|
Session Title: An Embedded Theory of Change: How One Organization Embraced Their Theory of Change as the Core Framework for Evaluation, Strategy and Decision-making
|
|
Panel Session 402 to be held in Avalon B on Thursday, Nov 3, 2:50 PM to 4:20 PM
|
|
Sponsored by the Organizational Learning and Evaluation Capacity Building
|
| Chair(s): |
| Jara Dean-Coffey, jdcPartnerships, jara@jdcpartnerships.com
|
| Abstract:
This session highlights the approach and experience of mid size national nonprofit, CompassPoint NonProfit Services as it integrates a theory of change framework in to its organizational culture. Instead of developing a multi-year strategic plan, leadership chose to engage board and staff in an organizational wide theory of change development process. This reflected a transition from a focus on strategy to outcomes. The theory of change is complemented with an annual plan that includes performance metrics to assess progress towards clearly identified targets in evaluation as well as other business dimensions. During this session, participants will learn about the choices, strategies, lessons learned, changes and challenges resulting from this transition to an outcome frame and how this is balanced with issues of organizational sustainability and relevance.
|
|
Why a Theory of Change?
|
| Jeanne Bell, CompassPoint NonProfit Services, jeanneb@compasspoint.org
|
| Adriana Rocha, CompassPoint NonProfit Services, adrianar@compasspoint.org
|
|
CompassPoint has served the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and is recognized as one of the premier capacity building entities in the nation. It works across all sectors designing and delivering an array of leadership and management services along a continuum from foundation or corporate sponsored customized initiatives to leading national research on the issues and trends of an increasingly diverse social sector workforce. Like most nonprofits, it could have stayed the course and engaged in the traditional 3-5 year cycle of strategic planning. But it chose a different path, a theory of change. CompassPoints' Executive Director and Practice Director will share thoughts about why they made this decision and their experience in developing and applying this framework in an increasingly complex environment with multiple stakeholders balanced with business sustainability.
|
|
|
Developing an Organizational Theory of Change
|
| Jara Dean-Coffey, jdcPartnerships, jara@jdcpartnerships.com
|
|
In 2009, CompassPoint engaged jdcPartnerships to evaluate two initiatives, Fundraising Academy for Communities of Color and Next Generation Leaders of Color. As the work evolved, discussions began about the value of creating an overarching framework, a Theory of Change, to which individual efforts would align and ideally leverage to create a collective impact at the organizational level. In addition, it was recognized that the evaluative capacity of the organization needed to be strengthened. With two initiative evaluations underway and a commitment to evaluation capacity building, jdcPartnerships embarked on a journey with CompassPoint board and staff in a year-long process to develop a Theory of Change. This presenter will provide an overview of the process, the consideration in design and the challenges and success in doing this work in partnership.
| |
|
Building Evaluation Capacity in a Non-profit Capacity Builder
|
| Jill Casey, jdcPartnerships, jill@jdcpartnerships.com
|
|
Evaluation capacity building is not easy. It depends on so many things, from organizational financial resources to staff readiness and willingness to actively engage with a new practice and set of tools and methods. In much of the work with CompassPoint, jdcPartnerships has purposely created or made transparent evaluation design and administration considerations as well as inquiry tools and analysis frames that can subsequently be used by the client. It has also convened an Evaluation Work Group (EWG) that serves as the internal think tank and champion of evaluation within CompassPoint. This presenter will discuss jdcPartnerships' approach to this work, what has worked and remains a challenge and the ways in which it has strengthened jdcPartnerships evaluation skills and practices.
| |
|
Embedding the Theory of Change
|
| Marla Cornelius, CompassPoint NonProfit Services, marlac@compasspoint.org
|
|
As the Director of Next Generation Leaders of Color and a member of the Evaluation Work Group, this presenter has had different exposures to and experiences with jdcPartnerships in its role as evaluator and evaluation capacity building with CompassPoint. Insights on the changes that have occurred and challenges that remain from this unique vantage point will be informative to those contemplating similar endeavors.
| |