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  • Module 7: Discussion

    Respond to this prompt after completing the content in Module 7

    Preparing to evaluate impact is hard work that requires a lot of resources from an organization. Many organizations may not be ready to undertake an evaluation.

    Whether you are a mature organization planning for an impact evaluation or an organization still in the process of monitoring your outputs, there are insights from this week’s lesson that can help you think ahead to your future needs. Identify the learning from this week that felt most relevant to your organization.

    Explain how you think other organizations could benefit from this learning as well.

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    6 Replies
  • Actually, I have learnt a lot of information about evaluation in this module, but the most interest one was matching because using of the three best methods can be succeeded in your program. I like it more then others.
    Thank you once again my dear follow student. We will meet once again to another course.

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    2 Replies
  • The important thing i learnt is how to conduct evaluation of the program using different methods; these are
    Before and after
    Matching
    Randomization

    My organization will benefit from is as follows;
    I working at the Ministry headquarter at Regional Referral Hospital section. This is a new section that was established after Ministry of Health handled over 28 RRHs from Ministry responsible to Local Government and Regional Administration, aiming at improving service delivery to these Hospitals.
    The knowledge i got is helpful to my section, as it help us to do evaluation of these hospitals after receiving them. The best approach that can be used is before and after.

  • Ok. Thank you too.

  • From this module, I learnt that evaluation should be done after the end of a project, but data intended for evaluation process should be collected at every point of project. Also , the randomization process is the best method for evaluation.

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    1 Reply
  • Watching the animation video especially made me realize that when wanting to put forward a project we could break it into different activity types to see which would bring us closest to the ultimate outcome.

    Also to be conscious about underluying factors that may influence the ultimate outcome other than our project and be honest to ourselves about it.

  • randomized control trial are the best way of ascertaining causality, though they are quiet expensive and time involving...

  • other organizations could benefit from this learning because they are most likely to be guaranteed reaching their ultimate outcome in the longrun...

  • I learned a lot this week - each approach has pros and cons. All practitioners need to understand the pros and the cons before deciding what methodology they will go for. One thing that really catch me from the reading is 'generalizability'. I think this is something that is underrated amongst many practitioners and it will be one of the key takeaways I can share with other colleagues.

  • Using the last method of evaluation is the loat efficient one

  • Agreed. Excellent summary

  • It is really difficult to evaluate a program but it is also important to know the program's effectiveness

  • The organization and the project that I used to study this course are hypothetical. However, the learning from this week was entirely relevant for my career path. Interestingly, the interview with Mr. Suleiman Asman is worth considering if one should have a successful impart evaluation for your project. "I think at the beginning, understanding the issue you want to address in your work is the starting point for any project planning," emphasized Mr. Asman. In my view, this is the key to completing a successful project. It is like a driver understanding his destination before he starts his engine. Knowing this, the driver carefully calculates how much fuel he needs. He also imagines the different obstacles that he must deal with before he arrives.

    Meanwhile, the various knowledge acquired from this also will benefit other organizations in many ways. If employed by any institution, I will execute this knowledge to maximize productivity for that organization. Besides, I will contribute what I have learned to advise friends and interest individuals who need my expertise. Again, I will refer this course to many of my colleagues.

  • This week's module reminded me that while measuring impact takes time - often years - there are proactive steps that can be done from the moment of implmentation to facilitate the process down the track. These include identifying an altnerate group for Matching, conducting pre-measurements and assessing environmental impacts that may interfere with assessing causation. While my organisation already undergoes some of this activity, there is definitely more we could be doing to ensure we are able to fully evaluate our impact at key milestones throughout our operations.

  • Very relevant as my organisation is at the beginning of the journey in establishing whether we are achieiving our mission. This Modules 4-7 are very helpful in establishing a route forward and will help me develop what data we need collect and why and how we can measure our success.

