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10 Things in 10 Minutes on Philanthropy, Evaluation &Social

Change

Creative Change 2011August 18, 2011

John BareThe Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

jbare@ambfo.com404.367.2062

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1. The current evaluation culture is crummy.

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1. The current evaluation culture is crummy.

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2. I have a…. METRIC?

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2. I have a dream.

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3. Fit the evaluation to the system.Simple, Complicated and Complex Problems

SIMPLEFollowing a Recipe

COMPLICATEDSending a Rocket to the Moon

COMPLEXRaising a Child

The recipe is essential Formulae are critical and necessary

Formulae have a limited application

Recipes are tested to assure easy replication

Sending one rocket increases assurance that the next will be OK

Raising one child provides experience but no assurance of success with the next

No particular expertise is required. But cooking expertise increases success rate

High levels of expertise in a variety of fields are necessary for success

Expertise can contribute but is neither necessary nor sufficient to assure success

Recipes produce standardized products

Rockets are similar in critical ways

Every child is unique and must be understood as an individual

The best recipes give good results every time

There is a high degree of certainty of outcome

Uncertainty of outcome remains

Notes the quantity and nature of “parts” needed

Separate into parts and then reassemble and co-ordinate

Can’t separate the parts from the whole; essence exists “in the between” in the relationship between elements.

Adapted from Getting to Maybe, Westley, Zimmerman, Patton (2006, Random House Canada)

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4. Segment. Segment. Segment.

Adapted from HopeLab segmentation report, “To Move Me, First You’ve Got to Understand Me.”

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5. Pay attention to the arrows, not the boxes.

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6. Use tools designed for complex systems.

• Leading Indicators

• Risk Analysis

• Test Assumptions

• Triggers for Contingency Plans

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7. Understand positive & negative feedback.

• Compare observed vs. expected.

• Adjust.

• Repeat.

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8. Model social change.

Change =Dissatisfaction *

Vision *Process

or

C = D * V * P

Adapted from Bob Bontempo, Columbia University Business School

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9. Align evaluation with change stages.

Are you helping to create Dissatisfaction?

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9. Align evaluation with change stages.

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9. Align evaluation with change stages.

Are you building support for a Vision?

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9. Align evaluation with change stages.

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9. Align evaluation with change stages.

Are you implementing a Process?

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9. Align evaluation with change stages.

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10.