Monitoring Change in Communities (A Collegial Sharing)
How do we know that change is happening in our communities? As faith-based organizations, how are we making a dent in transforming our nation through our ministries?
One of the outcomes we hope to realize for this year is to determine how the Alliance can strengthen the monitoring and evaluation systems and practices of member organizations. To jumpstart the process of sharing and learning exchange, ACDA engaged the services of the Christian Convergence for Good Governance (CCGG) through Ms. Joy Famador in conducting a research on Baseline Research on Systems and Tools Used by ACDA Members in Monitoring and Evaluating Change in Communities.
The preliminary findings were presented to members for validation on March 1, 2011 at Wheatberry, Scout Tuazon, Quezon City. Of the 28 active members of ACDA, 17 participated in the research. Present during this validation process were representatives from the Center for Community Transformation (CCT), ISACC, Lilok, Operation Compassion, Open Doors, PHILIPPINE LEPROSY MISSION, INC. (PLM), Philrads, Samaritana and Share an Opportunity (SAO).
The aim of this research is to (1) Determine the member organizations’ systems and tools for monitoring change in communities; (2) Assess the level of capability of member organizations and identify training needs in relation to monitoring and evaluation; and (3) Identify common programs and determine the possibility for sharing good practices in monitoring and evaluation.
- There are systems and practices worth sharing to one another
- There are other agencies and accreditation bodies that push the process of M&E in our organizations.
Areas to Build On
- We need to move from OUTPUT to OUTCOME-oriented monitoring
- We need to define what we mean by community transformation and determine the corresponding indicators and tools for tracking these.
- Organizations can start by articulating their derived impact and indicators.
- Address gaps in capacity building (i.e. documentation, qualitative research, monitoring, evaluation, setting up M&E systems.
- -Address gaps in capacity building (i.e. documentation, qualitative research, monitoring, evaluation, setting up M&E systems.
Participants were tasked to identify specific programs where indicators and meaning of success still need to be determined and these include:
| Livelihood
Program |
Child-focused
Program |
Education
Program |
Youth
Program |
| Livelihood Program for the Community
(Operation Compassion)
|
Child Well-Being (SAO) Child Friendly Community (SAO) |
Educational Assistance (PLM) Alternative Learning System (PLM) |
Sustainability of Youth Initiated and Community Projects (LILOK) |
| Seminar
|
Literature
Distribution |
Advocacy
|
Spiritual Healing
& Formation
|
|
Seminar on Responding Well to Religious Persecutions (Open Doors) Sustain biblical responses (Open Doors) |
Literature Distribution (Open Doors)
|
Advocacy Work (ISACC) |
Psycho-Spiritual Formation (Samaritana)
Spiritual Development (CCT) |
Collaboration and Learning Exchange can happen through:
- Programmatic clustering in crafting indicators
- Training and coaching on M&E
- Peer Evaluation
