It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the evaluators’ job is over once the final report is submitted. In terms of the adoption of improvement opportunities and application of findings, this is basically akin to an evaluator saying “Over to you now! Good luck!”. The evaluator’s job is not over once the final report is submitted!
Improvement opportunities are only useful if you know what to do with them – both evaluators and program managers must have clarity around how each recommendation and improvement can, or should, be implemented.
The way evaluators develop, test and present recommendations has a huge impact on how improvements will finally manifest (if at all). Good recommendations and improvement opportunities identified during an evaluation are those that can be put into action. To maximise the impact and value of each evaluation, it is critical that program managers aren’t left asking ‘what next’ once the final report is delivered.
Grosvenor has developed a capability framework that can be used to review and assess the evaluative culture of any organisation, learn how you can benefit using our capability model by downloading our guide.
Most people developing their program logics and program theory focus almost exclusively on how the targeted outcomes can be achieved.
The Grosvenor Governance Model is the best practice 2-part model that has been developed over the course of many governance assignments. The principles that support this model come from the Australian National Audit Office and the Australian Public Service Commission. This model is completely scalable; from team or project level to organisation level, to complex inter-jurisdictional arrangements.
As the world faces a crisis the likes of which we’ve never had to encounter on this scale, we are reminded yet again of the importance of good communication at times like these.
It is a reality that businesses are increasingly using predictive analytics to achieve their outcomes – in marketing, pricing strategies and improving operations. Likewise, governments are also turning to data and AI to develop more timely, targeted and relevant policy for citizens. The increase in data-driven decision making and predictive analytics is palpable.
How will decisions get made? Who is ultimately responsible? There’s a lot to think about. Fortunately, there are multiple things you can do to simplify and bring clarity to this process, ensuring that your decision making is both efficient and effective (it’s a win-win!).
Program managers know that focussing on customers and effective stakeholder engagement are key to great policy and program delivery. But there are often organisational barriers to implementing effective participatory processes.
Unless you’re exceptionally lucky, you’ve probably realised that life sometimes doesn’t go to plan. The same is true of Program Management – no matter how well you plan you’re likely to experience both highs and lows along the way.
Being asked to manage a new, or existing, program can seem overwhelming. To help you navigate the world of program management, Grosvenor Public Sector Advisory has developed a series of articles to break down the key activities and tasks you can implement to make your life easier.
“Tracking, monitoring and managing the skills and capabilities of the workforce can be problematic, especially with a view to positioning the workforce for the nature and types of future work.”Do any of the five statements below sound familiar in your agency? If so, you are not alone. Most government agencies are grappling with these exact problems when trying to address the future of work.
But for many of us, the art of program evaluation can seem a bit of a mystery. What is it and what is it for? More importantly, how do I do it well?
An integral part of understanding how well your program has performed is having a monitoring and evaluation framework (M&E framework) and applying it to the specific context of your program.
This kit was produced to give Program Managers an easy to read and understand guide. We explain the principles while walking you through an example program that demonstrates how to apply the techniques in practice
Every day, organisations communicate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders in every aspect of their operations. However, when analysing our clients’ stakeholder engagement approaches, it becomes evident that efforts to engage with stakeholders often occur in an ad-hoc and rather visceral manner.
Program evaluation can be confusing. Not only are there different types of program evaluation, but different people use different terms to mean different things – or the same thing! (As if there wasn’t enough confusion already!)
One of the most important tools you will come across in program evaluation is an evaluation plan. Put simply, an evaluation plan is the step-by-step project plan for a specific evaluation project.
A program logic is simply a graphical portrayal of your theory that is succinct and easy to understand. Your program logic can take the form of words, diagrams, tables, or a combination of all three. Program logics are often (but not always) captured in one page, and are typically divided into inputs, outputs and outcomes.
This template is intended to capture the evaluation requirements across an organisation each year or over a period of years.
Use this template to quick start the development of your M&E framework.
Poorly designed Program Evaluation questionnaires can lead to wasted time and erode stakeholder confidence. Worse, they can result in faulty data, which can lead to flawed decision-making and have serious impacts on the outcome of a program. This guide will help you appraise your evaluation questionnaires and ensure you’re collecting the right data to truly measure the success of your program.
This tool is intended for: ‘unpacking’ program objectives or outcomes and determining the data requirements for monitoring and evaluation of the program against its outcomes. The tool can be used to focus on just one, or both, of the aims described above.
The checklist contained in this paper serves as a practical tool that summarises and organises the various aspects that should be considered when establishing a sound and structured program evaluation.
In the ideal evaluation world, an evaluation occurs in the context of a beautifully planned and executed monitoring and evaluation framework. You have time and resources and oodles of beautiful, relevant, high quality data to inform your evaluation…… But who lives in this ideal world? Oftentimes, you are notified late of the requirement, there’s a tight budget and timeframe, and for the final kicker…. you have no data.
Use this data collection matrix to capture your data collection requirements for your next evaluation. You can use this template as a stand-alone tool or as part of an evaluation plan.
Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to articulate to others exactly what your program is for, and how it works? And how hard it can sometimes be to get internal buy-in and support as a result? In this blog, we show you how to develop a watertight program theory and program logic.
Monitoring and managing the performance of a program is an integral part of program management. This blog helps you identify the factors you need to consider when developing a performance management framework.
Program evaluation can be daunting for program managers approaching it for the first time. Rather than being given clear guidance on the how-to’s of program evaluation, newcomers are often expected to deduce program evaluation techniques from dry academic texts hidden behind a wall of baffling jargon.
If you're a program manager for a government entity, you may be spending a lot of your time trying to figure out how to assess your program’s performance in accordance with your organisation’s governance, performance and accountability rules or guidelines.
While program evaluation might seem a little scary, it actually presents a raft of exciting opportunities for program managers to showcase the successes of their programs and ensure that their teams are performing to its full potential
Many policy interventions are difficult to measure in terms of their impact on for example, the health of society, social cohesion, industry growth or change in community behaviour to name just a few.
If you have been tasked with designing a new program, there are probably a million thoughts and details running through your head. You’re also likely to have competing priorities… it could be that:
