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Session Title: Building Capacity in Community-Level Organizations
Multipaper Session 757 to be held in TRAVIS D on Saturday, Nov 13, 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
Sponsored by the Organizational Learning and Evaluation Capacity Building TIG
Chair(s):
Debbie Zorn,  University of Cincinnati, debbie.zorn@uc.edu
Discussant(s):
Rebecca Gajda Woodland,  University of Massachusetts, Amherst, rebecca.gajda@educ.umass.edu
Capacity Building: Grass Roots Agencies – Grass Roots Funding
Presenter(s):
John Kelley, Villanova University, john.kelley@villanova.edu
Abstract: Rarely do small, community-based foundations devote significant resources to developing an evaluation capacity building training model and offering it, cost-free, to grass roots agencies. Yet, this is exactly what the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation did in 2007 when it commissioned an experienced evaluator to design/deliver a training sequence to help non-profits construct solid, “doable” evaluation plans. This presentation explores why the foundation used its limited resources this way. The training curriculum and homework assignments are described, emphasizing several innovative techniques. Four monthly half-day sessions culminate with agencies authoring customized evaluation plans using a 13-step model, and then turning to plan implementation. Six months later, a follow-up session is held wherein agencies discussed progress. Evaluation data were collected each of the four years (2007 thru 2010) on the training, the quality of plans, and factors that facilitated/restrained putting plans into action. These results will also be reported as “lessons learned.”
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for Me! Building the Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity of Community-based HIV/AIDS Programs in Thailand
Presenter(s):
Anne Coghlan, Pact Inc, acoghlan@pactworld.org
Tatcha Apichaisiri, Pact Inc, tatcha@pactworld.org
Supol Singhapoon, Pact Inc, supol@pactworld.org
David Dobrowski, Pact Inc, ddobrowolski@pactworld.org
Abstract: Within the international HIV/AIDS arena, much of the focus of community-based organizations’ (CBOs) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) efforts has been on satisfying the reporting requirements of donor agencies. However, for CBOs to maximize their potential and sustain their efforts, they need to design and conduct M&E to meet their own needs. Pact, Inc., a U.S. international development organization, is conducting the in-depth M&E Capacity Building Initiative, “M&E for Me!”, with a variety of HIV/AIDS CBOs throughout Thailand. Pact’s approach is to conduct a series of participatory skills building workshops, along with corresponding site visits to coach CBO staff in developing logic models, building M&E plans, designing and implementing data collection methods, analyzing data, and using results. This paper will describe the processes used in, the results from, and the lessons learned because of the capacity building initiative, as reflected upon and measured through a series of mixed-method assessments.

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