partner country needs and priorities — building capacity and commitment based on creative and entrepreneurial approaches that have already begun to develop. The Agency must move beyond our traditional approaches to embrace greater collaboration, co-design, and co-financing to improve upon our models of partnering.

ADS 201 Additional Help- Whole-of-Project Evaluation - USAID (USAID, 2017)

Biodiversity How-To Guide 1: Developing Situation Models in USAID Biodiversity Programming - USAID (USAID, 2016)
The Biodiversity How-To Guide 1: Developing Situation Models in USAID Biodiversity Programming is the first in a series of three guides that provide in-depth guidance on key tools and practices to support design teams as they design and manage biodiversity programs within the Program Cycle and in accordance with the USAID Biodiversity Policy. It focuses on how to develop situation models to map out the biodiversity conservation problem context to be addressed.

Biodiversity How-To Guide 2: Using Results Chains to Depict Theories of Change in USAID Biodiversity Programming - USAID (USAID, 2016)
The Biodiversity How-To Guide 2: Using Results Chains to Depict Theories of Change in USAID Biodiversity Programming is the second in a series of three guides that provide in-depth guidance on key tools and practices to support design teams as they design and manage biodiversity programs within the Program Cycle and in accordance with the USAID Biodiversity Policy. It builds off the situation model guide to help design teams clearly state the expected results and assumptions behind the proposed strategic approaches that make up the program’s theory of change. The situation model provides the foundation to identify necessary results to reduce threats; brainstorm and prioritize strategic approaches; and then develop results chains to clarify assumptions behind selected approaches.

Biodiversity How-To Guide 3: Defining Outcomes & Indicators for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning in USAID Biodiversity Programming - USAID (USAID, 2016)
The Biodiversity How-To Guide 3: Defining Outcomes and Indicators for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning in USAID Biodiversity Programming is the third in a series of three guides that provide in-depth guidance on key tools and practices to support design teams as they design and manage biodiversity programs within the Program Cycle and in accordance with the USAID Biodiversity Policy. It uses the results chains developed in the second guide and provides help identifying key results for developing outcome statements and indicators, as required by USAID’s Biodiversity Code, updated in the Biodiversity Policy.

Broad Agency Announcement for Locally Led Development Innovation - USAID (USAID, 2019)
This BAA allows USAID Operating Units (OUs) to co-create, co-design, co-invest, and collaborate in the research, development, piloting, testing, and scaling of innovative, practical, and cost-effective interventions to catalyze locally led development. The BAA aligns with a number of Agency priorities and policies, including the Journey to Self-Reliance, resilience, procurement innovation, and expanding and diversifying the partner base - as well as the New Partnerships Initiative and Acquisition and Assistance Strategy. E3/LS has put up the BAA’s first Addendum, "New Directions in Advancing Locally Led Development," which seeks Expressions of Interest on the following: - Engaging the Local Private Sector - Conflict, Post-Conflict, and Non-Permissive Environments - Effective Partnerships - The Changing Role of the Donor - Local Giving, Philanthropy, and Other Private Resources

CLA for More Effective Development Programs (video) - USAID (USAID LearningLab, 2014)
This presentation features USAID/PPL's Stacey Young discussing the history of learning at USAID; how collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) can enhance development outcomes, and the role of implementing partners in supporting this vision.

CLA Maturity Tool: Example Spectrum Cards - USAID (2016)

Collaborate Learn Adapt - Case Competition - USAID (USAID Learning Lab, 2015)

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) - Maturity Matrix Overview - USAID (ADS 201 Additional Help, 2016)
Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) involves strategic collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive management. CLA approaches to development include collaborating intentionally with stakeholders to share knowledge and reduce duplication of effort, learning systematically by drawing on evidence from a variety of sources and taking time to reflect on implementation, and applying learning by adapting intentionally. The purpose of the maturity matrix tool is to help USAID Missions think more deliberately about how to plan for and implement CLA approaches that fit the Mission’s context and needs. Through a set of easy-to-use cards, the CLA maturity matrix offers examples of what CLA looks like at different stages of maturity. USAID staff can use the decks of cards to both assess current practice and plan for the future. The maturity matrix consists of two decks of cards corresponding to the dimensions of CLA: ● CLA in the Program Cycle: By using the matrix cards to guide a conversation, teams can explore how well CLA is incorporated into the planning and implementation processes of the Program Cycle. ● Enabling Conditions: The cards encourage discussion of the conditions that can significantly influence how CLA and the Program Cycle are implemented at a Mission, including operating processes, organizational culture, and resourcing. Within these decks, the matrix covers 16 subcomponents of CLA. Each has one key concept card and five matrix cards that describe the component in practice, along a spectrum ranging from Not Yet Present to Institutionalized.

Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Framework & Key Concepts - USAID (USAID, 2016)
Although collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) are not new to USAID, 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 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. 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.