  • I have been able to learn this week that as much as there are 3 different ways through which evaluation can be done, the seemingly best among the three (3) Is the Random Selection method which involves the use of randomised control trials. With the use of this method, ever possible errors due to environmental factors will be mitigated against and one can be rest assured that the outcome is as a result of the program carried out

  • I have been able to learn this week that as much as there are 3 different ways through which evaluation can be done, the seemingly best among the three (3) Is the Random Selection method which involves the use of randomised control trials. With the use of this method, ever possible errors due to environmental factors will be mitigated against and one can be rest assured that the outcome is as a result of the program carried out

  • I have been able to learn this week that as much as there are 3 different ways through which evaluation can be done, the seemingly best among the three (3) Is the Random Selection method which involves the use of randomised control trials. With the use of this method, ever possible errors due to environmental factors will be mitigated against and one can be rest assured that the outcome is as a result of the program carried out

  • Evaluating your orpgrns is crucial for the stability and success of you course. This will help you to get funding, asses your strengths and give you an opportunity to pivot, replicate or made changes

  • From the perspective of one who does not currently work for a non-profit organization I believe this week’s information on evaluation is critical for all who provide SMART services. Not only do you need to measure how well your services met established outcomes you need to know how to determine the best way to do so, preferably from the start. Knowing the benefits and challenges for a variety of methodologies will be most helpful in decision-making.

  • The ability to measure efforts of the organization in meeting set targets. However, meeting set targets should also be analyzed in form of causality. My organization as well as other organizations could greatly learn from such.

  • From this Module; I learned that its important to make the groups as equal as possible to determine a fairer outcome.

  • Randomized Control Treatment is interesting effective no matter how tedious and expensive it may be.

  • Most relevant was how to obtain the data needed to quantify the results. By providing a before and after evaluation process, will give you the mot accurate results.

  • Articulating the various methods for measurement with understanding of the challenges one might face was helpful. The reference books were as well; while I believe these are all valid I have also heard it stated that many non-profits spend too much time and resources trying to do measurements instead of programming.

    1 Reply
  • This module helped me to understand that we must carefully choose methods to evaluate progress and programmes, so our findings are not skewed and misleading. I think many nonprofits can benefit from better understanding the value of evaluation, that correlation and causation are different things, and that there are more and less rigorous and accurate evaluation methods to employ.

  • That's funny and good to hear, Lauren, as I was thinking the opposite—that many nonprofits seem to focus on or simply continue programmes but often fail to evaluate them. Without evaluation, there is no conscious and informed choice about whether to maintain, adapt or discontinue/replace the programme.

  • The learning for this module that was most relevant is understanding that identifying key metrics and data collection as soon as the program commences and while ongoing is important to ensure the data is available for effective program evaluation.

    Others can benefit from this learning because many people believe that evaluation can only occur after the program has been in operation for a while or is complete.

  • The topic most relevant to my future organization is the before and after model. I want to open a homeless shelter for families and I feel this is the best way to measure the performance of the shelter. My organization will provide housing and each individual will decide if they want to utilize community resources to better their situations.

  • Before/After (also called pre/post) This technique involves measuring a phenomenon before implementing the program, and measuring it again afterwards to see if it has increased, decreased, or stayed the same. In other wards you have to keep track of the techniques, measurement you use every time to ensure the program is well implement. And advise to other organization to always be mindful of how, when they implement their programs.

  • This course is so much helpful to understand what's the motive of one's organization, to what extent their plan will work and understand the strategy and make a fruitful plan.

  • I do not have any organization. So the whole assignment was tough for me but I learned so many thingns about non profit strategy.
    I would like to thank you phylantrophy university. this was so intense and great course.

  • The RTC does seem to provide measurable causality, however being able to utilize any of these methods when resources are scarce will come in handy.

  • The RTC does seem to provide measurable causality, however being able to utilize any of these methods when resources are scarce will come in handy.

  • I have learned so much from this entire course. Thank you philanthropy university and my fellow students. 🙏

  • It is important from this module because I learnt how could do the evaluation of the project.

  • I have learned in this lesson that data gathering starts in the early stage of your project for a comprehensive and proper evaluation to be carried out year after. The randomized method is strategic. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity provided for us to interact in this form.

  • It is important from this module because I learnt how could do the evaluation of the project.

  • Fully stand with you on that.

  • Other organizations could benefit from this course because it helps you reflect on your work, it asks questions you may never have think about.

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    1 Reply
  • The learning that was most relevant to my organization was that matching was still biased

  • C'est un module très instructif. On a tendance à faire des hypothèses quand aux besoins des bénéficiaires des programmes communautaires, mais cette session vient nous ramener à l'ordre.

  • I think the matching method has been useful for the organization, but the challenges spoken in this week's course are for sure the ones being met.

