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Market systems development for Decent Work: the Lab – Phase II - Final evaluation

eval_number:

3210

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/3210

location:

country:

Inter-Regional

region:

Inter-Regional

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eval_title:

Market systems development for Decent Work: the Lab – Phase II - Final evaluation

recommendations:

date:

2020-12-16 00:00:00.0

themes:

theme:

Organizational issues

category:

Planning and programme design

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action_plan:

In the event of a Lab 3, the project will take more consideration of using a ToC to design, manage and regularly adapt its strategy. If possible, the project will include regular reviews with the donor to revise logframe targets and project strategy that can take stock of new learnings.• Continue to try and understand the incentives, capacities and constraints of other departments and units in taking on a more systemic approach; • Have manageable expectations and logframe targets that do not detract from the overall strategy; • Influence institutionalisation through incentives; and • Design the long-term sustainability outlook around “who will do?”, “who will pay?” and “by when?”. The GCVCDE and the SME unit head with support from Enterprise Department management and PARDEV will continue to fundraise for a continuation for key functions the Lab has played and integrate the lessons above

management_response:

Action not yet taken

progress:

No implementation

admin_units:

SME

title:

A detailed Theory of Change that shows the expected pathways to influence and impact provides a way of making the links between activities, outputs, outcomes and impact explicit. This exposes assumptions in the design phase that need to be challenged, tested or reworked. A rigorous ToC also provides a foundation for good adaptive management for both the implementer and the funder. For the implementer, using a ToC rather than a logframe as the primary measurement and adaptive management tool tends to yield a more a disciplined focus on only those activities, outputs, outcomes and objectives that contribute to impact. It can more quickly expose activities that are not having the expected effect (or at least, that need to be investigated). Many other projects have found that a commitment to measure against the ToC and to regularly review and revise the strategy (as Lab 2 was doing on a six-monthly basis) is well supported by input from an external ‘critical friend’ who can query assumptions and point out things that might have been missed. For the donor, adaptive management that works to a ToC strengthens a project’s potential impact by shaping the strategy according to what works in practice, instead of what was initially expected to work. Such an approach requires the funder to be highly flexible and willing to revise logframe targets in response to emerging learning. Changes may be frequent and significant but can prevent resources being spent on ineffective activities for too long. This is particularly important for projects such as the Lab which are working in relatively nascent technical fields with complex and ambitious ‘influence’ objectives.

project_symbols:

GLO/17/06/CHE

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/recommendations/14691

information_source:

Head Quarters

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