Guidance on how to understand the ‘Ways of Working’ diagrams

1. Guidance on how to understand the ‘Ways of Working’ diagrams • Step 1 - Print out slides 3, 4, 5 & 6 on separate sheets of paper. • Step2– Attach slide 4 (the table) to the right hand side of slide 3 (the theory of change). Similarly, attach slide 6 (the table) to the right hand side of slide 5 (the theory of change). You do not need to print out slide 2, it has only been included to remind you of how the Prove and Improve It! Framework fits together. • Step 3 – Tips to understanding the diagram: Slides 3 and 5 present a general theory of how change is achieved through two ways of working- capacity building and northern advocacy. In both cases, the different steps in the change process are identified, these include: • The general categories of activities and outputs an organisation would work towards; • The general categories of outcomes it would seek to achieve in support of generating long term sustainable change in people’s lives. Running along the left side of slides 3 & 5 are also two arrows. These indicate the steps in the theory of change that are within the sphere of influence of a NNGO (those things it can reasonably claim to influence) and should be actively assessed and managed as part of routine performance management systems; and the steps in the theory of change that are outside a NNGOs sphere of influence, but within its sphere of interest (i.e. those higher level changes to which an organisation is working towards but over which it has limited influence) and should be tested periodically through impact assessments. Each table (slides 4 and 6) is structured around three common questions : • What to assess? • How to assess?; and • What to communicate, to whom and how? These questions are asked at each step in the theory of change, so for example, if you are doing advocacy in the north, at the level of outcomes: • What are the common outcome categories you might be interested in tracking change in? And what are the best indicators? • What are the best methods for recording and assessing this change? • What aspect of progress should be communicated to which stakeholders (donors, the public, communities) & how? In parallel to developing the ‘Ways of Working’, work will also be undertaken to identify common impact indicators across different thematic areas. These two streams of work will come together in such a way that the final Prove and Improve It! Framework will allow an organisation to match a way of working with a relevant theme so as to identify relevant indicators and methods. Please read background document for further explanation of the approach 1

2. To give you a sense of how the framework will work, the following slides present the details of what will sit under each ‘Way of Working’. We use Northern Advocacy and Capacity Building (highlighted in red in the adjacent diagram) as examples. The information that follows is only illustrative and has been developed for the purposes of the quarterly meeting. Education Water & sanitation Prove & Improve it! Framework Health Rights Women’s empowerment Livelihoods 2

3. Water & sanitation Women’s empowerment Rights Livelihoods Health Education Less control Less attributable to NGO 11. Significant change s in people’s lives Sphere of interest: periodically assessed through impact assessments Impact 10. Improved practices of wider set of stakeholders 9. Improved practices and services of organisation Outcomes 6. Strengthened learning & organisational capacities Capacity development of southern partners and wider civil society 5.Strengthened specific internal processes 7. Strengthened financial stability 8. Strengthened technical capacities 3. Changes in skills, attitudes, behaviours & actions of individuals / staff 4. Strengthened relational & adaptive management capabilities Changes in capacity of organisation Political, economic, environmental factors / activities of other actors Sphere of influence: changes at this level tracked as part of routine performance management system Local capacity providers Southern NGOs Southern govt’s Activities and outputs More control More attributable to NGO 1.Delivery of training, mentoring, coaching, consultancy services and support as part of specific programme capacity development 2. Delivery of training, mentoring, coaching, consultancy services and support as part general organisational capacity development NNGO 3

4. Impact Outcomes Core principles for communicating effectiveness Activities and outputs 4 Core organisational values

5. Women’s empowerment Water & sanitation Rights Health Education Livelihoods Less control Less attributable to NGO 15. Significant changes in people’s lives Impact Sphere of interest: periodically assessed through impact assessments 13. Changed attitudes, behaviours & actions of decision makers 11. Strong alliances between actors created 14. Policy change achieved & implemented Outcomes 12. Improved public awareness & understanding 9. Media attention generated 10. Mobilised supporter base Northern advocacy, public campaigning &awareness raising on development Political, economic, environmental factors / activities of other actors Sphere of influence: changes at this level tracked as part of routine performance management system 3. lobbying and advocacyof decision makers 4. Media outreach on specific issue 5. Mobilising public / supporters on specific issue 7. Public awareness raising on specific issue 6. Build alliances & coalitions on specific issue Private sector Multilateral & regional orgs Bilateral donors Activities and outputs More control More attributable to NGO 1.Research & develop policyon specific issue 2. Engage & link with southern partners on specific issue NNGO 5

6. Impact Outcomes Core principles for communicating effectiveness Activities and outputs 6 Core organisational values