We are pleased to announce the release of a new white paper, Evaluating Our Way to Smarter Organizations, authored by EnCompass CEO Tessie Catsambas and Vice President, Dr. Lynne Miller Franco. The paper was presented at the USAID Africa Bureau Evaluation Summit and the 2016 American Evaluation Association annual conference in Atlanta.
Evaluating Our Way to Smarter Organizations targets nonprofit organizations and advocates the value of creating evaluation plans for social programs. “A robust evaluation system that prioritizes learning and reflection supports more strategic thinking within organizations, and helps nonprofits tell their stories of success more effectively through clear presentation of the evidence base,” said Ms. Catsambas.
The paper details a step-by-step process for designing an evaluation system based on an Outcome Mapping frame that facilitates dialogue, engages a broad range of stakeholders, and supports a clear articulation of beliefs and assumptions. “Nonprofit organizations supporting social programs are doing such important work,” Dr. Franco comments. “An evaluation system that is well-thought out, built collaboratively, and that can discern what is working and what is not, will allow nonprofits to invest their time and resources in a way that best serves their beneficiaries.”
While this White Paper is oriented to non-profits, the approach has been used in other organizational settings, such as USAID, WHO, and other government and international organizations.
The full article is now available to download here. We look forward to your comments and questions.