Combating Wildlife Trafficking Case Study Compilation: Capacity Building for Enforcement and Prosecution - USAID (2018)

Developmental Evaluation in Practice: Tips, Tools, and Templates - USAID (USAID, 2017)

Discussion Note: Complexity-Aware Monitoring - USAID (Program Cycle, 2018)
This Discussion Note complements ADS 201 and outlines general principles and promising approaches for monitoring complex aspects of USAID development assistance. Complexity-aware monitoring is a type of complementary monitoring that is useful when results are difficult to predict due to dynamic contexts or unclear cause and-effect relationships. Key principles of the Program Cycle include applying analytic rigor, managing adaptively, and utilizing a range of approaches to achieve results. ADS 201.3.5.5 identifies three types of program monitoring – performance, context, and complementary. All USAID programming incorporates performance monitoring and should include context monitoring. Performance monitoring “is the ongoing and systematic collection of performance indicator data and other quantitative or qualitative information to reveal whether implementation is on track and whether expected results are being achieved.” Context monitoring is “[t]he systematic collection of information about conditions and external factors relevant to the implementation and performance of an operating units (OU’s) strategy, projects, and activities.” As stated in ADS 201.3.5.5, complementary monitoring may be used by missions and Washington OUs to complement performance and context monitoring in situations where results are difficult to predict due to dynamic contexts or unclear cause-andeffect relationships. This Discussion Note provides an explanation of when to use complementary monitoring approaches that are complexity-aware and summarizes the three principles of complexity-aware monitoring.

Guide for Adopting Remote Monitoring Approaches During COVID-19 - USAID (USAID, 2020)
USAID maintains staff and operations in more than 80 countries around the world, all of which the COVID-19 pandemic will disrupt. USAID remains committed to protecting the health and safety of our staff, while continuing appropriate oversight of our programs and ensuring the accountable and effective use of U.S. taxpayer funds. In the current operating environment, USAID and implementing partners face new challenges in implementing activities, monitoring progress, collecting data, and tracking indicators. As we adapt our approaches, we will work with implementing partners to find innovative, responsible, and safe ways to monitor and evaluate programming. Digital tools can support novel approaches to remote monitoring. Responsible use of digital tools also supports operating unit alignment with the Digital Data Collection mandate in the Agency’s new Digital Strategy. This guide provides information for Agency staff and implementing partners on remote monitoring techniques and when they can be employed. We encourage use of this guide to identify and pursue appropriate remote-monitoring approaches for your needs. CORs/AORs and Activity Managers should work with implementing partners to document updated approaches in each agreement’s plans for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), and should upload these amended Activity MEL Plans into the Agency Secure Image and Storage Tracking System (ASIST) as soon as possible. This can be done in collaboration with Mission and Washington Bureau M&E Specialists, as appropriate

How-To Note: Conduct a Data Quality Assessment - USAID (2017)

How-To Note: Developing a Project Logic Model (and its Associated Theory of Change) - USAID (Program Cycle, 2017)
This How-To Note describes considerations for developing a project logic model, as well as steps for thinking through a more complete theory of change (TOC). A logic model is a graphic or visual depiction that summarizes key elements of a TOC, and it is often used as a facilitation tool during the design process. There are many types of logic models, including but not limited to logical frameworks (logframes), results chains, results frameworks, and local actor-oriented models, among others. The project logic model and its associated TOC are included in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD) that approves a project design (see ADS 201.3.3.13). While this How-To Note focuses on logic models at the project level, logic models are also used at the strategy level (specifically, results frameworks – see Box 1), and often at the activity level. The concepts and steps presented here are generally applicable to the process of developing logic models and TOCs throughout the Program Cycle.

Knowing When to Adapt - A Decision Tree - USAID (USAID LEARN, 2019)
This job aid will help you determine how best to resolve a challenge/issue in programming. It is intended for use by USAID, partners, and others working in international development.

Knowledge Retention and Transfer (KRT) - Model and Matsurity Matrix - USAID (CLA Toolkit, 2019)
The Maturity Matrix is not a standalone tool. It is one of the three major components of the KRT Model. The Maturity Matrix is meant to be used in conjunction with the KRT Toolkit and Implementation Plan.

Knowledge Retention and Transfer (KRT) - Model overview presentation - USAID (USAID, 2023)
What problem is the KRT model trying to solve? For workforces that experience continuous staff turnover, the lack of systematic knowledge transfer can often lead to: - Loss of programmatic momentum, - Duplication of efforts and frustration, and - Wasted time and resources. The Knowledge Retention and Transfer (KRT) model provides tools, processes, and practices to individuals, teams, offices, and organizations to improve knowledge handover, which in turn improves efficiency and programmatic and operational learning.

Local Capacity Strengthening Policy - USAID (USAID, 2022)

Local Systems: a framework for supporting sustained development - USAID (USAID, 2014)

Local Works Guidance - Round 4 - USAID (USAID, 2019)

Managing staff transistions through CLA: preserving institutional memory as staff come and go - USAID (CLA Toolkit, 2019)
This document is relevant for any position or hiring mechanism. While this document does not explicitly address what happens when someone arrives into a newly-created position, which has its own set of challenges, many of the principles, actions, and resources can be applied in that context. Section 1 offers guidance for how to set up and implement systems at Mission/OU or office to ensure that all staff help preserve institutional memory and enable continuity of relationships. This section is for any staff in a Mission/OU working to build systems that improve handovers and knowledge capture and sharing across the Mission or OU. If a Mission or OU is just beginning to develop a system to manage staff transitions, you may want to start by developing a system within an office or team and then expand it out to other offices or to the Mission/OU writ large. Section 2 includes key principles and actions individuals could consider following when arriving or departing a position, regardless of hiring mechanism and position. This includes staff new to the Mission/OU and staff who are currently in the Mission/OU and are moving into a new position. Section 3 provides a select number of resources to help you take a systematic and comprehensive approach to manage staff transitions as effectively and efficiently as possible at the individual or organizational level.

