Exchange1 “Most Significant Changes”

Exchange2 Adapted from: Rick Davies - MandENEWS Jessica Dart – Clear Horizon

Exchange3 “ If you knew what was going to happen in advance every day you could do amazing things. You could become insanely wealthy, influence the political process et cetera. Well, it turns out that most people don't even know what happened yesterday in their own business. So, a lot of businesses are discovering they can take tremendous competitive advantage simply by finding out what happened yesterday as soon as possible “ (Steve Jobs, Fortune, 1994:23)

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Exchange5 Why stories? People tell stories naturally - indigenous Stories can deal with complexity and context People remember stories Stories can carry hard messages /undiscussables But stories not known for accuracy/truth

Exchange6 Use of stories in MSC Collection of stories + systematic, collective interpretation = storytelling can be effectively harnessed for participatory evaluation Because interpretations tell another story & process has beneficial outcomes for evaluation utilisation

Exchange7 MSC Form of qualitative, participatory M&E Based on ‘ stories ’ of significant change Developed by Rick Davies Bangladesh Now used in numerous development programs and in the public sector

Exchange8 MSC Creates space for stakeholders to reflect, to make sense of complex changes Provides dialogue to help make sense of each other ’ s values Facilitates dynamic dialogue ie. “ what do we really want to achieve and how will we produce more of it? ” Excellent for participatory programs with diverse, complex outcomes, & multiple stakeholders

Exchange9 Purpose of MSC in M&E  Primary purpose to facilitate improvement by:  focusing direction of work towards explicitly valued directions  eg. what do we really want to achieve and how will we produce more of it?  Contributes to summative evaluation:  Information about unexpected outcomes  Performance information concerning very best success stories  Can inform criteria used to judge projects

Exchange10 Qualitative vs quantitative monitoring Quantitative Focus on measurement Closed questions About ‘ proving ’ Easy to aggregate Deductive Static Goal displacement can be a problem Qualitative Focus on questioning Open questions About learning Hard to aggregate Inductive Dynamic Goal displacement is not an issue

Exchange11 Qualitative monitoring Can be used in conjunction with conventional output monitoring Is usually more aimed at learning than accountability

Exchange12 Indicators & their limits

Exchange13 Goal displacement Not about learning Don ’ t tell you what you don ’ t know you need to know Limitations of indicator based monitoring

Exchange14 How to aggregate complex experience? Example: a bowl containing 2 oranges, 3 apples, 4 bananas, and 1 mango Summary-by-inclusion There are 10 pieces of fruit in the bowl Find lowest common denominator = fruit Cost: Loss of interesting detail Summary-by-selection The mango is rotten, it will spoil the rest of the fruit. Remove it, please

Exchange15 Practice Now! Turn to your neighbour and ask them What was the most significant change that took place as a result of the workshop this week? (Get the details) Then ask them why they thought this was the most interesting. Document: description (who, what, where, when) explanation (why is it significant) who documented the story (name, position location, date) Then let your neighbour ask the same questions to you.

Exchange16 Then … Come to a decision about which of the two stories you think is most interesting, and identify why you both think so. You may have a number of reasons. When asked to, tell a group of 8 people the story you chose, and why you did so

Exchange17 Then … Come to a decision about which of the 4 stories you think is most interesting, and identify why you all think so. You may have a number of reasons. When asked to, tell the large group people the story you choose, and why you did so

Exchange18 The core of MSC A question: “ In your opinion what was the most significant change that took place in ….over the … months ” [describe the change and explain why you think it is significant] Re-iteration of the same kind of question “ Which of these SC stories do you think is the most significant of all? ” [describe the change and explain why you think it is significant]

Exchange19 Explaining MSC The first challenge when introducing it Can be difficult because it is very different to conventional methods Make use of direct experience Use metaphors Highlight the key differences Explain in terms of stages

Exchange20 Using metaphors Organisations as newspapers, with journalists, sub-editors, editors, senior editors, etc Stories get passed up the hierarchy, but only a few make it to the front page, and only one to the top of the front page Organisations as amoeba, sensing positive and negative experiences and moving to and away from those respectively.

