The Unified Outcomes Project: Evaluation Capacity Building, Communities of Practice, and Evaluation Coaching

Partner-Centered Evaluation Capacity Building: Findings From a Corporate Social Impact Initiative

“…Some that have done so include the Bruner Foundation, which shares how to use indicators of evaluative thinking to understand the extent to which evaluative thinking is spread throughout the organization, as opposed to being centered in a few individuals (Baker & Bruner, 2012). The McCormick Foundation, in collaboration with Loyola University, has shared findings from their Unified Outcomes Project, where, through working with a community of practice and in some cases an evaluation coach, nonprofits saw changes in their motivation to use evaluation, and in their ability to use tools to aggregate data for program evaluation and to form a community with other grantees working to build evaluation capacity (Wade, Kallemeyn, Ensminger, Baltman, & Rempert, 2016). In addition, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation's PropelNext program integrates coaching, peer work, and unrestricted grants to build evaluation capacity over a three-year period.…”

Child Welfare Practice Improvement Efforts: A Descriptive Study of Capacity Building Services Received by Courts, States, and Tribes

“…Tailored capacity building is a type of service delivered by the Centers to address specific jurisdiction needs. Tailored services feature ongoing service delivery that may enhance organizational capacity building efforts (Spoth et al, 2007; Wade et al, 2016). Services may be delivered in-person, or delivered remotely (Feinberg et al, 2008), using strategies such as training; disseminating and developing tools such as guides, templates, or checklists; and technical assistance to support an organization’s goals (Wandersman et al, 2012).…”

Three-year Case Study of National Organizations Participating in a Nutrition Cohort: A Unique Funder-initiated Learning Collaborative

“…For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation convenes over 120 representatives from national nonprofit organizations annually for a three-day Culture of Health Partners Workshop to encourage "in-depth exchange, engagement, and action" (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2016). Other foundations have utilized collaborative strategies to bolster grantees' capacity to meet foundation expectations (Wade, Kallemeyn, Ensminger, Baltman, & Rempert, 2016). For example, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation formed and funded an evaluation learning community in which grantees shared ideas regarding dashboard tools and reporting systems, ultimately reporting a sense of community during the process (Wade et al, 2016).…”

“…Other foundations have utilized collaborative strategies to bolster grantees' capacity to meet foundation expectations (Wade, Kallemeyn, Ensminger, Baltman, & Rempert, 2016). For example, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation formed and funded an evaluation learning community in which grantees shared ideas regarding dashboard tools and reporting systems, ultimately reporting a sense of community during the process (Wade et al, 2016). Other strategies include "innovation platforms," commonly used in agricultural research, which allow stakeholders, often with different backgrounds, to engage in learning and to work collaboratively to solve common problems in their field (Nederlof, Wongtschowski, & van der Lee, 2011;Pali & Swaans, 2013).…”