"This one-of-a-kind book fills a gap in the literature by providing readers with a systematic approach to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) training for programs and projects. Bridging theoretical concepts with practical, how-to knowledge, the authors draw upon the scholarly literature, applied resour
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ces, and over 50 years of combined experience to provide expert guidance that can be tailored to different M&E training needs and contexts, including those for novices, professionals, organizations and their staff, community members, and other groups with a desire to learn and sustain sound M&E practices." (Publisher description)
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"Journalists around the world are being killed and threatened for doing their work. This is a serious hindrance to freedom of expression and the safe practice of journalism. UN and UNESCO have led the process to create the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity to i
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mprove the safety of journalists. As a part of the UN Plan, UNESCO also developed the Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) assessment, which enables evaluation of the safety of journalists in a given country. Based on the first JSI assessments in Pakistan, Guatemala, Honduras, Nepal and Kenya in 2013-2015, but also following the recent developments in the practice of journalism, this article argues that in order to protect journalists and those practicing journalism properly, the concept of ‘journalist’ needs to be defined broadly. Furthermore, special attention needs to be paid to digital safety issues, women journalists, and wide-based cooperation on the safety of journalists." (Abstract)
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"Drawing on more than 40 years of experience conducting applied social science research and program evaluation, author Michael Quinn Patton has crafted the most comprehensive and systematic book on qualitative research and evaluation methods, inquiry frameworks, and analysis options available today.
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Now offering more balance between applied research and evaluation, this Fourth Edition illuminates all aspects of qualitative inquiry through new examples, stories, and cartoons; more than a hundred new summarizing and synthesizing exhibits; and a wide range of new highlight sections/sidebars that elaborate on important and emergent issues. For the first time, full case studies are included to illustrate extended research and evaluation examples. In addition, each chapter features an extended "rumination," written in a voice and style more emphatic and engaging than traditional textbook style, about a core issue of persistent debate and controversy." (Publisher description)
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"[...] the purpose of [this guide] is to support managers and commissioners of impact evaluations to better manage the entire process from drawing up terms of reference, selecting contractors, steering evaluations and utilising evaluation results. The guide also argues that relying only on tradition
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al approaches to IE does not fit well with the kind of customised, complex, locally engaged and often sensitive programmes that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) undertake. A broader range of designs and methods are needed." (Introduction, page 3)
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"Evaluating the impact of media assistance is challenging for several reasons. Primary among them is that these kinds of initiatives operate in a complex political, social, and cultural environment. Although there has been increased attention to evaluation of media assistance, with a series of inter
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national conferences, funded research projects, and publications addressing this topic, it remains a problematic area of practice. This paper provides a survey of recent media assistance evaluation practices through an analysis of 47 evaluation documents of programs and projects from 2002-2012, identifying trends in methodology choices, and critiquing the quality of the evidence enabled through different evaluation approaches. It finds clear patterns in how, when and by whom evaluations are undertaken, but finds that these practices rarely generate useful, insightful evaluations." (Abstract)
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"This toolkit is for organisations planning to use 'participatory video and the most significant change' (PVMSC) to evaluate their social change projects. Part one gives an overview of the key stages and things to consider when preparing for a PVMSC process and includes perspectives and feedback fro
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m partners and participants. Part two is a guide for facilitators as they carry out the games and exercises and includes case studies drawn from 10 years of InsightShare’s experience in a variety of contexts and countries." (Back cover)
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"BBC Media Action has been involved in media development since it was founded in 1999. Over the years, we have designed and deployed a broad range of evaluation approaches and methodologies to assess the impact of and learn from our work. This has generated much internal discussion: Are we measuring
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the right things? Where can we realistically expect to see change? How much should we spend on evaluation? How can we tell whether that change is sustainable? This paper is our attempt to bring that discussion to the wider media development community. In it, we set out our working evaluation framework and methodology alongside the findings generated by applying this framework to five different capacity-strengthening interventions." (Executive summary)
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"In the end, impact assessment comes down to a dialogue—about goals; how news informs, connects and engages communities; and how best to maintain journalistic integrity in the process. That’s why we’ve created this guide, which features both conceptual perspectives for foundations and nuts-and
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-bolts advice for nonprofit news organizations. We hope you’ll begin by reading the side that’s most relevant to you, and then be drawn into the conversation by reading the other side. We also hope it sparks dialogue about your own projects—among staff, and between foundations and newsrooms." (Introduction)
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"This technical report introduces a set of evidence-based principles to guide evaluation practice in contexts where evaluation knowledge is collaboratively produced by evaluators and stakeholders. The data from this study evolved in four phases: two pilot phases exploring the desirability of develop
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ing a set of principles, an online questionnaire survey that drew on the expertise of practicing evaluators to identify dimensions, factors or characteristics that enhance or impede success in collaborative approaches, and finally a validation phase. The principles introduced here stem from the experiences of 320 evaluators who have engaged in collaborative approaches in a wide variety of evaluation settings and the lessons they have learned. We expect the principles to evolve over time, as evaluators learn more about collaborative approaches in context. With this in mind, we pose questions for consideration to stimulate further inquiry." (Abstract)
