"To ensure that mobile solutions are designed inclusively in humanitarian contexts, it is important that target users are involved as co-creators of the future they want. A human-centred design approach is one way to ensure that users’ perspectives are fully integrated into programme design. This
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approach is also useful for work involving marginalised populations, including refugees and people with disabilities, as these populations tend to have fewer opportunities to voice their experiences and influence decisionmaking processes. At the same time, they face complex systemic challenges. To shape solutions that will effectively address these challenges, their perspective is absolutely critical. Human-centred design research methodologies are well suited to the challenge because they bring the perspective of this end user to the forefront. This report documents the human-centred design process used in a project conducted in 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya. It includes research tools that can be used in other contexts, as well as the adaptations that were made to research tools to ensure they were inclusive. These are documented in the two page spreads below: Location Mapping, User Journeys, Communication Mapping, Future Me and Daily Diaries. These tools are followed by the main lessons learned, and recommendations for others who want to implement a similar process. More research should be conducted to better understand the experiences of people with disabilities in humanitarian contexts." (Executive summary)
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"The Mothers Union (MU) was beginning to feel its age. Founded 140 years ago it had grown into a social movement of more than 4 million members. But in many places their members felt it had become increasingly inward-looking and ineffective. A radically participative theory of change process, called
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MULOA (Mothers’ Union Listening, Observing and Acting), that listened to over 200,000 people in 36 countries between 2017 and 2019, helped breathe new life into this global movement. The learning from this experience has significant implications for development actors, whether faith-based or secular. MULOA showed it is possible to listen at scale. Theory of Change does not have to be a top-down, office-based, process. Participatory activities created safe spaces for mind and heart dialogue, engaging deeply with people’s emotions and faith to catalyse personal transformation. Changes in individual members catalysed major shifts in MU’s identity, strategy, structures and ways of working. It created a member-led evidence base for MU global strategy that reflected localised priorities. Together with concurrent shifts in MU governance, MULOA contributed to a genuine shift towards a more truly global and interconnected movement. Becoming a more listening, trusting and strategic organisation has since proved vital in helping MU be more agile and adaptable in responding to the COVID-19 crisis." (Introduction, page 3)
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"Our Valuing Voices ex-post research of 39 organizations’ evaluations of sustainability shows that most project results decrease (20-90%) as early as two years ex-post in addition to an Asian Development Bank study of post-completion sustainability found that “some early evidence suggests that a
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s many as 40% of all new activities are not sustained beyond the first few years after disbursement of external funding,” Most project exits are in the last quarter and sustainability handover assumptions are not validated expost. Learning from what was sustained helps us know how to exit for sustainability from the very onset of the project as compared to the typical project cycle. We encourage those tasked with funding, designing, implementing, monitoring & evaluating projects to use these longer checklists and view the full recording shared with participants. These checklists are aimed at donors/designers and implementers of foreign aid projects outcomes and impacts and can be adapted by local NGOs, national governments, private sector, academics, to create exit plans. Local participation in creating these and feedback on how well exit is going will help them sustain results." (Page 1)
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"Middle-level theory (MLT) has several uses in development planning and evaluation. It helps predict whether a programme can be expected to work in a new setting. It offers insights into what design features are needed for success. IIt provides invaluable information for monitoring to see if the pro
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gramme is on track and to fix problems that arise. It reveals the causal processes and related assumptions to be tested in an evaluation and helps identify evaluation questions. It helps in interpreting evaluation findings, assessing their relevance and locating a description of them that is useful for programme design and evaluation in other settings. This CEDIL methods brief outlines ten steps for building and using a middle-level ‘causal-processtracing’ theory of change to serve these purposes." (Page 1)
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"This guide can be used to prepare a process or a workshop aimed at formulating a Theory of Change (ToC) and also enables staff and partners to critically assess an existing ToC. This is not a traditional step-by-step guide: the document mainly aims to clarify the underlying ideas of the ToC." (Page
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2)
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"This document provides a synthesis of guidance specifically aimed at Theory of Change (ToC) processes in a Global Environment Facility (GEF) context, as part of a growing suite of Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) documents that support the design of interventions in meeting the GEF’
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s goal to apply leading practices to deliver transformational change. ToC interacts with many other elements of project and program design. In this primer, these interactions are only discussed briefly in terms of their implications for ToC and cross-references to other STAP, GEF or external sources are often provided for more detail." (Foreword)
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"Producing a Theory of Change and Evaluation Plan are requirements for achieving the Financial Education Quality Mark. Although they are not assessed as part of the Quality Mark assessment process, they will help the assessors understand the financial education resources you are offering. But they a