Measuring Efforts to Combat Wildlife Crime - A toolkit for Improving Actiona and Accountability (v.1.3) - USAID (Measuring Impact, 2017)

Program Cycle - Discussion Note: Adaptive Management - USAID (USAID, 2018)
This Discussion Note complements ADS 201.3.1.2 Program Cycle Principles by elaborating on Principle 2: Manage Adaptively through Continuous Learning. This Discussion Note is intended for USAID staff interested in learning about recent and promising practices in adaptive management across the Program Cycle.

Program Cycle - Discussion Note: Designing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Platforms - USAID (USAID, 2018)
This Discussion Note complements ADS 201.3.1.2 Program Cycle Principles by elaborating on Principle 2: Manage Adaptively through Continuous Learning. This Discussion Note is intended for USAID staff interested in learning about recent and promising practices in adaptive management across the Program Cycle.

Program Cycle - Discussion Note: Managing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Platforms - USAID (USAID, 2018)
This Discussion Note complements ADS 201.3.1.2 Program Cycle Principles by elaborating on Principle 2: Manage Adaptively through Continuous Learning. This Discussion Note is intended for USAID staff interested in learning about recent and promising practices in adaptive management across the Program Cycle.

Program Cycle - How-To Note: Strategy-Level Portfolio Review - USAID (USAID PPL, 2017)

Program Cycle Road Map - USAID (2016)

RFI-521-17-000015 - Improving Governance in Haiti Program (IGHI) - USAID (USAID, 2017)

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

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

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

USAID ADS 201 - Operational Policy for the Program Cycle (Update 01/23/2021) - USAID (USAID, 2021)
The Program Cycle is USAID’s operational model for planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting development programming in a given region or country to advance U.S. foreign policy. It encompasses guidance and procedures for: 1) Making strategic decisions at the regional or country level about programmatic areas of focus and associated resources; 2) Designing projects and supportive activities to implement strategic plans; and 3) Learning from performance monitoring, evaluations, and other relevant sources of information to make course corrections as needed and inform future programming.

USAID ADS 201 - Operational Policy for the Program Cycle (Update 05/22/2023) - USAID (USAID, 2023)
The Program Cycle is USAID’s operational model for planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting development programming in a given region or country to advance U.S. foreign policy. It encompasses guidance and procedures for: 1) Making strategic decisions at the regional or country level about programmatic areas of focus and associated resources; 2) Designing supportive projects and/or activities to implement these strategic plans; and 3) Learning from performance monitoring, evaluations, and other relevant sources of information to make course corrections as needed and inform future programming.

USAID ADS 201 - Program Cycle Operational Policy (Update 1/23/2017) - USAID (USAID, 2017)
The Program Cycle is USAID’s operational model for planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting development programming in a given region or country to advance U.S. foreign policy. It encompasses guidance and procedures for: 1) Making strategic decisions at the regional or country level about programmatic areas of focus and associated resources; 2) Designing projects and supportive activities to implement strategic plans; and 3) Learning from performance monitoring, evaluations, and other relevant sources of information to make course corrections as needed and inform future programming.

USAID ADS 201 - Program Cycle Operational Policy (Update 10/29/2018) - USAID (USAID, 2018)

USAID Risk Appetite Statement - USAID (USAID, 2018)

USAID’s Data Quality Standards & Conducting a DQA - USAID (2014)

Webimar - Adaptive Management at the Strategy Level: Portfolio Reviews and Mid Course Stocktaking - USAID (USAID, 2017)
On Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. EST, the Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) held a one-hour webinar exploring Strategy-level Portfolio Reviews and Mid Course Stocktaking.

CLA Maturity Tool - Card Deck (Implementing Partners version 1) - USAID LEARN (USAID, 2022)
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.

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Maturity Spectrum (v7) - USAID LEARN (USAID, 2022)
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.

Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Framework & Key Concepts (Implementing Partner Version 1) - USAID LEARN (USAID, 2022)
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.

Course: Introduction to Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) in the Program Cycle - USAID LEARN (USAID Learning Lab, 2018)

Using Systemic M&E Tools in Feed The Future Uganda: Sensemaker ® - Webinar - USAID Learning Lab (2015)
This webinar is part of a series organized by SEEP's Market Facilitation Initiative (MaFI), USAID's LEO project and the BEAM Exchange as a part of the "Learning with the Toolmakers" webinar series. As part of a new cycle of webinars focusing on inclusive market facilitation tools. In this series, Eric Derks and Leanne Rasmussen will share learning from this five-year, multi-million dollar USAID program, the objective of which is to increase Ugandan farmers’ use of good quality agro-inputs by fostering more inclusive systemic changes in the agro-inputs industry. Using Systemic M&E Tools in Feed The Future Uganda: Sensemaker ® This third webinar in the series, titled “,” will look at how the project team used this tool and method to monitor systemic change. Leanne and Eric will share their experiences with using the tool and give recommendations to other practitioners who are interested in applying it. What is Sensemaker ®? SenseMaker combines an innovative research methodology with patented software to collect and analyze large quantities of narratives in order to understand complex change. It brings together insights from complexity sciences, anthropology, and cognitive science. It uses participants’ narratives to uncover foundational attitudes and norms that inform and influence behavior. This webinar is organized by SEEP's Market Facilitation Initiative (MaFI), USAID's LEO project and the BEAM Exchange as a part of the "Learning with the Toolmakers" webinar series.

