In Our Own Words

A tool kit of participatory

approaches for using RBM with a

community

By Will Postma & Dwayne Hodgson

Welcome!

This toolkit suggests some participatory methods to adapt Results-Based Management approaches so that communities can participate in planning, measuring and reporting the results of their projects.

Before we begin…

Let’s recall that:

“Results-Based Management” or “RBM” is an approach to organizing and explaining your community’s dreams… and how best to get there.

RBM can sometimes seem quite complicated and intimidating….

Logframe ExampleAnnex 6: Logical Framework

Logical Framework:

Country/Region Project No (CIDA Use)

Project Title Total Project Budget CAD $

Partner Organization Requested CIDA Contribution

CAD $

Project Manager

NARRATIVE SUMMARY

EXPECTED RESULTS PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

ASSUMPTIONS/ RISK INDICATORS

Project Goal: Impact: Performance Indicators:

Project Purpose:

Resources:

Outcomes: Performance Indicators:

Activities: Outputs: Performance Indicators:

RBM = Answering 6 Questions1. What do we ultimately want to improve in

our community? 2. How will we make that happen? What do

we need to do in the short and medium term?

3. What problems might we encounter as we go forward?

4. How will we know if we are successful? 5. How will we make changes that may be

seen as necessary? 6. How will we share the story of our project?

RBM works best when there is a high level of community participation because:

No successful project implementation is possible in our environment without an understanding of the culture of the people… We need to refine results tools so as to adopt a bottom – up approach especially when doing project at community levels. Peter Ujomu, NigeriaQuoted in RBM Are We There Yet….Ever?

1. Input, ownership & accountability

2. It honours the principal stakeholders

3. Good information, local knowledge, customs, power dynamics, etc.

4. Monitoring and evaluation easier and more meaningful.

Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation Cycle

2. Tools for Using RBM in the Community

A. Translate Key TermsB. Use Local MetaphorsC. Problem Solution

TreeD. Appreciative InquiryE. PRA ToolsF. Different Ways of

Knowing

A. Translate Key Terms

Terms Translation

Input

Activity

Output

Immediate Outcome

Intermediate Outcome

Ultimate Outcome

Indicator

Target

Baseline

Measurement

Etc.

Splash & Ripple

Output

Immediate Outcome

Ultimate Outcome

Activity

Intermediate Outcome

B. Use Local Metaphors

RBM Outputs Immediate

Outcomes Intermediate Outcomes

Ultimate Outcome

FootballKicks made

Passes completed

Goals Win the GameWin

Tournament

Cricket Runs scoredBatters out

Overs, Runs Win the GameWin the Test

Match

Farming Plants GrowPlants Bear

FruitFarmer Has

Food

Getting in Shape

Diet followedExercise program

completed

Lose Weight,Stronger Muscles,

Better Health Live longer

Plants plantedWeeds pulled

Fields watered.

Outputs

Intermediate Outcomes

Ultimate Outcome

Time

Results can grow over time, each building on another and increasing benefits to more and more people

Immediate Outcomes

The Results Chain as a River….

Outputs

Intermediate Outcomes

UltimateImmediate Outcomes

Or like paths when climbing a mountain…..

Ultimate Outcome!

Intermediate Intermediate

OutputOutput

OutputOutput Outp

ut

Immediate

Immediate Immediate

C. Problem Solution Tree

Problem Solution Tree

Solution Tree Results Chain

Ultimate Outcome

Intermediate Outcome

Immediate Outcome

Outputs

Solution Tree Results Chain

Ultimate Outcome

Intermediate Outcome

Immediate Outcome

Outputs

D. Appreciative Inquiry

E. Other PRA Tools

• Participatory Rural Appraisal

• Participatory Learning and Action

• Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation

A group mapping tool.

• Using drawing materials, invite groups of 5-7 participants to draw a map of their community that illustrates key features.

• Ask them to share their maps and compare perspectives.

• Useful for baseline assessment, but also to identify problems and solutions, and for monitoring progress via before and after maps.

Community Mapping

Transect WalksAs a group, take a walk across the community

Invite the participants to note the key features as they see them. These might include:• physical characteristics (e.g. crops, soil types, streams), • where people gather, • local institutions (e.g. schools, or religious sites).

Draw a diagram that illustrates this cross-section ; add notes as helpful.

Seasonal Calendar

• Using paper and pens, create a common calendar that outlines the months and/or seasons.

