"An impact grid is a tool that helps stakeholders involved in a development intervention to analyse multiple changes by mapping those changes onto a grid. A typical grid charts the extent of change alongside the degree of contribution of the intervention. Impact grids can be used for many different
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purposes. They are only normally used after enough time has elapsed for changes to emerge." (Introduction)
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"Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a methodology that enables the analysis of multiple cases in complex situations. It can help explain why change happens in some cases but not others. QCA is designed for use with an intermediate number of cases, typically between 10 and 50. It can be used i
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n situations where there are too few cases to apply conventional statistical analysis." (Introduction)
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"There are many different types of evaluation. Each type has its own set of processes and/or principles. Many factors influence decisions over what type of evaluation to use. Evaluations can be categorised according to their purpose, who conducts them, when they are carried out, the broad approach u
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sed, and cross-cutting themes. Many CSO evaluations don’t use any particular methodology or approach." (Introduction)
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"In a tracer study, data is collected and analysed repeatedly over time. For monitoring and evaluation purposes, tracer studies are often designed to track changes at individual level, following a development intervention. However, they might also focus on other units of analysis such as communities
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, organisations or policies. Tracer studies are most useful when change is intended to be long-term and significant." (Introduction)
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"Surveys and questionnaires are designed to collect and record information from multiple people, groups or organisations in a consistent way. Surveys and questionnaires can be used on their own as data collection tools. They are also an essential part of some more complex data collection and analysi
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s methodologies. They can be used at any time within a project or programme cycle." (Introduction)
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"A gender-responsive evaluation includes two main components. It assesses the degree to which gender and power relationships change as a result of an intervention. And it ensures that women’s voices are prominent throughout the evaluation. Gender-responsive evaluations can be used to evaluate any
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intervention, but should be always be used when there is a focus on women’s rights or empowerment." (Introduction)
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"Utilisation-focused evaluations (UFEs) are based on the principle that an evaluation should be judged according to how useful it is. UFEs should be planned and implemented in a way that increases the likelihood of the findings being used. This normally means identifying the primary users of an eval
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uation and ensuring that they are engaged in decision-making throughout the process." (Introduction)
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"Sampling is a process that enables information to be collected from a small number of individuals or organisations within a project or programme, and then used to draw conclusions about a wider population. There are many different sampling methods. Quantitative analysis tends to require large, rand
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om samples. Qualitative analysis usually relies more on smaller, purposefully chosen samples." (Introduction)
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"Experimental approaches work by comparing changes in a group that receives a development intervention with a group that does not. The difference is then attributed to the intervention. In a full experimental approach, units are randomly allocated to two groups – one that receives the intervention
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and one that does not. In a quasi-experimental approach non-random methods of assignment are used instead." (Introduction)
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"Focus group discussions are facilitated discussions, held with a small group of people who have specialist knowledge or interest in a particular topic. They are used to find out the perceptions and attitudes of a defined group of people. Focus group discussions can be applied at any stage of the pr
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oject or programme cycle from design through to evaluation." (Introduction)
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"Interviews are routinely carried out when projects and programmes are planned, monitored or evaluated. Interviews may be carried out face-to-face or through remote media. They may be carried out with individuals or groups. They may be unstructured, semi-structured or structured. And they may be inf
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ormal or formal. Different types of interviews are appropriate in different circumstances." (Introduction)
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"Sometimes, information is used for planning, monitoring or evaluation that has previously been collected by other people or organisations for their own purposes. This is known as secondary data. There are many potential sources of secondary data. Secondary data can be used at any stage of a project
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or programme cycle." (Introduction)
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"The paper is divided into two parts: Part One describes a methodology for designing an M&E system. This covers a number of stages from defining the scope and purpose of the system to its eventual roll out. However, it does not cover the implementation of the M&E system. Part Two addresses many of t
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he technical issues that need to be considered when designing M&E systems for complex organisations. The information in Part Two may be useful to M&E system designers whether or not the basic methodology in Part One is followed." (Page 1)
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