Evaluation of International Development Interventions: An Overview of Approaches and Methods - Vaessen, Jos; Lemire, Sebastian; Befani, Barbara (World Bank, 2020)
This guide provides an introductory overview of a range of methods that have been selected for their actual and potential use in the field of international development evaluation. For each method, a detailed guidance note presents the method’s main features and procedural steps, key advantages and disadvantages, as well as its applicability. Each guidance note includes references for relevant background readings (basic and advanced) as well as references to other additional resources of interest. Both the choice of approaches and methods and the associated guidance are by no means definitive. IEG plans to periodically update the guide as evaluation practices evolve.

Matrixing Aid: The Rise and Fall of 'Results Initiatives' in Swedish Development Aid - Vähämäki, Janet (Stockholm Business School, Stockholm University, 2017)

Learning from Results-Based Management evaluations and reviews - Vähämäki, Janet; Verger, Chantal (Development Co-operation Working Papers, 2019)
What have we learned from implementing results-based management in development co-operation organisations? What progress and benefits can be seen? What are the main challenges and unintended consequences? Are there good practices to address these challenges? To respond to these questions this paper reviews and analyses the findings from various evaluations and reviews of results-based management systems conducted by members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), the OECD/DAC Results Community Secretariat and other bodies in the past four years (2015-2018). It also draws on emerging lessons from new methods for managing development co-operation results. This analytical work aims to: identify recent trends in results-based management, explore challenges faced by providers when developing their results approaches and systems, select good practices in responding to these challenges that can be useful for the OECD/DACResults Community, considering new approaches, new technologies and evolving contexts. This body of evidence will inform the development of a core set of generic guiding principles for results-based management in development co-operation.

Building justice and peace from below? Supporting community dispute resolution in Asia - Valters, Craig (Working Politically in Practice Series: Case Study, 2016)

Learning and adaptation: 6 pitfalls to avoid - Valters, Craig (Devex, 2016)

Learning from adaptive programmes - 10 lessons and 10 case studies - Valters, Craig (Overseas Development Institute, 2018)
Internal DFID document from the DevAdapt Programme. Based on another previous document (also internal).

Theories of change in international development: Communication, learning, or accountability? - Valters, Craig (JSRP Paper 17, 2014)

Theories of Change: time for a radical approach to learning in development - Valters, Craig (ODI, 2015)
The Theory of Change approach demands a radical shift towards more and better learning in development thinking and practice, creating a productive and much-needed space for critical reflection.

Putting learning at the centre: Adaptive development programming in practice - Valters, Craig; Cummings, Clare; Nixon, Hamish (ODI, 2016)
Adaptive programming suggests, at a minimum, that development actors react and respond to changes in the political and socio-economic operating environment. It emphasises learning and the development practitioner is encouraged to adjust their actions to find workable solutions to problems that they may face. Being prepared to react to change may seem like common sense – and indeed it is. However much development thinking and practice remains stuck in a linear planning model which discourages learning and adaptation, in part because projects are seen as ‘closed, controllable and unchanging systems’ (Mosse, 1998: 5). This paper critically engages with this problem and makes clear why and how learning needs to be at the centre of adaptive development programming. It begins by clarifying why and what kind of learning matters for adaptive programming. The paper then turns its focus to how strategies and approaches applied throughout a programme’s conception, design, management and M&E can enable it to continually learn and adapt.
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Top Tips: How to design and manage adaptive programmes - Valters, Craig; Wild, Leni (Overseas Development Institute, 2019)
Within DFID, there is now a commitment to more flexible and adaptive programming. This recognises that: • DFID works in contexts that continuously evolve and change, sometimes in unpredictable ways. To respond to this, the agency needs to remain flexible – to expect change and have a good understanding of context, with resources that can be adjusted and scope to change direction if needed. All DFID programmes should be able to do this. • Some DFID programmes aim to support change in complex systems, behaviours and incentives. Efforts to address women’s empowerment, improve sanitation or build more sustainable health systems, for instance, all require engagement with the way in which complex systems operate and the people and behaviours within them. Trying to deliver reforms in these circumstances is challenging because the pathway to reform itself will be unclear: as a reform is rolled out, the system itself will react and respond. These types of programmes therefore need to build in from the start deliberate processes of learning and testing, to allow for adaptations as more information is gathered for what works over time. These top tips are concerned with programmes that aim to be flexible and adaptive – which work in dynamic contexts and are trying to address complex problems. While there is growing commitment to these approaches, feedback suggests staff still have questions about how to do this well. This document highlights some of the commonly reported issues related to adaptive programming and a set of tips, strategies and examples to help in addressing them. It is aimed at programme managers and advisors who may be Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) or those managing and supporting adaptive programming in a range of ways. We have collated these lessons from discussions with country offices and SROs, feedback from surveys and the wider evidence. We have looked specifically at the adaptive programmes we can find in the DFID portfolio, but this is not an exhaustive list. It should be noted that there is as yet no wide variety of case law to review, but there is a growing set of examples within DFID that can provide continuous learning for the organisation.

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

Cherry-Picked Intelligence. The Weapons of Mass Destruction Dispositive as a Legitimation for National Security in the Post 9/11 Age - van der Heide, Liesbeth (Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung, 2013)
»Geheimdienste mit Scheuklappen: Das Dispositiv der Massenvernichtungswaffen als Legitimation für Nationale Sicherheit nach 9/11«. The claim that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 by the US army. For the George W. Bush administration, the likely presence of WMD in Iraq was the major justification for going to war. However, Bush' opponents suspected he used the WMD-dispositive as a legitimation for an invasion that was already set in motion for different reasons. The Iraq invasion and the underlying ideas about the presence of WMD thus provide a tangible case for the analysis of theories of conspiracy and security. The development of the WMD-dispositive will be contextualized using the toolkit of securitization theory. The article explores the notions of security and conspiracy that were used to build the dispositive and shows how it ultimately failed and turned into a counter-narrative in which the Bush administration itself became the Great Conspirator.

