17.4 The PM&E Approach
17.4.1 Description of the Approach
As per the above description, the Drought NLTA exhibits characteristics of complex
development intervention initiatives with a capacity development focus, such as:
• Multi-stakeholder context;
• Different perspectives from different actors on complex reform problems and
solutions (lack of consensus about priorities);
• Distribution of the capacities to tackle the problems across actors, while no one
actor is in full control (fragmented development context that makes it difficult to
plan development efforts effectively with the broad ownership of stakeholders);
• Uncertainty about how to address the problems (a need for learning to adapt
solutions);
• Deep-rooted institutional problems (that can impede results).
Considering the characteristics above, the WB has very limited or no control
beyond the program’s activities and outputs, whose outcomes are highly dependent
upon the ‘buy-in’, initiative, and engagement of the partners involved. The design
and implementation of an NDP could be supported by the WB through technical
processes and capacity building, assessments from international experts, and with
policy conceptualizing, and yet there is still no guarantee that by the end of the
program such a policy will be in place.
The Drought NLTA then, calls for a non-traditional/non-linear (non-causeeffect) approach to PM&E. To plan, monitor, and evaluate other initiatives that
have faced similar challenges within the WB Group, the World Bank Institute
(WBI),
5 at the time of initiating the Drought NLTA, had been piloting tools that
integrated the WB’s Capacity Development Results Framework (CDRF) with
Outcome Mapping (OM) and Outcome Harvesting (OH).
These three approaches were developed separately and are applied in a range of
initiatives around the world, usually independently from one another. OM (Earl
et al. 2001) was developed by the International Development Research Centre
(IDRC), a Canadian development international non-governmental organization, to
plan, monitor and evaluate some of its programs in developing countries that
needed a strong participatory framework that could also engage partners in active
change. OH (Wilson-Grau and Britt 2012) was developed by evaluators, strongly
inspired by OM and Michael Patton’s Utilization Focused Evaluation, to evaluate
complex initiatives. The CDRF (Otoo et al. 2009) was developed by the WB to
5 The World Bank Institute (WBI) is a global connector of knowledge, learning and innovation for
poverty reduction. The WBI supports the World Bank’s operational work and its country clients in
this rapidly changing landscape by forging new dynamic approaches to capacity development
through three areas of support: Open Knowledge, Collaborative Governance and Innovative
Solutions. More information can be found at http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/
312
E. Bretan and N.L. Engle
17.4.1 Description of the Approach
As per the above description, the Drought NLTA exhibits characteristics of complex
development intervention initiatives with a capacity development focus, such as:
• Multi-stakeholder context;
• Different perspectives from different actors on complex reform problems and
solutions (lack of consensus about priorities);
• Distribution of the capacities to tackle the problems across actors, while no one
actor is in full control (fragmented development context that makes it difficult to
plan development efforts effectively with the broad ownership of stakeholders);
• Uncertainty about how to address the problems (a need for learning to adapt
solutions);
• Deep-rooted institutional problems (that can impede results).
Considering the characteristics above, the WB has very limited or no control
beyond the program’s activities and outputs, whose outcomes are highly dependent
upon the ‘buy-in’, initiative, and engagement of the partners involved. The design
and implementation of an NDP could be supported by the WB through technical
processes and capacity building, assessments from international experts, and with
policy conceptualizing, and yet there is still no guarantee that by the end of the
program such a policy will be in place.
The Drought NLTA then, calls for a non-traditional/non-linear (non-causeeffect) approach to PM&E. To plan, monitor, and evaluate other initiatives that
have faced similar challenges within the WB Group, the World Bank Institute
(WBI),
5 at the time of initiating the Drought NLTA, had been piloting tools that
integrated the WB’s Capacity Development Results Framework (CDRF) with
Outcome Mapping (OM) and Outcome Harvesting (OH).
These three approaches were developed separately and are applied in a range of
initiatives around the world, usually independently from one another. OM (Earl
et al. 2001) was developed by the International Development Research Centre
(IDRC), a Canadian development international non-governmental organization, to
plan, monitor and evaluate some of its programs in developing countries that
needed a strong participatory framework that could also engage partners in active
change. OH (Wilson-Grau and Britt 2012) was developed by evaluators, strongly
inspired by OM and Michael Patton’s Utilization Focused Evaluation, to evaluate
complex initiatives. The CDRF (Otoo et al. 2009) was developed by the WB to
5 The World Bank Institute (WBI) is a global connector of knowledge, learning and innovation for
poverty reduction. The WBI supports the World Bank’s operational work and its country clients in
this rapidly changing landscape by forging new dynamic approaches to capacity development
through three areas of support: Open Knowledge, Collaborative Governance and Innovative
Solutions. More information can be found at http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/
312
E. Bretan and N.L. Engle