December 21, 2005

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - Veena Pankaj

 

Changing the World – One Client at a Time

Veena Pankaj, Innovation Network

 

Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.
- Robert F. Kennedy

 

     Veena Pankaj

I was born in India, lived in Geneva, Switzerland for two years as child, and since have lived in Fairfax and Charlottesville, Virginia and in Chicago.

Having been involved in nonprofit capacity building for about six years, my role is two-fold.  As a consultant, I am hired by a nonprofit organization or by a foundation to evaluate the impact of the work they are doing. In this role, I engage the organization in a participatory approach involving multiple stakeholders in the process.  By including stakeholders of the organization in the evaluation design, I am not only able to build trust and buy-in to the process, but I am also helping the organization build their own capacity to engage in evaluation work long after the consulting period is over.

Also, I conduct trainings for nonprofits and foundations who are interested in learning how to build their evaluation capacity.  During these trainings, I facilitate organizations in developing logic models, evaluation planning frameworks, data collection instruments and offer guidance on the analysis and reporting of evaluation data.

Currently, a number of my projects involve working with foundations to assess their grantmaking capacity. This work has enabled me to see first hand the types of change foundations are making within their grant making programs. 

I am also engaged in projects that involve 'outcomes alignment.' This process allows funders to align the outcomes of several grantees and map them back to the initial strategic plan or theory behind the foundation's grantmaking strategies.

Among the clients I provide trainings and technical assistance for are innovative social entrepreneurs who are in the process of starting their own nonprofit organizations. This work involves creating strategies for infrastructure development and program implementation.

At Innovation Network, Inc., we work to share the power of evaluation. We make evaluation accessible to nonprofits and funders, through consulting, training, and online tools. Our services help nonprofits use evaluation to:

      • Learn how their work affects the people and communities they serve;
      • Plan and manage internal matters, programs, and services effectively; and,
      • Support fundraising and communication efforts.

Many nonprofits see evaluation as a punitive process that is "done to" them. Our intent, through participatory approaches to evaluation, is to have the groups involved see evaluation as an opportunity—a chance for nonprofits to ask their own questions, define success for themselves, and identify ways of making a measurable difference in the communities they serve.

The most exciting outcome of my work as a capacity builder is helping organizations that are on the ground serving their communities. While my work as a consultant does not have a direct connection to the homeless in Washington, DC, or children in city schools, I am indirectly supporting these communities by my work with organizations that are making a difference.

The most challenging aspect of my work is the disconnect I often see between grantmaker expectations when it comes to program evaluation and the capacity of nonprofits. Part of the work I do involves bridging this divide by helping both grantmakers and grantees articulate their program outcomes and by introducing tools that systematize and focus data collection efforts, thereby reducing some of the burden often associated with evaluation.

I view the Alliance as a valuable resource to consultants and practitioners across the nation. I participate in their annual conferences as a presenter – teaching and talking about my personal experiences working in the nonprofit community and as a participant – benefiting from the peer learning and networking opportunities. The Alliance presents many opportunities for professional development and is very up-to-date in what's going on in the community.

Ideally, I would like to see even more opportunities for networking and learning from others in the field, as well as greater collaboration and increased synergy between nonprofit organizations that are working towards similar ends. Given the high degree of competition for financial resources in the nonprofit community, I believe that increased collaboration can help cut organizational costs and increase the efficiency and quality of services provided to certain populations.

 

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Veena Pankaj, a Senior Associate for Innovation Network, provides assistance on project design and implementation as well as evaluating program effectiveness.  Prior to joining Innovation Network, she worked at the Lewin Group, a health care management consulting firm. Her focus included long-term care financing and health care for the elderly, using large data sets. Pankaj received a B.A. in Sociology from University of Virginia, an M.A. in Social Sciences from University of Chicago, and a Certificate in Organization Development from Georgetown University.

 

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