Making Sense of Complexity: Using SenseMaker as a Research Tool - Van der Merwe, Susara E.; Biggs, Reinette; Preiser, Rika; Cunningham, Charmaine; Snowden, David J.; O’Brien, Karen; Jenal, Marcus; Vosloo, Marietjie; Blignaut, Sonja; Goh, Zhen (Systems, 2019)
There is growing interest in studying processes of human sensemaking, as this strongly influences human and organizational behavior as well as complex system dynamics due to the diverse lenses people use to interpret and act in the world. The Cognitive Edge SenseMaker® tool is one method for capturing and making sense of people’s attitudes, perceptions, and experiences. It is used for monitoring and evaluation; mapping ideas, mind-sets, and attitudes; and detecting trends and weak signals. However, academic literature describing the tool-set and method is lacking. This introduction aims to guide researchers in choosing when to use SenseMaker and to facilitate understanding of its execution and limitations. SenseMaker can provide nuanced insight into system-level patterns of human sensemaking that can provide insight to nudge systems towards more desirable futures, and enable researchers to measure beyond what they know.
Keywords: Mixed methods; SenseMaker tool; complex systems; sensemaking; social complexity

A conceptual map of political participation - van Deth, Jan W. (Acta Politica, 2014)
How would you recognize a mode of participation if you see one? Owing to the rapid expansion of political activities in the last decades this question has become increasingly difficult to answer. Neither the development of all-embracing nominal definitions, nor deductive analyses of existing modes of participation seem to be helpful. In addition, the spread of expressive modes of participation makes it hard to avoid purely subjective definitions. The aim of this discussion paper is to develop an operational definition of political participation, which allows us to cover distinct conceptualizations systematically, efficiently and consistently. This goal can only be arrived at if the conventional approach of presenting nominal definitions to solve conceptual problems is left behind. Instead, available definitions are included in a set of decision rules to distinguish three main variants of political participation. A fourth variant is distinguished for non-political activities used for political purposes. Together, the four variants of political participation cover the whole range of political participation systematically without excluding any mode of political participation unknown yet. At the same time, the endless expansion of the modes of political participation in modern democracies does not result in an endless conceptual expansion. Implications for research and various examples are discussed.

Theory of Change Thinking in Practice - van Es, Marjan; Guijt, Irene; Vogel, Isabel (2015)
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

Balancing Inclusiveness, Rigour and Feasibility: Insights from Participatory Impact Evaluations in Ghana and Vietnam - van Hemelrijck, Adinda; Guijt, Irene (Practice Paper, 2016)
This paper by Adinda Van Hemelrijck and Irene Guijt explores how impact evaluation can live up to standards broader than statistical rigour in ways that address challenges of complexity and enable stakeholders to engage meaningfully. A Participatory Impact Assessment and Learning Approach (PIALA) was piloted to assess and debate the impacts on rural poverty of two government programmes in Vietnam and Ghana funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). We discuss the trade-offs between rigour, inclusiveness and feasibility encountered in these two pilots. Trade-offs occur in every impact evaluation aiming for more than reductionist rigour, but the pilots suggest that they can be reduced by building sufficient research and learning capacity.

Understanding and governing learning in sustainability transitions: A review - van Mierlo, Barbara; Beers, Pieter J. (Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 2018)
Many transitions scholars underscore the importance of learning in sustainability transitions, but the associated learning processes have hardly been conceptualised. The diverse, well-established research fields related to learning are broadly ignored or loosely applied. In this paper, we systematically explore four interesting learning traditions in terms of their value for gaining an in-depth understanding of learning in sustainability transitions and their relevance for fostering learning, by connecting them to key features of transitions. The selected learning traditions from different disciplinary backgrounds provide valuable insights. None of them sufficiently addresses the complexity of transitions. They include, however, a diversity of relevant learning contexts. We conclude that they have value for investigating new areas such as learning in socio-technological regimes and in later phases of a transition, while enlightening forms of learning that have not yet been fully recognised in transition studies, such as superficial learning, unlearning, and learning to resist change.
Keywords: Collaborative learning; Interactive learning; Organizational learning; Social learning; Sustainability transition

Learning to adapt & adapting to learn - Using elements of outcome mapping in the ‘Resilient Adolescents in the Syria Crisis’ programme - van Ongevalle, Jan; Kvintradze, Ana; Rennesson, Gaël; Miller, David (Save the Children, 2021)
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.

Critical System Heuristics : a very, very short introduction - van 't Hof, Sjon (CSL4D/SystemicAgency, 2021)

Re-Perceiving Results: Aid Programs and Change in Fragile Societies - van Veen, Erwin; Rijper, Alies (Policy Brief, 2017)
Aid programmes need to be able to adapt their objectives and operations to changes in their political environment, since development processes are subject to political contestation. Change takes time and is often a matter of seizing the opportunity.
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Innovative M&E from the Sandbox and beyond - Vester, Søren; Tran, Samuel (Medium, 2023)
In this blog we are sharing a digest of some of the many useful and innovative monitoring, evaluation and learning resources and efforts that have come through the M&E Sandbox in 2022. A lot of these resources have been shared by our community in response to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the launch of the Sandbox (please keep them coming!). We hope you find it useful. We have grouped these efforts and resources under six broad questions: - How do we measure systems transformation? - How do we know if we are on track? - How do we rethink complexity and independence in evaluation? - Why, how and for whom do we measure? - How do we generate insights and learn? - How do we make decisions and adapt?