  • Evaluation is kind of difficult to implement and sometimes outsourcing experts is helpful. However, it is doable and it is very important because without evaluation, you can not know whether your work is bringing the intented outcomes.

  • As a social behavior change communication professional, this learning gave me the much needed confidence to defend the Strategy document is was developing for the organization.
    This learning showed insights into the direction to take to avoid failure and ensure the best framework is put in place to tackle the issues.

  • Evaluation reminded me of core concpets of Epidemiology. The implementation plan and building a theory of Change was na amazing journey for me. It highlighted how many aspects of my work and life can be mpacted by these and also gave a clear picture of how the non profit I am working towards establishing will impact society and not be a place to provide jobs and services to the community but will remove one or more current 'evils' in society. Am so empowered.
    Thanks to Paul and Team.
    Am gladI found this course.

  • This is interesting and important part of an intervention to measure success. Though, it is expensive and require resources to conduct an evaluation. It help organisation understand impact that its program cause or contributes to the changes made at the ultimate outcome level. The result of an evaluation provides learning opportunity and evidences to make informed decisions to improve organisation's future interventions.

  • This is interesting and important part of an intervention to measure success. Though, it is expensive and require resources to conduct an evaluation. It helps organisations understand impact that its program cause or contributes to the changes made at the ultimate outcome level. The result of an evaluation provides learning opportunity and evidence to make informed decisions to improve organization’s future interventions.

  • This is interesting and important part of an intervention to measure success. Though, it is expensive and require resources to conduct an evaluation. It helps organisations understand impact that its program cause or contributes to the changes made at the ultimate outcome level. The result of an evaluation provides learning opportunity and evidence to make informed decisions to improve organization’s future interventions.

  • This is interesting and important part of an intervention to measure success. Though, it is expensive and require resources to conduct an evaluation. It helps organisations understand impact that its program cause or contributes to the changes made at the ultimate outcome level. The result of an evaluation provides learning opportunity and evidence to make informed decisions to improve organization’s future interventions.

  • According to the information shared in this week's module I believe that randomization is the best evaluation method for my beneficiaries because:
     The randomized controlled trial (RCT) will involve my organization randomly assigning individuals to either receive mental health and wellness services or not.
     Because we deal with a large sample size, random assignment can cancel out any other potential differences between the two groups, leaving the treatment as the most plausible explanation for any differences observed.
     Although offering services to one group while denying them to another can sometimes give rise to ethical concerns, we can decide to study those employees who exercise their right to refuse mental health and wellness treatment services rather than denying them.

  • Thinking about how this program will be evaluated may actually help with structuring it.

  • I've learnt alot this week. The checks for an improvement or backing out through comparison of before and after was quite useful. And I think non profit organizations should consider this inorder to create more impact in the society.

  • From this lesson the most value for me was, the different types of evaluation systems and how this can have a value for the organization to contribute what is happening. In general for me this course was really helpful as I understand the value to clarify what I want to do, what needs to do, what and when is better to do, and how to do, in way to have a very clear impact. Not only wishes but work for a real impact.

  • I learned that a project must have clearly stated target outcomes from the start. This will enable evaluations to be carried out. The three different evaluation methods have pros and cons.
    The evaluation method that stood out for me the randomization. The randomized control trials do the best job at establishing causality, although expensive.

  • Использование последнего метода оценки является наиболее эффективным.

  • I got to understand the importance of evaluation of progress and programmes which is necessary for any organisation .

  • They can learn that impact evaluation is not done anytime as the evaluator pleases but rigorously planned before the start of the program

  • The take away from this module is the importance of determining whether the intervention causal factor of the change, this is critical as it impacts future approaches and methodologies, upscale and replication. When correctly determined, it can save scarce resource and ensure value for money in future strategies.

  • The Coyed organization, for it to been established it is how it saw Human being on earth living in a set of categories in life, when it been saw and seen there I coming to realized by all possible means, things significant need to be done, are
    Single parents, old age peoples, dropped out from schools, some for vocational training, youth for Business sector, and orphanage, and a girls potutition ,that it is not their wishes to be a sex worker,their been interview and told us their mind,
    So with all been examin there Coyed organization said it as to be concerns and intervention of support so with Nation wide create of environment as be in placed for them,

  • Other factors in the environment may bring an impact that you will make you think your project is responsible for the outcome.

