a project of SMIP Electronic Resource Information & Learning Center at University of Wagening/NL
Found on Weitzenegger’s Newsletter/websites of the moment, June 2010.
… Managing for impact is a guiding framework that identifies and assists development workers to engage with multiple layers and factors that affect their work and the people they work with. The framework emphasizes the interdependence of these different layers while at the same time seeking to provide knowledge and practical information on each of them … (about SMI & MfI 1/2).
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Strategic Guidance; Operations; Monitoring & Evaluation; Learning;
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About SMI & MfI 2/2 : … Managing for impact involves using appropriate methods, approaches and/or tools to undertake four interlinking core areas of action:
- Strategic Guidance: Ensuring that the strategic design of a development initiative is based on an in-depth understanding of the particular situation and that theories on how change happens are well defined and articulated. Strategic guidance also involves being able to understand the dynamics and changes occurring within and outside of the intervention over time and being able to adapt and react quickly to change the strategy when necessary;
- Ensuring effective operations: This is about managing the day-to-day operations, such as financial, physical and human resources;
- Creating a learning environment: Establishing a culture of learning and set of relationships that build trust, stimulate critical questioning and innovation and gain commitment and ownership; and
- Establishing a sound M&E system: Putting in place systems to regularly gather and process the information needed to guide the strategy, ensure effective operations and encourage learning.
In managing for impact, we recognize that any one of these four areas alone is not sufficient and each one supports the other. For example, the design of an effective monitoring and evaluation system is highly dependent on the strategic design of any initiative and vice versa. Similarly, if monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities are not generating the right information, M&E will not be useful to inform strategic or operational decision making.
Not unlike Results Based Management (RBM), Managing for Impact is about bringing about positive change and directing all efforts towards outcomes and impacts; and using appropriate approaches and methods for different circumsances. However, it is also involves placing equal emphasis on “people processes“, such as culture, power relations and dynamics, and value systems … (full text).