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11. Learning from What We Know: How to improve evaluation synthesis for humanitarian organisations

Author:
Neil Dillon
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
Although the volume of evaluations published by humanitarian actors has increased tenfold between 2007 and 2017 in this resource library, the evaluation system still struggles to provide evidence about collective performance of the humanitarian sector. Evaluation synthesis provides one option for building information about response-wide performance. They aggregate findings from a defined range of evaluations using a specific analytical framework and typically seek to provide digestible lessons for senior management by drawing on findings from multiple projects and interventions. In short, they help us to learn from what we know. This paper provides guidance on when to do an evaluation synthesis and how to do it well.
Topic:
International Organization, Management, Performance Evaluation, and Humanitarian Response
Political Geography:
Global Focus

12. Action Learning and Tacit Knowledge: A mapping of approaches for humanitarian action

Author:
Christine Abbott, Cheryl Brook, Grace Evans, Alice Obrecht, and Amelie Sundberg
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
Learning is critical to good humanitarian action – particularly for those who are directly involved in delivering a humanitarian response. Yet many efforts to strengthen learning in the humanitarian sector fail to support the specific learning needs of frontline staff. This mapping paper identifies a range of approaches that support practitioners to engage in ‘on the job’ reflection and learning. It also informed the development of an ALNAP resource pack to support learning processes at field level in humanitarian responses. This paper outlines potential approaches that can be applied to support national and international humanitarian field staff to strengthen their learning processes without placing additional burdens on their time. It also includes a review of approaches to sharing the less explicit and more experience-based knowledge that field staff often develop through their work.
Topic:
Management, Performance Evaluation, Humanitarian Response, and Personnel
Political Geography:
Global Focus

13. Shifting Mindsets | Section 4: Culture and people

Author:
Alice Obrecht
Publication Date:
09-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
This standalone section of the ALNAP Study Shifting Mindsets: Creating a more flexible humanitarian response focuses on culture and people for greater flexibility. This is one of the three pillars that flexibility relies upon according to this research and also one of the starting points to make humanitarian responses more flexible. It covers flexible approaches in organisational culture and staff, as well as anticipatory and adaptive strategies to this extent.
Topic:
International Organization, Culture, Performance Evaluation, Humanitarian Response, Flexibility, and Organizational Learning
Political Geography:
Global Focus

14. Making it Count: a feasibility study on collective indicators to monitor progress in the Agenda for Humanity - Summary

Author:
Alice Obrecht, Tim Harcourt-Powell, and Amelie Sundberg
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
This feasibility study undertaken by ALNAP seeks to identify a set of potential indicators for monitoring the Agenda for Humanity and assess how practicable it is to use these indicators, given current consensus on method and the availability of data. To assess the feasibility of using shared indicators to track progress in the Agenda for Humanity, ALNAP developed 71 indicators for 10 Transformations (two for each Core Responsibility). Each indicator was ranked using the ranking system in table 1 below, adapted from the ranking system used for the SDG indicators. The study concludes that better collective monitoring of progress in the Agenda for Humanity is possible – if the sector considers it to be a priority.
Topic:
Sustainable Development Goals, Accountability, Performance Evaluation, and Feasibility
Political Geography:
Global Focus

15. ALNAP Guide: Evaluation of Protection in Humanitarian Action

Author:
Ian Christoplos, Neil Dillon, and Francesca Bonino
Publication Date:
10-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
This companion to the ALNAP EHA Guide offers protection-specific insights for evaluators and evaluation commissioners across the humanitarian sector. It covers the planning, data management and analysis phases of evaluation and addresses a range of challenges that – whilst not all unique to protection – are often exacerbated by the contexts in which protection activities typically take place. Challenges addressed include those arising from the multi-faceted nature of protection activities, the difficulty understanding cause-effect relationships underlying protection risks, and the challenges of accessing and managing very sensitive data, sometimes drawn from communities in conflict.
Topic:
Performance Evaluation, Guidelines, Humanitarian Response, and Protection
Political Geography:
Global Focus

16. The State of the Humanitarian System 2018: Inception report

Author:
ALNAP
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
Following the publication of the 2015 SOHS report this inception report sets out the goals and scope of research for the 2018 edition and details its methodological approach. It incorporates the findings from a conference set up to review the methodologies used in the 2015 edition, as well as other lessons learned from previous after-action reviews. The 2018 edition will assess performance over the period January 2015–December 2017. It will also compare its findings with the three previous editions, in order to capture key trends covering a 10- year period. The 2018 SOHS report will therefore provide an up-to-date assessment of the size and shape of the humanitarian system and its current performance; and also a retrospective picture of key trends and changes that have taken place over the last decade. To ensure that the report is as readable and useful as possible, a few small but important modifications have been made. First, in order to make clear the parameters and scope of the report, the study team has developed a precise definition of the unit of analysis – the international humanitarian system. In addition, it has made changes and improvements to the OECD DAC criteria used to assess performance; and, in response to requests from readers of previous editions, the methods used to gather data from aid recipients have been strengthened. The study team will also seek to liaise with local groups and organisations in the collection and analysis of this data. In view of the commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), the study team will introduce and pilot a new methodology aimed at capturing outcomes that may be emerging as a result of the reform processes underway. The aim will be to report on whether and how these outcomes are having any impact on overall performance. As with previous editions, the report will be primarily descriptive and analytical rather than prescriptive. It will be based on a robust and tested method combined with the best available evidence and, although the analysis will reflect insights into the factors bringing about changes and trends, the main aim is not to provide concrete recommendations for change and improvement. The SOHS report is intended as a resource for all people and organisations that work in, or with, the international humanitarian community.
Topic:
Finance, Performance Evaluation, Aid Effectiveness, and Humanitarian Organizations
Political Geography:
Global Focus