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re much more than this. In practice, they are really useful tools for you to get the most out of your financial education resources and be able to recognise success when it happens." (Page 1)
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"This practical guide describes a number of workshops held across Europe to train fellow workers in design thinking techniques and processes. It covers how teams have organised their sessions encompassing the structure, tools chosen, length, workshop delivery and evaluation. Through reflection on th
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is process we have developed top tips and recommendations for designing, delivering and facilitating sessions. It is very much a practical guide, highlighting the elements that might be helpful for others delivering similar workshops or implementing the methods in everyday working." (Introduction, page 6)
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"The Design Thinking Toolbox explains the most important tools and methods to put Design Thinking into action. Based on the largest international survey on the use of design thinking, the most popular methods are described in four pages each by an expert from the global Design Thinking community. If
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you are involved in innovation, leadership, or design, these are tools you need. Simple instructions, expert tips, templates, and images help you implement each tool or method: quickly and comprehensively familiarize yourself with the best design thinking tools; select the appropriate warm-ups, tools, and methods; explore new avenues of thinking; plan the agenda for different design thinking workshops; get practical application tips." (Publisher description)
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"In this study, we have seen that, in contrast to causal models, narrative and overview models of Theories of Change are mainly used by donors and implementing organisations. However, causal models offer a lot more information that would help improve project planning, as well as monitoring and evalu
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ation. That potential is still untapped, although all of the organisations involved in this study have already started to formulate concrete steps that could be parts of causal models. Our recommendation is to work on causal models of Theories of Change as a standard tool in project planning, as it will give clear context-related insights into what can be expected from projects, and what is feasible in the specific environment. In our view, media support would be much more understandable and realistic. Through formulating result chains, many hidden assumptions come to light, and additional elements that need to be tackled before outcomes can be expected will become obvious. It would also be a pre-condition to provide impact evaluations that are lacking in the sector of media support for governance." (Conclusions)
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"Managing Outcomes is its generous contribution to our community, building on over ten years of experience with Outcome Mapping (OM). AGEH have taken the tools and principles of Outcome Mapping and adapted them to their institutional context, using the elements that work best for them, and offering
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a number of different tools to complement the original OM tools. While AGEH have developed this approach for their own projects and those of their partner organisations, Managing Outcomes offers an opportunity for learning and discussion for the Outcome Mapping Learning Community. In particular, Managing Outcomes includes a section on situation analysis which helps lay a clear foundation for project planning and it provides a detailed guide for monitoring, reflection and self-evaluation. Through these additions, AGEH has distilled many practices and innovations in planning, monitoring and evaluation that have arisen since Outcome Mapping was first developed." (Foreword, page iv)
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"This publication presents the basics of researching, planning, monitoring and evaluating Communication for Development (C4D) interventions, and offers guidance on how such interventions can be used to address violence against children (VAC). It covers the stages of the C4D programme cycle, emphasiz
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ing the role of research and strategic planning in achieving results." (Overview, page 6)
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"The main learning objective for the five-module course is to become familiar with a process that uses thorough causal analysis as the foundation for creating an evidence-based TOC for development programs. Each of the five modules can be completed in one 8-hour day, including two 15-minute breaks a
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nd an hour for lunch. The modules begin with an overview of the entire TOC process, progress through recommended steps necessary to develop a final product, and conclude with ideas about how to use a TOC throughout the program cycle. Every session has a suggested duration, which you may adapt to time available and participants’ level of understanding." (Using this guide, page 2)
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"Having a refreshed, up-to-date and accurate theory of change (ToC) for each LEAP service—and the LEAP programme overall—is a priority for the LEAP Evaluation and Research team. This is because an accurate ToC is the blueprint for evaluation at service- and programme-level. While some services a
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lready have a ToC in place, taking the time to revisit and refresh your ToC is important. A ToC should be a working document; it is not meant to be static. It should evolve and develop to reflect a service’s learning and development. Our expectation is that services will either develop or refresh their ToC with our support. This is because services and service leads have in-depth knowledge about the domain(s) of early childhood development (ECD) associated with their service. Evaluators can work with services to review or develop their monitoring and evaluation approach, but first, programmes and services need to be clear about what outcomes and impact they want to achieve and why." (Page 5)
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