There is an emerging discussion in international development on theories of change. On the one hand you have methodological discussions and debates in theory-based evaluation on the testability and evaluability of theories of change, and on the other an emphasis on program design and the role and qualities of a good theory of change. This DM&E Tip attempts to capture the key points of the discussions on both sides (perhaps duality is a simplification, but it will suffice for this…

Cross posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

Dear Colleagues,

When we talk about the current state of DM&E in the peacebuilding field, we often lament the fact that we do not have…

Cross posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

One of the more recent developments in peacebuilding DM&E has been the increasing emphasis on developing explicit theories of change as part of project or program design. In our upcoming interview with the Senior Technical Advisor for Justice & Peace at Catholic Relief Services, Tom Bamat suggests that the…

Cross-posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

We know that conflict and violence affects all people, but not in the same way.  Men and women can be perpetrators and victims; but, often they play different roles and have different needs before, during and after a conflict. 

The differences in gender roles and responsibilities means that in order to be effective we have to target certain activities…

Cross-posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

Gender sensitive programming is, generally, a mandatory requirement of most international development activities, including peacebuilding. For example, USAID’s office of Conflict Management and Mitigation requires all projects demonstrate a unique gender element. More than a donor-mandated exercise in…

Cross-posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

If you read this week’s blog, you’ll already have an introductory grasp of Outcome Mapping methodology.

There are so many evaluative methodologies floating around that deciding which…

Cross-posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

Something I frequently hear in evaluation recommendations is to focus more on the outcome level rather than outputs—the ‘so what?’ question. There are a range of ways to do this, one of which is called ‘Outcome Mapping.’

Hot…

Cross-posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

When to Use a Case Study

A case study is a research methodology which allows the investigation to maintain all the meaningful characteristics of real-world events and process. A core feature of case study methodology is its multi-perspectival analysis: it…

Cross-posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

Case studies are a terrific, low-cost way to document something interesting in project implementation and evaluation. They provide an opportunity for reflection, learning and the sharing of lessons learnt in a safe and secure manner, and also allow for the easy presentation, dissemination and…

Cross-posted from the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

So, you want to improve your evaluation utilization processes? Fantastic! Thankfully many other fields and organizations have gone through this process, and their documentation and learning provide important lessons for peacebuilding.

Hot Resource! …

Original Content of the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

So, you’ve just finalized the evaluation report for the most recently completed project. You just approved the final draft of the report, and you and your staff are looking forward to not having an evaluator ‘all up in your business.’

But what will you do with the evaluation?…

Developing measurable goals and objectives is an important step in the project design process, and one that seems to be frequently overlooked in peacebuilding programming. We have a tendency to not only overpromise the results, but also on the timeframe the results could be realistically achieved in. We need to do better, not just to be accountable to donors or even to ourselves, but to the people we serve.

Clearly stated goals and objectives provide the scope, focus and purpose to…

Capacity development seems to be all the rage these days. Many donors require capacity development to be built into any project they fund; this includes USAID’s own Conflict Management and Mitigation office. The popularity of capacity development is further evidenced by the shifting semantics surrounding the terminology itself: we’ve moved from ‘capacity building’ to ‘capacity development’ in order to avoid the implication that no capacity existed to begin with (i.e.,…

This is Part III of an ongoing discussion. See Parts I and II here and here.

Mark Rogers recently noted on the Learning Portal that formal, summative…

This is Part II of an ongoing blog series on the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding. Read Part I here.

Let’s bring this discussion back to peacebuilding, but in particular reflective…

Originally posted on the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding

The new and ‘sexy’ evaluative methodology seems to be Michael Quinn Patton’s Developmental Evaluation (DE). Given this methodology’s emphasis on adaptive learning and real-time feedback in complex environments in order to discover and develop programmatic innovations,[1] peacebuilders are increasingly exploring its potential application…

It’s that time of year again: the annual USAID Conflict Management and Mitigation Call for Proposals. So begins one of the busiest proposal months of the year.

CMM is notoriously difficult to successfully apply to; it is truly necessary to ‘have all your ducks in a row’ before submitting the proposal. This year’s APS calls for increased consideration of gender in the proposed project, and…

This blog is based off a conversation on the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding. Contribute to the conversation now!

Peacebuilding, as I have always understood it, is intimately linked to reflection and learning. And yet reflective processes are increasingly being replaced by formal evaluation processes. There have…

The Reflecting on Peace Practice Project (RPP) is a peacebuilding-specific evaluative methodology developed by CDA Collaborative Learning Projects Inc. It seeks to answer the question of “how can international agencies involved in peace practice make their work in peacebuilding more effective?” It differs somewhat from traditional evaluation approaches in that it doesn’t seek to assert ‘judgment’ upon a project, and thus its…

The field of peacebuilding has, in recent years, turned increasing attention towards the empowerment of women and girls, and the promotion of lasting gender equality throughout the world. Such efforts have multiplied since the passing of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000. It is from this context that the Women’s Empowerment Demonstration Project (WEDP) was launched.

A unique joint-venture between the Alliance for…