What exactly do we mean by systems? - Vexler, Dan (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2017)
Everyone is talking about systems. Or at least, that's how it seems in my wonkish corner of the philanthropic world. You can't attend a conference or even have a meeting without hearing about systems, whether it's people trying to disrupt them, map them, learn from them, or catalyze them.

Impact Evaluation: Taking stock and looking ahead - Conference report - Visser, Irene; Guijt, Irene; Kusters, Cecile (Centre for Development Innovation, 2013)
This report summarises the presentations and discussions of the Conference ‘Impact evaluation. Taking stock and looking ahead’, which took place in Wageningen on March 25 and 26, 2013. The Conference was organised and funded by the Centre for

Innovating in Development Learning Event - Challenge brief - Vogel, Isabel (Ideas to Impact / iMC, 2017)

Review of the use of ‘Theory of Change’ in International development - Vogel, Isabel (DFID, 2012)
A new report on Theory of Change (ToC) and its use in International development has just been produced.

Laying the Foundations for Impact: Lessons from the GCRF Evaluation - Vogel, Isabel; Barnett, Chris (The European Journal of Development Research, 2023)
Research for development (R4D) aims to make a tangible difference to development challenges, but these effects typically take years to emerge. Evaluation (especially impact evaluation) often takes place before there is evidence of development impact. In this paper, we focus on opportunities for assessing the potential for impact at earlier stages in the research and innovation process. We argue that such a focus can help research programme managers and evaluators learn about the pre-conditions for impact and adjust accordingly. Using the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) as a large-scale case of R4D evaluation, we identify and explore some of the building blocks that can increase impact potential. Guided by GCRF’s theory of change, we explore emerging evidence that highlights the importance of ways of working that supports positioning for impact. We conclude by drawing out a unifying construct around standards of development excellence; to sit alongside notions of scientific excellence for research intended to have an impact. Standards can help programme managers, researchers and evaluators learn and adapt to increase the likelihood of impact.

Innovation in development: Sharing learning, improving impact - Vogel, Isabel; Minkley, Gabrielle; Chowdhury, Sajid (Ideas to Impact / IMC Worldwide, 2017)

Appendix 3. ToC Examples - Vogel, Isabel; Stephenson, Zoe (DFID, 2012)

Applying Rigorous Impact Evaluation in GIZ Governance Programmes: Results of a GIZ Initiative on Impacts in Governance - von Schiller, Armin (GIZ GmbH, 2020)
Pressure is mounting on international development cooperation agencies to prove the impact of their work. Private and public commissioners as well as the general public are increasingly asking for robust evidence of impact. In this context, rigorous impact evaluation (RIE) methods are increasingly receiving attention within the broader German development system and in GIZ. Compared to other implementing agencies such as DFID or USAid, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has so far relatively little experience in systematically applying rigorous methods of impact evaluation. This is particularly true in the governance sector. In order to gain more experience and to understand which methods and formats are best suited for GIZ governance programmes, the Governance and Conflict division and the Africa department launched the ‘Impact Initiative Africa’ in 2016, a cooperative effort with several programmes in Africa. The Initiative set out to apply the experiences from GIZ governance programmes to design and conduct RIEs, and to use the results to steer programme implementation. Initially, the Initiative included three countries: Benin (Programme for Decentralisation and Local Development), Malawi (Support to Public Financial and Economic Management) and Mozambique (Good Financial Governance in Mozambique). During its implementation, the Initiative also benefitted from the experience of two additional governance programmes which had already undertaken RIEs, namely Peru (Citizen-oriented State Reform Programme) and Pakistan (Support to Local Governance Programme II). This report summarizes the insights gained from these experiences and discusses opportunities and limitations regarding the use and usability of RIEs in GIZ governance programmes as well as proposals on how to organise RIEs to maximise learning potential and benefits for the specific programmes and the GIZ Governance sector at large.

Rigorous Impact Evaluation in GIZ Governance Programmes - von Schiller, Armin (How-To-Note, 2020)
Why should I integrate an impact assessment in my programme? How will the programme benefit from it? Are the benefits worth the effort and expenses? How do I design and implement it in detail? Who is addressable for support? What should I pay attention to in order to get the most out of it? This note is meant to answer these questions. It addresses leaders and project staff of governance programmes who are interested in using this tool within their specific governance programme or project. This note provides a guideline and good practice recommendations on how to design and conduct an impact assessment and on how to fully utilise the benefits of the results for the programme and for communication with commissioners, partners and other donors. Additionally, this note will point to indirect benefits that can arise and that should not be ignored. Results of impact assessments are highly relevant for the GIZ as an institution. However, in this note we stress the benefits for the programme or project itself. In particular this note addresses the following aspects: • What are rigorous impact assessments and why should GIZ Governance programmes conduct them more often within their programmes? • Which phases does an impact assessment include? How do I set one up and which aspects deserve special attention in each phase to maximise the benefits for my programme? • What are the benefits I can expect from implementing and impact assessment? • Whom to ask at headquarters in case I need support? This note complements the policy brief “Strategic use of Rigorous Impact Evaluation” and the corporate strategic review on “Rigorous Impact Evaluation” written by the GIZ evaluation unit which focuses on the strategic use of rigorous impact evaluations (RIE) at GIZ. Based on the review findings, the policy brief presents recommendations for strategic planning and implementation of purpose-sensitive RIE using a number of key levers. By adopting central coordination and needs-based support mechanisms, the evaluation unit intends to promote the strategic use of RIE for evidence-based learning and decision-making within the organisation.

