Results Chains Conservation Coaches Network Coach Training Testing the logic of your strategies

Results Chains What Is The Question? IF …. THEN (!)

Results Chains What Is The Question? What is the logic of your intervention(s)?

What is a Results Chain? A tool for documenting a team’s “theory of change,” describing how a strategy will lead to conservation success Results Chains

What is a Results Chain? A diagram of a series of “if…then” causal statements that: Defines how a project team thinks a strategy will contribute to reducing a threat or restoring a target Focuses on the achievement of results – not the execution of activities – NOT an implementation diagram Is composed of assumptions that can be tested Results Chains

Key Points to Introduce this Step Results Oriented “If-then” Logic Must Stand Up Make Assumptions and Incentives Explicit Alternatives are OK Peer Review is Critical

One Way to Develop a Results Chain 1.Construct an initial results chain 2.Complete the links in the results chain 3.Verify that your results chain meets criteria of a good results chain 4.Add activities to show how your specific actions (activities) will contribute to achieving your results Results Chains

Critical Questions to Ask the Team Are there leaps in logic? Are there hidden assumptions? Are other strategies needed to support the focal strategy? Is the right expertise present in the room?

Results Chains Common Issues & Recommendations Left to Right or Right to Left? Right to Left may be better for a new strategy – to ensure that the objectives are met Left to Right may better for a familiar strategy where the focus is on how it will get done Either way can work – let the group decide how it would like to proceed

Results Chains Common Issues & Recommendations The chain does not reach the desired result If a results chain has helped the team determine that a given strategy will probably not achieve the desired results, you have saved the team considerable time, effort, and resources – a planning success!

Results Chains Common Issues & Recommendations Complicated, interdependent results chains Develop the full results chain in sections, with clear intermediate results and showing where other parts of the strategies support the achievement of results Very complex results chains may be useful for the team to lay out how the strategy should work. For communication purposes, consider a much simpler chain that contains only the key results

Results Chains Common Issues & Recommendations Create a high-level meta-chain that shows how all of the pieces of a complex strategy fit together In addition to this…Have this available…

Results Chains Helpful Hints Results chains are not implementation diagrams, but the inclusion of clearly distinguished activities and results will make the chain less theoretical and more practical. This will improve the flow of the diagram and can be turned into a workplan. When you get stuck, ask “what would you do next?” and “if you implement that activity well, what will be the result?” Once you have a solid draft of your chain, read through it in an “if…then” manner to check your logic. This will help you identify gaps and leaps of faith.

Results Chains Helpful Hints Usually European coaches like to start a chain with the relevant pieces of the conceptual model, In other cases or if the group gets stuck, you can use the Retrofitting strategy (start from a Strategy already in place or preferred by some reason and create the RC from it). However you tackle it, refer back to the conceptual model to ensure that the relevant factors are being addressed.

Results Chains Helpful Hints After activities and results are done  Can add the most important objectives to the results  Can add staff and other expenses, due dates to the activities When the chain is complete, this is another opportunity to look for new stakeholders and to discuss their motivations

Results Chains What Is The Question? IF …. THEN (!)

Results Chains Helpful Hints A sticky tarp and index cards or post-its on a paper-covered wall are more dynamic and participatory and generally work better than Miradi Tape paper right over the previous chain – but only attach to the wall at the top so that you can look at previous work Give yourself PLENTY of physical space to develop the chain Be disciplined about colors and create a key