    W
    1 Reply
  • Actually, I have learnt a lot of information about evaluation in this module, but the most interest one was matching because using of the three best methods can be succeeded in your program. I like it more then others.
    Thank you once again my dear follow student. We will meet once again to another course.

  • I have learnt that no evaluation approach is perfect, but all have their strengths. In the context of my organization KEDDO, we will select the suitable approach depending on our study needs, resource availability, and our expertise to limit the shortcomings that may hamper the determination of causation.

  • Very much so. I learnt that environmental factors must be paid attention to. Such is critical especially when you want to stress the impact of your interventions on the outcomes.

  • For once, I've now know why evaluation is so important, and why it always happen after the program has operated. Am now able to distinguish the three techniques to each other. Amongst all, I prefer randomised controlled trials technique, because Although it expensive but it do establish causality.

  • It has been a hard way to finish this course. It is so challenging more especially coming into realization that monitoring outputs happens at any intervals during the project implementation. While impact evaluation happens when the project has finished.

  • I think that the lesson this week, although certainly complex, was very helpful in showing the different methods of evaluation. In the past, our org has used mostly before and after and matching participants; but it may be helpful to at least beta test an RCT to really be sure about our data going forward.

  • From module 7 I understand that the program evaluation is important step in implementation project. Through 3 steps (after and before, matching and randomization) every M&E specialist and program manager can understand whether their program impact the ultimate outcomes or not. What causes the outcome and which circumstances affect it is the main questions in evaluation process.

  • From module 7 I understand that the program evaluation is important step in implementation project. Through 3 steps (after and before, matching and randomization) every M&E specialist and program manager can understand whether their program impact the ultimate outcomes or not. What causes the outcome and which circumstances affect it is the main questions in evaluation process.

  • Module seven is such an amazing one ...
    I've learnt the different ways the evaluation can be done and these are:
    • Before/After
    • Matching
    • Random selection

    The best way to evaluate is the random selection method because it establishes causality and leads to ethical concerns and with this numerous problems will be mitigated against. Other methods are quite great but it all depends on the organization involved.

  • To me the most important learning in this module was to dedicate a strong effort since the birth of my organization to define the best metrics that would reflect the level of sucess of our work.

  • Yes matching was interesting in I did not think of how can account for changes in the external environment could effect the outcome of the whole RTC.

  • thank you for every thing

  • The three methodology of impact Evaluations, Pre & post comparisons wich does not consider the change in time, Matching betwen control and treatment groups wich has causation problem and Randomized controlling treat wich solve the problem of causation.

  • Very helpful to think about how to take feedback into account with our metrics....and about the VALIDITY of the data.

  • As a program manager I am often the impact our program had. I believe I will use all three methods at different times. The before and after to evaluate our livelihood improvement programs. I think the match method also works here.
    For our Orphans Sponsorship program, I think using the RCT method would provide a better data.
    Other organization can use all three methods of impact evaluation at different to identify whether a particular program caused the outcome and result is not just a correlation.

  • I learnt a lot about evaluation which made me think about a hybrid measure to make evaluation achieve best fit and acceptablity. This is about randomising matching method by randomly selecting participants (treatment and control group) and having observed them as pool before and after the test.

  • Learning the approaches for determining whether the program caused an ultimate was very useful to me. And I think it's very important for other organizations to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to know whether your program caused the intended outcome and what activities do you need to get you there.

  • Sincerely, I've learnt a lot from his course Module ' Essentials of nonprofit strategies ' as it explores varieties of ways to manage any program or project of a organization. Certainly, these will be implemented in our organization moving forward. I'm profoundly grateful to be a participant in Philanthropy University. Feeling Appreciative!

  • Sincerely, I've learnt a lot from his course Module ' Essentials of nonprofit strategies ' as it explores varieties of ways to manage any program or project of a organization. Certainly, these will be implemented in our organization moving forward. I'm profoundly grateful to be a participant in Philanthropy University. Feeling Appreciative!

  • Thank you for the intensive courses, I believe that at the end of the course we finish it with M&E model even it's short but it useful.

    Regards,

  • Evaluation is a challenging but rewarding process that can help organizations measure and improve their impact. However, not every organization is ready to conduct an evaluation, and some may need more preparation than others.