What Are the Next Steps in Innovation for Good Governance? - von Sturmer, Lucy (Making All Voices Count, 2015)
What are the next steps in innovation for good governance? Lucy von Sturmer reflects on lessons learned at Buntwani 2015.

Adaptive development: great progress and some niggles - Vowles, Pete (Medium, 2016)
After 3 years in DFID headquarters, championing adaptive approaches to the delivery of aid and development programmes, I am back in an…

Adaptive programming - Vowles, Pete (DFID Bloggers, 2013)
Staff blogs from the UK Department for International Development. Get real-life perspectives from those on the ground to fight poverty and join in the debate.

Participatory approaches: a facilitator's guide - VSO (VSO, 2004)
This book provides a set of guidelines for people who will be involved in participatory processes and projects with specific design focus on VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas) volunteers. It looks at appropriate levels of participation; pitfalls of participatory approaches (PA); best practice in facilitation; and tools for participation. The guide is organised into three parts (I) Principles, (II) Methods and (III) Toolkit. Part I gives a background to PA with a comparative analysis of PA in relation to top-down approaches, and within the range of PAs; looks at the role PA in VSO; discusses how to facilitate participatory processes with multiple stakeholders; presents a framework for PA on different levels of participation; and examines key facilitation skills needed to support participatory activities. Part II collates a range of participatory methods that have been used successfully in the field by VSO volunteers. Methods are categorised according to this suitability for use at different stages of a project process. Examples are also given of methods that can be used for specific purposes, such as participatory organisational appraisal and gender/diversity analysis. Part III gives tips on how to choose the most appropriate tool and how to organise participatory workshops and small group activities. It also systematically records a range of tools used by development workers all over the world with reference to what tool is appropriate in what situation. A profile of each tool includes guidelines on its purpose, potential applications and variations, as well as possible pitfalls. Illustrative case studies taken form real experiences of development workers in the field are also included.

Developing an effective adaptive monitoring network to support integrated coastal management in a multiuser nature reserve - Vugteveen, Pim; van Katwijk, Marieke M.; Rouwette, Etiënne; Lenders, H. J. Rob; Hanssen, Lucien (Ecology and Society, 2015)
ABSTRACT. We elaborate the necessary conceptual and strategic elements for developing an effective adaptive monitoring network to support Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in a multiuser nature reserve in the Dutch Wadden Sea Region. We discuss quality criteria and enabling actions essential to accomplish and sustain monitoring excellence to support ICM. The Wadden Sea Long-Term Ecosystem Research project (WaLTER) was initiated to develop an adaptive monitoring network and online data portal to better understand and support ICM in the Dutch Wadden Sea Region. Our comprehensive approach integrates ecological and socioeconomic data and links research-driven and policy-driven monitoring for system analysis using indicators of pressures, state, benefits, and responses. The approach and concepts we elaborated are transferable to other coastal regions to accomplish ICM in complex social-ecological systems in which scientists, multisectoral stakeholders, resource managers, and governmental representatives seek to balance long-term ecological, economic, and social objectives within natural limits.
Keywords: IMPORTANT

Process Tracing as a Practical Evaluation Method: Comparative Learning from Six Evaluations - Wadeson, Alix; Monzani, Bernardo; Aston, Tom (2020)

Peer reviews - Guidance for facilitators and participants - Wadley, Ian (Mediation Practice Series, 2021)
Essential points for practitioners and donors • Mediation offers a cost-effective and proven method for resolving armed conflict. Between 1985 and 2015, 75 per cent of armed conflicts in the world were resolved through agreement rather than by force. In most cases these processes will have involved third party facilitation or support. • Professional mediators understand the high stakes involved in their work to prevent, mitigate and resolve armed conflict. In addition, they and their financial supporters are increasingly required to demonstrate ‘value-for-money’ to ensure continued funding. • However, traditional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methods are not well suited to this task, typically imposing artificially linear project models on a dynamic conflict situation, as well as compliance reporting that moves attention away from real value. • Traditional M&E methods tend to focus on documenting the past and generating vast amounts of data, rather than enabling timely adaptation of the project in the present. • Traditional M&E approaches rely heavily on external evaluation consultants. Even in the best of cases this may interfere with the mediation process and impose a heavy time burden on the project team, leading to low acceptance of traditional M&E approaches by mediation practitioners. • In contrast, an ideal M&E approach for mediation should deliver useful insights in even the most dynamic and sensitive mediation environments, impose a light reporting burden, and be readily accepted by mediation teams. It should protect discretion and trust, enable rapid adaptation, and also provide some assurance that donor funds are being well spent.