Exchange21 Organisations as amoeba

Exchange22 How is MSC different? Participants have a choice about what sort of information to collect Uses diverse rather than standard data Information is analysed by all participants, not simply by a central unit Subjectivity is used rather than avoided

Exchange23 MSC vs quantitative monitoring Quantitative Focus on measurement Closed questions Project out About ‘ proving ’ Deductive Static Inclusive Central tendencies MSC Focus on questioning Open questions Context in About learning Inductive Dynamic Selective Outer edges of experience

Exchange24 Goals Goal-based evaluation viewpoint participants change Extent to which they were achieved From the view point of the program staff + consultation Program outContext in From the viewpoint of the Participants Program

Exchange25 Explaining MSC in stages 1. Defining Domains of Change 2. Define reporting period 3. Collecting SC stories 4. Selection of collected SC stories 5. Feedback of the choices made 6. Verification 7. Quantification 8. Meta-monitoring and secondary analysis 9. Re-settings of MSC system

Exchange26 1. Defining “ domains ” Opposite of SMART indicators? Like newspaper sections: sports, finance, leisure, business, etc Defined by how people use them Examples: “ changes in peoples ’ lives ” “ changes in relationships with our partners ” “ changes in government policy on HIV/AIDS

Exchange27 Defining domains … Not essential but Can help structure the selection process Can help focus on goals of concern Their use tells us how what goals mean to participants Options Open window domain Negative changes domain

Exchange28 2. Set the reporting period “ In your opinion what was the most significant change that took place in ….over the … months Period used by NGOs varies from 2 weekly, to monthly, to three monthly, and yearly. Three monthly is most common Time demands on staff is the main constraint on frequency

Exchange29 3. Collecting SC stories From those closest to the event ’ s of concern. But do not exploit people ’ s unpaid time Basic format: Description (who, what, where, when) Explanation (why is it significant) Who documented the story (name, position location, date) Option: Recommendation

Exchange30 Collecting SC stories … Reminder: Key parts of the question “ Looking back over the last month …” “… what do you think was …” “… the most significant …” “… change …” “… in the quality of people ’ s lives …” “… in this community? ”

Exchange31 4. Selecting SC stories

Exchange32 Funder meeting State meetings Region 1Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Story tellers feedback flow of stories

Exchange33 Selecting SC stories … Task is to read through and identify the most significant of all the submitted SC stories. Take one domain at a time Need to decide who to involve: story providers, their superiors, their peers,.. Need to decide whether to predefine selection criteria, or let them emerge through discussion of SC stories

Exchange34 Selecting SC stories … Must (not optional) Document what SC was selected Why it was selected Process used to make the selection Participants Their preferences [Subjectivity is made accountable through transparency]

Exchange35 5. Feedback To immediate providers of SC stories, on what was selected, why selected and process used Enables adjustment of focus of MSC next time around A motivational factor Weakest point in all M&E systems, including MSC

Exchange36 6. Verification of SC stories What Factual content & interpretation of facts Why Encourages some discipline in reporting Enables elaboration and further learning When When SC story first enters system When selected as MS of all SC When SC stories are publicly used

Exchange37 7. Quantification Within the SC story Number of people, events, etc involved As once – off follow-up to SC story How many other cases like this known Within meta-monitoring (see next) How many other SC stories like this

Exchange38 8. Meta-monitoring and secondary analysis Keep all SC stories on record Meta-monitoring (Recommended) of Changes in numbers of SC stories, who provides them, whose SC stories are selected, changes in percentage of negative stories Secondary analysis (Optional) by Categorising and counting of types of changes reported, and types of explanations given, at different levels

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Exchange40 9. Re-setting of MSC process Frequency of reporting Definition of domains to use Who sorts SC stories into domains Selection process design: participants & process used Feedback and follow up

Exchange41 Where to use MSC? Talk to your neighbour, and identify where you think MSC Would be most useful, and why Would be least useful, and why Share this view with the whole group, when asked

Exchange42 Where to use MSC Not as a stand-alone method Alongside indicator based systems To identify unexpected changes To engage people in analysis of change To involve a wide range of people To focus on outcomes rather than outputs

Exchange43 Finding out more about MSC Original MSC paper (n ’ th version) is at MSC Mailing list is at s Rick Davies at