"Capacity strengthening is a process in which people and/or organisations are provided with external support to enhance and maintain their capacity over time. It can be a complex process, involving multiple actors, methods and influences. Monitoring and evaluation should always be designed to suppor
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t the capacity strengthening process, and should never undermine it." (Page 1)
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"Network results can be divided into different categories, such as network vibrancy, network connectivity and network effects. Monitoring and evaluation tools and methods need to be chosen to assess each of these areas separately, depending on the need. Network surveys and social network analysis ar
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e two of the most common methods used to monitor and evaluate networks." (Introduction)
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"Organisational assessment (OA) tools are designed to assess organisational capacity, and plan capacity development initiatives. Sometimes they are used for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) purposes as well. There are two main ways of using OA tools for M&E. One is to develop an action plan based on
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the OA, and monitor it over time. The other is to repeat the OA at a later date to assess what has changed, and why." (Introduction)
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"Training can take different forms. It can be carried out as a one-off exercise, or can be combined with other types of support, such as coaching or mentoring. The most well-known model for monitoring and evaluating training is the Kirkpatrick model, developed in the 1950s. A number of other models
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are also used by CSOs. Most of these are variants of the Kirkpatrick model." (Introduction)
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"Changes arising from capacity strengthening work can sometimes be measured directly. A range of tools and methodologies can also be used to help assess capacity change. Most of these were not designed specifically with capacity strengthening in mind, but can easily be adapted for the purpose. CSOs
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engaged in capacity strengthening work often use multiple M&E tools and methodologies in combination." (Introduction)
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"Most advocacy work is carried out in complex environments where there are many different influences on change. This has important consequences for how objectives and indicators are developed. CSOs need to understand the immediate and short-term changes resulting from different advocacy activities i
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n order to understand whether they are having the desired effect." (Introduction)
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"Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems for advocacy interventions usually include a number of common elements. The nature of advocacy work means M&E systems need to be designed and implemented differently than in conventional projects. M&E systems for advocacy work should be simple and time-effici
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ent, and should be designed to support ongoing advocacy processes." (Introduction)
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"Many different tools and methodologies can be used to support advocacy work. Some are designed specifically for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) purposes. Others are designed to support the planning and management of advocacy interventions, but can be used or adapted for M&E purposes. CSOs often emp
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loy several different tools and methodologies over the course of an advocacy intervention." (Introduction)
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"Monitoring and evaluating advocacy work involves unique challenges. These can usually be overcome provided expectations are realistic. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation carried out during advocacy interventions should enhance and support real-time decision-making. Advocacy evaluations should includ
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e critical and informed assessments of how organisations contributed to change." (Introduction)
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"Participatory M&E is about engaging different stakeholders, especially targeted beneficiaries, in monitoring and evaluation processes. It is done to generate better M&E information and/or to empower stakeholders. It is facilitated through two main approaches. The first is a set of tools and methods
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used to enable effective M&E. The second is the attitudes and behaviour needed to support meaningful participation." (Introduction)
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"CSOs sometimes need to summarise or aggregate information across multiple interventions. This can be a difficult and challenging task, especially for large non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in many different countries and/or sectors. Summarisation and aggregation can be achieved through
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a variety of methods. However, all come with associated costs." (Introduction)
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"Monitoring is the systematic and continuous collection and analysis of information about the progress of a development intervention. Monitoring is done to ensure that all the people who need to know about an intervention are properly informed, and so that decisions can be taken in a timely manner.
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There are many different types of monitoring, including financial monitoring, process monitoring and impact monitoring." (Introduction)
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"Developmental evaluation involves long-term relationships between evaluators and project or programme staff. Evaluation is ongoing, which means that feedback can be provided on a continuous basis. Development evaluation is particularly appropriate for projects or programmes working in complex or un
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certain environments. It is primarily designed to support learning and management decision-making." (Introduction)
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"Some programme indicators are designed to be collected at programme level. Others are designed to capture, summarise or aggregate information collected at project or partner level. It is important to clarify how information on indicators is transmitted between different levels of a programme." (Int
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roduction)
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"Indicators are commonly used in social development to provide evidence of change. They form an important part of most monitoring and evaluation systems and approaches. There are many different types of indicator, including quantitative and qualitative indicators. They can be developed in different
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ways, according to the context." (Introduction)
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"To understand the changes brought about by a project or programme it is first necessary to understand what the original situation was. This is known as the baseline. Baselines can range from simple data collection exercises through to large, expensive surveys. They are an important part of many M&E
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systems. Baselines are normally carried out at or near to the start of a project or programme." (Introduction)
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"Outcome harvesting is a monitoring and evaluation methodology used to identify, describe, verify and analyse the changes brought about through a development intervention. It is designed to collect evidence of change, and then work backwards to assess contribution to that change. It was partly inspi
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red by Outcome Mapping, and the two are often seen as complementary methodologies." (Introduction)
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"Process tracing is a qualitative analysis methodology. The main purpose of process tracing is to establish whether, and how, a potential cause or causes influenced a specified change or set of changes. This is done by applying formal tests to examine the strength of evidence linking potential cause
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s to the changes. Process tracing also involves testing alternative ideas about how change might have come about." (Introduction)
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"Contribution analysis is a methodology used to identify the contribution a development intervention has made to a change or set of changes. The aim is to produce a credible, evidence-based narrative of contribution that a reasonable person would be likely to agree with, rather than to produce concl
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usive proof. Contribution analysis can be used during a development intervention, at the end, or afterwards." (Introduction)
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"In a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) different units are randomly assigned to separate groups. One group receives a development intervention and the other does not. Changes in the two groups over time are then compared to accurately measure the effect of the intervention. RCTs have been much debated
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over the past 10 years. Some see them as the ‘gold standard’ for impact assessment." (Introduction)
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