    This week, we learned about some of the factors that affect evaluation readiness, such as having a clear theory of change, a well-defined evaluation question, a realistic budget and timeline, and a supportive organizational culture. We also learned about some of the steps that organizations can take to increase their readiness, such as conducting a needs assessment, engaging stakeholders, developing a logic model, and collecting baseline data.

    These learnings are relevant for any organization that wants to understand and enhance its impact, regardless of its size, sector, or stage of development. By applying these learnings, organizations can plan for their evaluation needs, identify and address any gaps or challenges, and ensure that they have the necessary resources and capacity to conduct a credible and useful evaluation

  • These learnings are relevant for any organization that wants to understand and enhance its impact, regardless of its size, sector, or stage of development. By applying these learnings, organizations can plan for their evaluation needs, identify and address any gaps or challenges, and ensure that they have the necessary resources and capacity to conduct a credible and useful evaluation. infect without undertaking this process, no organization can understand the results of its undertaking.
    For me I say thanks to the founders and all others course members who have made this learning possible for me. I have gained so much knowledge that I could not have learned without the Philanthropy University.

  • The difference between evaluations methods. I like the randomization because with a sufficiently large sample size, random assignment can cancel out any other potential differences between the two groups, leaving the treatment as the most plausible explanation for any differences observed

  • the ethical issue of not being able to provide to the control group is hard to take in!

  • I learned that it's best to start the evaluation process at the very beginning of a program rather than waiting until some time has passed. I also learned the different methods that can be used, and that the most useful method is a RCT.
    I think other organizations could gain valuable insight from learning these different methods and determining which works best for them. I think it's also valuable to know that assistance is available in conducting these trials in order to make them as effective and efficient as possible.

  • Resources permitting, RCTs are the most effective and producing statistically significant outcome caused your by program.

  • I think that the most relevant aspect of these lessons for my organization have been the measuring outcomes section. I think that we do a lot of good but we aren't very good at making things to track what we are doing or keeping up with it over time if we do.

  • he learning from this week that felt most relevant to my organization is the importance of planning for impact evaluation from the start. This means having a clear understanding of your program's goals and objectives, and identifying the metrics and targets that you will use to measure your impact. It also means developing a plan for collecting and analyzing data.

    This learning can benefit other organizations in a number of ways. First, it can help them to avoid having to make costly adjustments to their program or evaluation plan later on. Second, it can help them to ensure that their evaluation is rigorous and credible. Third, it can help them to communicate the impact of their program to stakeholders more effectively.

    Here are some specific ways that other organizations can benefit from this learning:

    Develop a theory of change. A theory of change is a model that describes how your program will achieve its goals and objectives. It can help you to identify the key assumptions that you are making about your program and to develop a plan for testing those assumptions.
    Identify your impact metrics and targets. What are the most important outcomes that you want to achieve with your program? What are the specific targets that you have set for each outcome? Once you have identified your impact metrics and targets, you can develop a plan for collecting and analyzing data to measure your progress.
    Choose the right evaluation method. There are a number of different evaluation methods available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The best evaluation method for your organization will depend on your specific needs and resources.
    Build evaluation capacity. Impact evaluation is a complex process that requires specialized skills and knowledge. If you do not have the in-house capacity to conduct an impact evaluation, you may want to consider working with an external evaluator.
    By planning for impact evaluation from the start, organizations can increase their chances of success and make a greater impact on the people they serve.

  • In this module, I learned that it is important to start gathering data no matter how small for future evaluations.

  • I think it's vital to carry out an evaluation of every project or programme set up to support local people. This evaluation is part of the principle of accountability to the people. To do this, I think the randomization method is the most appropriate, because it avoids major biases and ensures that the results obtained reflect the reality on the ground.

  • Actually, I have learnt a lot of information about evaluation in this module, but the most interest one was matching because using of the three best methods can be succeeded in your program

  • Monitoring and evaluation is one of the key part of Project implementation.

  • I learned a lot regarding the strategies framework, metrics and evaluation of outcome. This will benefit me in designing other programs for my organization. Thanks!

  • This course is important for beginners in evaluation helping you understand the essentials for setting up a strategies ,implementing them and keeping track of their progress.

  • I learnt a lot.
    Now I know that to attract donors, a good MISSION STATEMENT IS KEY.

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