Browse building capacity Resources
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Learning As We Go: Making Evaluation Work for Everyone This "briefing paper for funders and nonprofits" provides a detailed answer to the question, "Why evaluate?" It offers an overview of the importance of evaluative thinking, use of a logic model, and the range of perceptions about evaluation. Author: York, Peter J. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jun 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Lessons in Evaluating Communications Campaigns: Five Case Studies This publication is the fourth report from the Communications Consortium Media Center's Media Evaluation Project. The author presents five case studies of completed campaign evaluations. The case studies represent an array of campaign types and evaluation approaches, and offer specific examples of evaluation responding to challenges. The five case studies are: S
Author: Coffman, Julia Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Download (212.52 KB) -
Linking the Levels? The Organisation of UK Development NGO’s Advocacy Dr. Hudson researched the advocacy experiences of United Kingdom-based NGOs working with the UK Department for International Development. He discusses his research findings and their implications for policy and practice, including specific findings in regard to evaluation of advocacy efforts. Though written specifically about UK-based development and advocacy NGOs, the report's findings and recommendations may be applicable to any NGO engaged in advocacy. Author: Hudson, Alan Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (207.29 KB) -
Logic Model Development Guide A clear and concise discussion of the use of logic models and their importance for program and evaluation planning. Author: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2004
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Logic Model Workbook (.doc) Innovation Network's own workbook (revised in late 2010), which offers an introduction to the processes and concepts of the logic model. This workbook can be used alone or in conjunction with the Logic Model Builder at the Point K Learning Center. Also available in .pdf format. Author: Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Dec 31, 2010 Point K Pick
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Logic Model Workbook (.pdf) Innovation Network's own workbook (revised in 2010), offering an introduction to the processes and concepts of the logic model. This workbook can be used alone or in conjunction with the Logic Model Builder at the Point K Learning Center. Author: Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Dec 31, 2010 Point K Pick
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Looking Through the Right End of the Telescope An evolving dialogue has emerged over the past few years between advocates, evaluation professionals, and funders concerned with evaluating advocacy. An earlier focus on questions regarding whether it is possible to evaluate advocacy has given rise more recently to a concern with producing innovations aimed at responding to the real and perceived unique challenges to evaluating advocacy.
Author: Jim Coe & Rhonda Schlangen Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (102.56 KB) -
Making Change Happen This conference report discusses overall themes and topics from a November 2001 meeting of the same name, attended by forty-nine people engaged in international advocacy and citizen participation efforts. In its final chapter, "How to Assess Success," the publication discusses many of the tensions and issues in evaluating advocacy efforts, as well as the need to perform evaluations in order to further learning. Author: Clark, Cindy Type: Research & Reports Date: Nov 1, 2001 Be the first to review this resource! Download (796.03 KB) -
Managing Evaluation: Responding to Common Problems With a 10-Step Process There is now a clear choice of frameworks for managing program evaluation—the managing of one or more studies or the managing of an evaluation capacity building structure and process.
Author: Donald Compton, Michael Baizerman, & Ross VeLure Roholt Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (743.47 KB) -
Measuring and Improving Costs, Cost-Effectiveness, and Cost-Benefit for Substance Abuse Treatment Programs The manual consists of 12 chapters, starting with definitions of various cost analyses and explaining their importance. A suggested
timetable breaks the measurement process into specific tasks, identifies who needs to be involved, and presents concrete assignments for each person on the data collection and analysis team.Author: Brian T. Yates, Ph.D. Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Aug 1, 1999 Be the first to review this resource! Download (516.44 KB) -
Measuring Impact in Practice: A Case Study of The Humane Society of the United States The Humane Society of the United States (The HSUS) is the nation’s largest animal protection organization. Just like all nonprofits, The HSUS is accountable—to the thousands of animals it helps or protects each year, and to the thousands of individual, corporate, and foundation donors who enable The HSUS to fulfill its mission of celebrating animals and confronting cruelty.
Author: Beth Rosen Cohen Type: Research & Reports Date: Aug 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (97.59 KB) -
Measuring Influence: Advocacy Evaluation Challenges and Successes This resource was created as an introduction to advocacy evaluation, and its intended audience is nonprofit staff with no evaluation expertise or experience. Knowledge Manager & Webmaster Simone Parrish developed this article as a synthesis of lessons learned from Innovation Network's advocacy evaluation work from 2005 to 2008. Now a single 16-page document, the article was originally presented as a five-part, weekly series on Grantstation.com in the fall of 2008. Author: Simone Parrish Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: May 28, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.39 MB) -
Measuring Programmatic Success: Tips for Nonprofit Boards Innovation Network's tips to help nonprofit board members make the most out of an evaluation effort. Author: Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: May 15, 2005 Be the first to review this resource! Download (143.28 KB) -
Measuring Progress Towards Safety and Justice: A Global Guide to the Design of Performance Indicators across the Justice Sector From the introduction: "This guide is written for programme managers responsible for improving the delivery of safety, security, and access to justice in any part of the world. It should also be useful to a wide variety of government officials and to anyone interested in pursuing a disciplined course of institutional reform in the safety and justice sector." Author: Vera Institute of Justice Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jun 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Download (848.46 KB) -
MEASURING SOCIAL CAPITAL: AN EXPLORATION IN COMMUNITY– RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP Large numbers of social policy initiatives and community organizations are currently engaged in “community building” efforts that seek, in part, to strengthen informal relationships and the organizational infrastructure of communities and to build the capacity of communities to manage and foster community change. One critical requirement for improving such practice is for communities to have greater access and capacity to use information for planning, advocacy, and assessment. Author: Robert J. Chaskin, Robert M. Goerge, Ada Skyles, and Shannon Guiltinan Type: Newsletters & Periodicals Date: Oct 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Download (308.28 KB) -
Measuring Social Change Investments The Women’s Funding Network ("WFN") is "a worldwide partnership of women's funds, donors, and allies committed to social justice, in particular as it relates to appreciating women and girls as key to building strong, equitable, and sustainable communities and societies."
