Amplifying Learning in Systems Change Investments: An Experience in Developmental Evaluation

This issues brief from the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning (OMG) describes the experience of using a developmental evaluation approach in order to evaluate the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Community Partnerships portfolio.

The brief provides a range of practical lessons describing what was learned during the evaluation and in particular answers two questions: "When should you use developmental evaluation?" and "how can groups engage successfully in the developmental evaluation process?"

Contents

• When is Developmental Evaluation a Good Approach?
• How Can Communities, Evaluators, and Funders Engage Effectively in a Developmental Evaluation?
• Emphasize learning, rather than measuring the achievement of specific outcomes
• Recognize the dual purpose of a Theory of Change: To guide implementation and learning
• Putting Lessons into Practice
• Create opportunities to reflect and strategize with stakeholders
• Rethink the purpose of deliverables — use them to generate reflection and refinement