17. Using Evidence to Allocate Humanitarian Resources: Challenges and Opportunities

Author:
Alice Obrecht
Publication Date:
09-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
A significant World Humanitarian Summit outcome, the Grand Bargain reforms aim to make the humanitarian system more financially efficient and fit for purpose. But, Alice Obrecht suggests, these reforms cannot be successfully achieved without paying attention to how donors gather, use and share evidence and information. Drawing on ideas from the public health sector and charity evaluation, Using Evidence to Allocate Humanitarian Resources suggests ways forward which can be incorporated into ongoing reform efforts: clarifying priorities, investing in evidence, coordinating and consolidating current data sets, and adapting.
Topic:
Public Sector, Performance Evaluation, and Humanitarian Response
Political Geography:
Global Focus

18. Transforming Change

Author:
Paul Knox Clarke
Publication Date:
09-2017
Content Type:
Case Study
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
As humanitarians we spend a lot of time debating what needs to change in our sector and why. But do we look enough at how that change happens? Humanitarians, willingly or not, usually find themselves surrounded by change in some shape or form. It can come as an unexpected shift that escapes any plans or structure, or it can happen as a planned programme such as Humanitarian Reform, The Transformative Agenda (TA), and now the Grand Bargain. Yet despite the ubiquity of change, and the time, money and energy that is spent on change initiatives, very little attention has been paid to the processes that make change happen in the humanitarian system. This new ALNAP study looks at how change can be effectively achieved, and captures the ideas and insights around change processes from the panels, presentations and discussions at the 31st ALNAP Annual Meeting in Stockholm this past February.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Performance Evaluation, Decision-Making, Organizational Learning, and Organizational Change
Political Geography:
Global Focus

19. In-service Training: Key to Enhancing Competence and Building Confidence for Job Performance of Gewog-level Extension Agents in Bhutan

Author:
Samdrup Rigyal
Publication Date:
10-2012
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Bhutan Studies
Institution:
Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS)
Abstract:
The study is aimed to measure the confidence levels of the extension agents under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests based in the gewogs for efficient job performance by identifying their perceptions on the various competencies. A total of nine out of the 20 dzongkhags comprising of 60 gewogs from four regions of the country were selected for the purpose of the study. A structured questionnaire-based survey was administered to 150 samples of extension agents at the gewog-level. The study showed that most of the competencies EAs considered important were also possessed by them and vice versa. However, the competencies considered important that were least possessed by EAs were particularly in vital areas, including technical knowledge and skill oriented competencies. The study indicated that EAs needed some form of training in all the 40 competencies of extension knowledge, skills and qualities measured. The technical knowledge competency stood out as the most important training need. The senior extension agents have lower level of confidence on various competencies as compared to their juniors. These differences in the competency levels could be attributed to the lack of consistent in-service training programme. The approaches and practices of delivering extension services are consistently evolving and curriculum of training institutions being improved based on new developments. The implementation of in-service training should be systematized and regularized or at least the frequency of in-service training should be increased in the future so that technical knowledge and skills of employed/senior extension agents in the field are consistently upgraded and their confidence levels on technical competencies further enhanced. In-service training was rated as one of the primary sources of information and knowledge for extension agents. The opportunities to participate in forums like workshops, seminars, conferences and meetings were also found very useful and knowledgeable. Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests should accord the highest priority in increasing the frequency of providing in-service training particularly to senior extension agents and also give more opportunities to staff based in the dzongkhags/gewogs for participating in national/regional conferences and seminars.
Topic:
Government, Employment, Training, and Performance Evaluation
Political Geography:
South Asia and Bhutan

20. Measuring Performance of Interventions in capacity Building: Some Fundamentals

Author:
Genevesi Ogiogio
Publication Date:
01-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)
Abstract:
The paper is an attempt to define a set of fundamentals around which generic measures can be developed to assess performance of interventions in capacity building. The development of performance measures in capacity building is a complex exercise. The complexity arises from a number of conceptual and methodological issues, including the fact that the benefits associated with capacity building are not readily quantifiable and the rate of return to investment in capacity building cannot be derived without a significant margin of error. The paper notes that most measures are derived with respect to inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes/results and impacts and that there is an inordinate preoccupation with impact in the measurement of performance. Starting off with the input-process-output-outcome-impact framework, the paper presents an approach, which examines measures from the point of view of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, ownership, impact and sustainability of an intervention – elements, which it considers as the six fundamentals in the measurement of performance in capacity building.
Topic:
Performance Evaluation, Monitoring, and Capacity Building
Political Geography:
Africa