Valuing peace: delivering and demonstrating mediation results - Dilemmas & options for mediators - Wadley, Ian (Mediation Practice Series, 2017)
Essential points for practitioners and donors • Mediation offers a cost-effective and proven method for resolving armed conflict. Between 1985 and 2015, 75 per cent of armed conflicts in the world were resolved through agreement rather than by force. In most cases these processes will have involved third party facilitation or support. • Professional mediators understand the high stakes involved in their work to prevent, mitigate and resolve armed conflict. In addition, they and their financial supporters are increasingly required to demonstrate ‘value-for-money’ to ensure continued funding. • However, traditional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methods are not well suited to this task, typically imposing artificially linear project models on a dynamic conflict situation, as well as compliance reporting that moves attention away from real value. • Traditional M&E methods tend to focus on documenting the past and generating vast amounts of data, rather than enabling timely adaptation of the project in the present. • Traditional M&E approaches rely heavily on external evaluation consultants. Even in the best of cases this may interfere with the mediation process and impose a heavy time burden on the project team, leading to low acceptance of traditional M&E approaches by mediation practitioners. • In contrast, an ideal M&E approach for mediation should deliver useful insights in even the most dynamic and sensitive mediation environments, impose a light reporting burden, and be readily accepted by mediation teams. It should protect discretion and trust, enable rapid adaptation, and also provide some assurance that donor funds are being well spent.

MSP Guide - Wageningen University (MSP Guide, 2015)
The MSP Guide Designing and facilitating effective multi-stakeholder partnerships Get started Download now The MSP Guide(EN, FR, ES) Explore the rationale, principles and process of designing and facilitating effective MSPs Get it now The MSP Tool Guide Detailed descriptions of 60 tried-and-tested tools to facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships Get it now Reflection Methods: Practical Guide Proven…

Designing Regenerative Cultures - Wahl, Daniel Christian (Triarchy Press Ltd, 2016)
This is a 'Whole Earth Catalog' for the 21st century: an impressive and wide-ranging analysis of what's wrong with our societies, organizations, ideologies, worldviews and cultures - and how to put them right. The book covers the finance system, agriculture, design, ecology, economy, sustainability, organizations and society at large. In this remarkable book, Daniel Wahl explores ways in which we can reframe and understand the crises that we currently face, and he explores how we can live our way into the future. Moving from patterns of thinking and believing to our practice of education, design and community living, he systematically shows how we can stop chasing the mirage of certainty and control in a complex and unpredictable world. The book asks how can we collaborate in the creation of diverse regenerative cultures adapted to the unique biocultural conditions of place? How can we create conditions conducive to life? *** "This book is a valuable contribution to the important discussion of the worldview and value system we need to redesign our businesses, economies, and technologies - in fact, our entire culture - so as to make them regenerative rather than destructive." --Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life, co-author of The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision *** "This is an excellent addition to the literature on ecological design and it will certainly form a keystone in the foundations of the new MA in Ecological Design Thinking at Schumacher College, Devon. It not only contains a wealth of ideas on what Dr Wahl has termed 'Designing Regenerative Cultures' but what is probably more important, it provides some stimulating new ways of looking at persistent problems in our contemporary culture and hence opens up new ways of thinking and acting in the future." -- Seaton Baxter OBE, Prof. in Ecological Design Thinking, Schumacher College, UK [Subject: Systems Thinking, Education, Social Anthropology, Environmentalism, Ecology, Regenerative Culture, Sociology]

Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World - Walker, Brian; Salt, David; Reid, Walter V. (Island Press, 2006)
Increasingly, cracks are appearing in the capacity of communities, ecosystems, and landscapes to provide the goods and services that sustain our planet's well-being. The response from most quarters has been for "more of the same" that created the situation in the first place: more control, more intensification, and greater efficiency. "Resilience thinking" offers a different way of understanding the world and a new approach to managing resources. It embraces human and natural systems as complex entities continually adapting through cycles of change and seeks to understand the qualities of a system that must be maintained or enhanced in order to achieve sustainability. It explains why greater efficiency by itself cannot solve resource problems and offers a constructive alternative that opens up options rather than closing them down. In "Resilience Thinking", scientist Brian Walker and science writer David Salt present an accessible introduction to the emerging paradigm of resilience. The book arose out of appeals from colleagues in science and industry for a plainly written account of what resilience is all about and how a resilience approach differs from current practices. Rather than complicated theory, the book offers a conceptual overview along with five case studies of resilience thinking in the real world. It is an engaging and important work for anyone interested in managing risk in a complex world.

Connecting the Dots: Systems Practice & Political Economy Analysis - Walker, Tjip; Jacobstein, David (Local Systems Community, 2017)
This slide deck, from a presentation to the Local Systems Community by Tjip Walker and David Jacobstein, shows various ways in which assessing the political economy of a context and understanding that context through the lens of systems thinking can reinforce each other. Effective systems practice should be grounded in the incentives and power dynamics of a particular local system; thinking and working politically requires understanding the systems dynamics of an issue or sector.

Using what we know: How to ensure tech projects meet the brief - Walker, Tom (Making All Voices Count, 2017)
Making tech effective - building on what we already know

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

Dynamic knowledge management strategy development in international non-governmental organisations - Walsh, John N.; Lannon, John (Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 2020)
Knowledge management strategies are important for firms’ competitive positioning. This paper examines how knowledge management codification and personalisation strategies are developed in response to environmental and organisational dynamics in an international non-governmental organisation. A longitudinal case study of the organisation’s strategic reformulation of its KM strategy over a 2.5 period is drawn upon. The research examines how pressures in the firm’s operating environment led to the organisation identifying the need to leverage the value of local contextual knowledge. Subsequent reformulation required the organisation to change its strategic mix of codification and personalisation over time. Although efforts were focused on increasing personalisation, developments were supported through codification demonstrating a symbiotic, mutually supporting relationship between the strategies. The strategic reformulation involved processes of reflection, repackaging and support activities.
Keywords: Knowledge management strategy; case study; international development; knowledge dynamics; non-governmental organisation