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"This study identifies and addresses key challenges concerning M&E for climate change adaptation (CCA). It does so by documenting good practices and good practice principles on the development, selection, and use of indicators used in the M&E of adaptation interventions. The study also looks at the
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steps and contexts M&E personnel should consider when formulating, selecting, adjusting, and/or using indicators. In addition, the study identifies common themes in the literature and gaps in data—including the role of learning in an adaptation M&E system and the identification of linkages (or lack thereof) between indicators and policy formulation and decisions. The study first looks at M&E for CCA in a broader context to see what the key challenges are (chapter 2), and how M&E is being applied in the adaptation field (chapter 3). It reviews the types of adaptation indicators that are commonly used (chapter 4), and then moves into a narrower discussion of what practitioners need to consider when developing better, more useful indicators. It next documents good practice principles that help define indicators for adaptation interventions (chapter 5). Finally, it looks at how the evaluation-policy interface can support better adaptation policies, and if good practice principles can inform greater uptake of evaluation results as evidence in policy making (chapter 6)." (About the study, page 4)
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"This Evaluation Handbook is a practical handbook to help those initiating, managing and/or using gender-responsive evaluations by providing direction, advice and tools for every step in the evaluation process: planning, preparation, conduct, reporting, evaluation use and follow up. The primary audi
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ence is UN Women staff who manage evaluations or are involved in evaluation processes. However, it may also be useful to international development evaluators and professionals, particularly those working on gender equality, women's empowerment and human rights." (Page ii)
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"More and more news outlets rely on philanthropic funding. With such funding come new questions about the effect that media content has on citizens and policymakers. Traditional metrics, most observers agree, are insufficient. But the value of alternative metrics is an open issue. Two scholars analy
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ze an array of current approaches to gauging whether and how news organizations make a difference in the world." (Introduction)
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"The Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation provides tools for managers and evaluators to address questions about the performance of public and nonprofit programs. Neatly integrating authoritative, high-level information with practicality and readability, this guide gives you the tools and process
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es you need to analyze your program's operations and outcomes more accurately. This new fourth edition has been thoroughly updated and revised, with new coverage of the latest evaluation methods, including: culturally responsive evaluation; adopting designs and tools to evaluate multi-service community change programs; using role playing to collect data; using cognitive interviewing to pre-test surveys; coding qualitative data. You'll discover robust analysis methods that produce a more accurate picture of program results, and learn how to trace causality back to the source to see how much of the outcome can be directly attributed to the program. Written by award-winning experts at the top of the field, this book also contains contributions from the leading evaluation authorities among academics and practitioners to provide the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference on the topic. Valid and reliable data constitute the bedrock of accurate analysis, and since funding relies more heavily on program analysis than ever before, you cannot afford to rely on weak or outdated methods. This book gives you expert insight and leading edge tools that help you paint a more accurate picture of your program's processes and results, including: obtaining valid, reliable, and credible performance data; engaging and working with stakeholders to design valuable evaluations and performance monitoring systems; assessing program outcomes and tracing desired outcomes to program activities; providing robust analyses of both quantitative and qualitative data" (Publisher description)
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"The complexity of development and social change and growing tensions between dominant results-based and emerging learning and improvement-based approaches to evaluating development interventions have created major challenges for the evaluation of communication for development (C4D). Drawing on our
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recent research, we identify significant tensions, challenges and issues in evaluating C4D. They include contextual and institutional challenges, problems with attribution and unrealistic timeframes, a lack of capacities in both evaluation and C4D, and a lack of appreciation, funding and support for approaches that are more appropriate for the evaluation of C4D. We propose various strategies that can help to address these challenges and issues, including using a rigorous mixed methods approach, and implementing long-term, holistic evaluation capacity development at all levels and our new framework for evaluating C4D." (Abstract)
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"The purpose of this review is to contribute to the evidence base on health communication evaluation research in order to aid public health professionals and researchers in the development of future evaluation strategies. The review is divided into two sections. In the first section the focus is on
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reviewing evaluations of campaigns undertaken in European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries, however, examples from the wider European region are also included. The second section, addressing challenges posed by campaign evaluation, draws on broader international literature pertaining to the identification of health communication campaign evaluation tools, frameworks and models. It would appear that there has been very few high quality European evaluation studies carried out in the last decade in relation to communicable disease prevention campaigns. Nevertheless, it is evident in reviewing the literature that there are valuable existing frameworks and guidelines that can help guide and inform evaluation research development. The review examined the international English-language literature published between 2000 and 2011 . The reviewers retrieved 160 references of which 35 were examples of evaluations of health communication campaigns carried out in EU/EEA Member States." (Executive summary)
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