Since 2001, WFN has supported ongoing research on the concept of social return on investment ("SROI") under the title "Measuring Social Change Investments." This paper summarizes the "Measuring Social Change Investments" research.
Author: Puntenney, Deborah L. Type: Research & Reports Date: Apr 15, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (219.91 KB) -
Mission Possible: Evaluating Advocacy Grants This article discusses the George Gund Foundation’s efforts in persuading the Ohio state legislature to create a trust fund to support low-income needs. It highlights benefits of advocacy, specifically capturing and leveraging public resources to further policy goals. The article offers several advocacy evaluation tips to funders, including discussion and agreement on common expectations between funders and grantees, accomodations for the adaptive nature of advocacy work, and focus of contribution over attribution. Author: Egbert, Marcia and Hoechstetter, Susan Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Mobilizing Public Will for Social Change This publication, third in the series from the Communication Consortium Media Center's Media Evaluation Project, examines the dynamics of a public will campaign and offers suggestions for evaluation. The paper begins by walking the reader through the elements of a public will campaign (components such as "social problem construction" and "agenda building"), and then offers seven "exemplars." The last section of the paper discusses evaluating public will campaigns and the resulting social change. Author: Salmon, Charles T. et al. Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Download (149.07 KB) -
Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy Advocacy and citizen participation are now key components of most development projects. In this paper the author outlines a framework for research into these issues that will be carried out in five countries around the world (the ActionAid action research project). This paper is based on Chapman and Wameyo’s 2001 "Scoping Study," q.v. Author: Chapman, Jennifer Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 1, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (28.92 KB) -
Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy Efforts: Learning from Successes and Challenges This chapter, part of a larger workbook for health advocacy issues, details three types of evaluation used to evaluate the achievements of advocacy efforts: process evaluation, outcome evaluation, and impact evaluation. Author: Advocates for Youth Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 1998 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy Programmes A succinct summation of an evaluation process in five parts:
- "Model of Change,"
- "What to Monitor and Evaluate,"
- "Who Defines Success,"
- "Methods for Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy," and
- "Assessing the Impact of Advocacy."
Author: Gosling, Louisa Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 15, 2003 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy: A Scoping Study This paper is a comparison of approaches to assessment of advocacy, specifically as undertaken by NGOs. The approaches reviewed attempt to monitor and evaluate advocacy on various dimensions: type of change, level/stage of influence, participation, process v. impact, and capacity building and network development. The authors identify several evaluation tools to help assess and document incremental change. This publication also includes a list of "aspects" of advocacy work that affect monitoring and evaluation. Author: Chapman, Jennifer and Wameyo, Amboka Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2001 Be the first to review this resource! Download (840.18 KB) -
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in NGO Advocacy: Findings from Comparative Policy Advocacy MEL Review Project “For organizations committed to social change, advocacy often figures as a crucial strategic element. How to assess effectiveness in advocacy is, therefore, important. The usefulness of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in advocacy are subject to much current debate.
Author: Oxfam America Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Feb 1, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.89 MB) -
Moving from Head to Heart: Using Media Advocacy to Talk About Affordable Housing This case study is one of a series of media evaluations sponsored by the Communications Consortium Media Center ("CCMC") as part of its Media Evaluation Project. The CCMC commissioned the Berkeley Media Studies Group to do an evaluation of a small strategic communications campaign in Oregon advocating for affordable house issues. The case study describes the steps the advocates took that eventually led to a policy victory. Author: Dean, Robin Type: Newsletters & Periodicals Date: Oct 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Download (300.66 KB) -
New Research: The State of Evaluation 2012 In 2010, Innovation Network set out to answer a question that was previously unaddressed in the evaluation field-what is the state of nonprofit evaluation practice and capacity?—and initiated the first iteration of the State of Evaluation project. In 2012 we launched the second installment of the State of Evaluation project. In this blog post for American Evaluation Assocaition, Johanna Morariu, Ann Emery and Kat Athanasiades share highlights from that research. Author: Johanna Morariu, Ann Emery and Kat Athanasiades Type: Opinion (blog, editorial) Date: Mar 7, 2013 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link