• Invite the participants to mark significant dates (e.g. holidays), events (e.g. planting, harvesting, school dates) and changes in income, work levels, food supply, etc.

Road Journeys

Baseline

Ultimate Outcome

Outputs

Intermediate Outcomes

Activity

Risks

Immediate Outcomes

Diamonds

Average level of income

Higher than average

Less than average

Circles

Village Council

Women’s loan circles

Youth groupsNational

govt. reps

F. Different Ways of Knowing

Results-Based Management: text-based & number-focused. But community members may have:

• Different levels of literacy

• More comfort with oral traditions and story-telling than reports and numbers

• A variety of different learning styles, multiple intelligences and ways of

expressing themselves.

1. Visual

Use pictures, symbols, photos, drawings, etc. to illustrate concepts, and represent indicators.

Indicators

Indicators

1. Visual (…cont.)

2. Tell Stories

• Story telling is an integral part of many cultures,

• Collect and celebrate people’s stories

• Be aware of bias and use good qualitative methods to analyze common themes and innovative perspectives.

• Consider using the Most Significant Change method

3. Drama

• History, analysis, dynamics, and envision possibilities

• Before and after: act out a short play that illustrates a problem. Ask the audience to name ways they could resolve this and/or act them out.

• Record ideas of ways to create change and describe it.

4. Music

• Invite the participants to create and share songs that tell the story of the community before the project and afterwards

5. Kinesthetic Methods

Increased knowledge about maintaining the irrigation facilities.

Increased ability of community members to interact with and gain new knowledge from water engineers.

Improved health of children.

Increased availability of fish.

Functioning water retention dam and irrigation scheme.

Increased income.

Increased consumption of food and protein by children, women and men

1

5

7

6

4

3

2

Or, to show it differently…. 1 Functioning water retention dam and irrigation scheme.

2 Increased knowledge about maintaining the irrigation facilities.

3 Increased availability of fish.

4 Increased income.

5 Increased ability of community members to interact with and gain new knowledge from water engineers.

6 Increased consumption of food and protein by children, women and men

7 Improved health of children.

G. Other suggestions

Stepping down the complexity of the logframe

Stepping into the community so that community members can more fully participate and

Stepping the community contributions back up again so that donors can appreciate the work done at community level

1. Passive

3. Willingness to share

4. Active participation

5. Ownership / empowerment

2. Consultative

Ladder of Participation

1. Stakeholders Identified (Stakeholder Mapping)

3. Community has plan by which to engage stakeholders

4. Other stakeholders actively seek out community / community committee so as to engage with them

5. Community members feel that a growing sense of high and mutual benefit with stakeholders

2. Stakeholder Interests Understood

Stakeholder Engagement

1. Risks Identified

3. Community has a Plan in place to manage and respond to risks

4. Community has put a number of risk management strategies in place

5. Community members feel a growing capacity to respond to risk in effective ways

2. Risks Understood by Community

Risk Management

1. Few community members are satisfied with the project

3. Most community members are satisfied with the project

4. Most community members are satisfied while some are very satisfied with the project

5. Most community members are very satisfied with the project

2. Some community members are satisfied with the project

Story Telling

Other Toolboxes

Toolbox Brief Description

Most Significant Change

“Indicator-less”, Story-based M&E approach, intended for post-project analysis, dynamic contexts.

Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis (PIPA)

Analyzes results chain within networks of actors; looks at wider change process.

Outcome Mapping Focus on contribution of project to behaviour change of stakeholders; suited to complex change processes.

Other Toolboxes (…continued)

Toolbox Brief DescriptionParticipatory Action Learning Systems

A set of graphical analysis tools that allow community members to draw and analyze their situation.

Theory of Change Begins with long term impact and then graphs out conditions and assumptions needed for this impact before defining multiple points of intervention.

Backcasting Defines principles of a desired future, and then analyzes present situation in terms of those principles and initial steps towards that vision.

Social Analysis Systems An alternative to RBM that is more iterative and flexible. Includes a suite of analysis tools for community work.

What would you add?

This presentation summarizes some of the tools and toolboxes that we’ve

come across so far.

But we are interested in hearing what you would add to this resource.

What tools and approaches have you used in the community to support an

RBM process?.....

Please contact us @...

Will Postmawpostma@savethechildren.cawww.savethechildren.ca

Dwayne Hodgsondwayne.hodgson@yahoo.cawww.learningcycle.ca