Outcome Mapping

What exactly is this Outcome Mapping and how does it fit into the Corporate Planning context ?

First, we need to understand what Outcomes are ; according to the Oxford Dictionary an Outcome is “a final product or end result; consequence; issue” or “ a conclusion reached through a process of logical thinking”. Both of these definitions place the relevance of Outcomes firmly in every planning procedure, be it a formal or an informal one. Every planning process is undertaken in a bid to achieve a favourable or desired outcome.

Outcome Mapping , introduced by Sarah Earl from the International development Research Centre (IRDC) - a Canadian organization which supports a wide range of development research , is an offshoot of Outcome Engineering which has been conceptualized and is being worked upon by Dr. Barry Kibel , of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.

Outcome Mapping is basically a methodology which “characterizes and assesses the contributions development programs make to the achievement of outcomes”.It can be used at the program, project or organizational level. It still is a work-in-progress methodology which is being tweaked and refined by many development researchers around the globe.

This methodology essentially focuses on one specific type of a result : an Outcome of any behavioural change. “Outcomes are defined as changes in the behaviour , relationships, activities, or actions of the people, groups and organizations with whom a program works directly.” Every development project is undertaken with an objective or goal in mind. And for every such project some favourable outcomes are earmarked or atleast thought of. These outcomes may not be necessarily directly caused by a program`s activities , but it can be safely assumed that they are “logically linked” to these activities. These behavioural changes are aimed at contributing to specific aspects of human ecological well-being by providing partners with new tools, techniques, and resources to contribute to the development process. The partners are known as ‘boundary partners’.They are somewhat like the ‘actors’ of this process model of Outcome Mapping.they can be individuals , groups of individuals or organizations as a whole who interact with the program directly and “from whom the program anticipates opportunities for influence”.
Generally, most of the activities involve multiples outcomes which are brought about by the presence of multiple boundary partners. These actors are the agents who control change and are expected to facilitate the development process by bringing in fresh ideas, resources, alternative channels and different perspectives into the activity. When a program uses Outcome Mapping it does not claim the achievement of development impacts ; rather the focus is on its contributions to outcomes.These outcomes , in turn , enhance the possibility of development impacts. The way I personally see it , it is loosely like a feedback loop – the impacts contribute to the outcomes , and the outcomes in-turn enhance the possibility of these impacts.

Development is essentially about “people relating to each other and their environments” ; hence the basic premise of Outcome Mapping is on people. The uniqueness of the methodology lies in the fact that it shifts away from assessing the developmental impact of a program towards changes in the behaviours, relationships, actions or activities of the people, groups and organizations with whom a development program works directly.This shift significantly alters the way a program understands its goals and assesses its performance and results. At the core of its very existence lies the fact that development is achieved by the people and for the people ; which is infact the “central concept of Outcome Mapping.”

Stages of Outcome Mapping :

Stage 1 : Intentional Design
In this stage the boundary partners adopt a birds-eye view of the whole as-is system. This stage helps a program clarify and reach consensus on the macro-level changes it would like to support and to plan the strategies it would like to use. This is brought about by asking a number of questions like – “ Why ? (what is the vision to which the program wants to contribute?) ; Who ? (Who are the program`s boundary partners?) ; What ? (What are the changes that are being sought ? ); and How ? (How will the program contribute to the change process?).

Stage 2 : Outcome and Performance Monitoring
This stage provides a framework for ongoing monitoring of the program`s actions in support of its boundary partners’ progress towards the achievement of outcomes. It uses ‘progress markers’ which are nothing but a set of graduated indicators of behavioural change identified in Stage 1 , to clarify directions with boundary partners and to monitor outcomes (Outcome Journal). It also uses a Strategy Jounal (to monitor strategies and activities) and a Performance Journal (to monitor organizational practices) to complete a performance monitoring framework. This framework in turn provides the program the opportunity and tools both to reflect on and improve performance and to collect data on the results of its work with its boundary partners.

Stage 3: Evaluation Planning
This stage helps the program decide upon evaluation priorities, so that it can channelise the findings into resources and activities where they would be most useful. The document obtained at the end of this stage is an Evaluation Plan which “outlines the main elements of the evaluations to be conducted.”

Outcome Mapping , very simply put , is a set of guidelines meant for development programs to plan for and evaluate the capacities that they aim to or are already in the process of , helping to build in the “people, groups and organizations who will ultimately be responsible for improving the well-being of their communities.”

REFERENCES :

1) Haylock, Laura , Amy Etherington , Elizabeth Marshall , Suzzane Taylor, Allan Dove ( 10/05/2005) Outcome Mapping - Framework . Retrieved on 9th of September 2008 from http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-27710-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

2) Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (n.d) Methodologies and Approaches - Outcome Mapping . Retrieved on 9th of September 2008 from http://portals.wi.wur.nl/ppme/?Outcome_mapping