Results

BasedManageme

nt in Practice –

Experiences and

learningBy Kai Matturi

Knowledge & Learning Adviser

Mary Banda, 37, in her field in May 2014. Mary has received training and a goat from Concern's RAIN project in Zambia. Photo by Gareth Bentley

2015 DSAI Annual Conference

The photo shows vocational skill trainees Tsegaye and Mubarke with project coordinator Mulugeta Engeda, basic metal work training centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo by Cheney, 2014.

Presentation Overview

Results Based Management

Results Based Management and Concern

Country case Study – Ethiopia

Discussion

Emerging issues

What is the results agenda?

“The search for ‘what works’ – for the causal underpinning of interventions

– is the basis for the Evidence Based Policy (EBP) movement.Related

ideas have inspired other rationalist governance ‘reforms’ of the late 20th

century, including ‘new public management’, results based management,

and of course evaluation more generally” (Stern et al 2012: 9).

Stern, E., Stame, N., Mayne, J., Forss, K., Davies, R., Befani, B., (2012) ‘Broadening The

Range of Designs and Methods for Impact Evaluations’, DFID Working Paper 38 available at

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/

The truth about results..!

Defining RBM for Concern

A broad management strategy by which all actors, contributing

directly or indirectly, achieve defined results and make any necessary

changes in the way they operate to improve performance. RBM should make us use information and evidence on actual results

to inform decision making on the design, resourcing and delivery of

programmes and activities as well as for accountability and reporting. Programme Project Country Organisation

Concern and the results agenda

Concern has committed to adopting a Results Based Management

(RBM) approach in delivering on its strategic objective to improve

programme quality and organisational learning. Key activities include, but not limited to:Setting up Programme Approaches & Learning Unit @ HQDesign and roll out of the 2009 Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

GuideDrive to design programme results frameworks which focus on longer-

term changes Digital Data Gathering Annual review process at different levels

Case Study – Concern Ethiopia

Creation of the Programme Quality Unit – drive RBM @ country level

Key change - more focused programme quarterly monitoring visits:

Verify that activities described by the partners were being carried out, and framing discussions around the achievement of outputs/outcomes

Pin-point activities that were not working or inappropriate and adjust projects accordingly

Check the quality of partners’ work, including looking at targeting, monitoring and evaluation systems and verifying data collection

Find out about any new techniques or processes that would be useful to share within Concern and with other partners

Promote collective learning and reflection within the team and amongst partners

Continued…

Senior managers present

The process refined as they go along

The logical framework a key reference point – but for the initial setting of targets which

could be amended

Budget figures inserted against outputs

Process takes three days, with programme participant visits and discussions

Action plan agreed and followed up on at each subsequent visit

Emerging practice

Help to improve performance, as partners know what is expected of them and where there are problems in implementation, a clear action plan to address these is developed

The process has the unintended benefit of building team spirit and empowering programme and partner staff due to the inclusion of senior management in what were initially viewed as more routine programme processes

The biggest benefit to the team in Ethiopia is that results based management helps them to make quick decisions on resource management, and identify problems that may exist early on

Key issues

The experience from Ethiopia seems to indicate that partners and

Concern staff embrace the idea of quantified reporting since it provides

them with a clear picture on the performance of a particular project The process allows for critical reflection and learning Concern Ethiopia grapples with assessing wider performance and

contribution Different levels of results Contribution to Woreda and federal results Results of more complex issues (not just economic assets) more difficult to

measure and document

Development of results frameworks and annual review process @ HQ &

CO levels

Key challenges

Assumption of knowledge related to RBM Many projects and programmes are 2-5 years in duration – what can be

achieved vs what is expected? Separate systems for financial and programme reporting Knowledge Management Culture and norms in relation to critical appraisal Quantification of results in RFs over rich qualitative evidence Guidance documents can often be inaccessible Changing demands/mixed organisational messages results in capacity gaps

to deliver on results Contribution vs attribution – IE Study Building a culture of reflection and continuous learning

Thanks for listening

Contact details:

Twitter: @KMatturi

Email: kai.matturi@concern.net

Skype: cw_kai.matturi