An Evaluation Toolkit for Small NGOs in Water‐based Development

Abstract

Small NGOs in international development have a unique advantage when it comes to engaging communities, establishing partnerships and advocating rights. However, studies suggest that small NGOs are disadvantaged when it comes to demonstrating evidence‐based impact. Small NGOs are less likely to invest in development evaluation as they lack expertise and/or feel strongly about funding programmes and not processes, given the increased demand for accountability to donors. To explore the challenge NGOs face in moving from a single project‐based entity to a vision‐led professional entity, we have documented the creation of low‐cost evaluation tools using a case study in water‐based development. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perceived Facilitators and Barriers to Evaluative Thinking in a Small Development NGO

“…Over a two-year period, we identified H2O 4 ALL's key evaluation questions and conducted evaluation activities as part of an evaluability assessment (Lu, El liott, & Perlman, 2017) and process evaluation (Lu, Elliott, Majowicz, & Perlman, 2017). The activities, in the order in which we conducted them, are as follows:…”

“…During individual interviews, H2O 4 ALL's Board members and staff were asked to describe how they believed the NGO made an impact in the communities where they worked . During the focus group, the linkages between inputs, outputs, and outcomes were challenged with assumptions (both preconditions necessary to explain each arrow on the resulting logic model and the broader environmental conditions that influenced the NGO [Archibald et al, 2016]) (Lu, Elliott, Majowicz, & Perlman, 2017). In these activi ties, the alignment of H2O 4 ALL's vision with Sustainable Development Goal 6 for the management of water and sanitation (United Nations, 2015) clarifi ed the NGO's desired outcomes and signaled where measurement using recognized benchmarks was needed.…”