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Evaluation of Capacity Building

Evaluation of Capacity Building: Lessons from the Field

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What are the best ways to evaluate capacity-building interventions? What is the role of stakeholders in the evaluation process? Are there some helpful case studies in capacity-building evaluation? Find answers to these questions and more in Evaluation of Capacity Building: Lessons from the Field, by Deborah Linnell. The report is the result of research commissioned by the Alliance that draws together the lessons learned from those who have evaluated capacity-building programs.

Achieving quality in nonprofit capacity building is the central goal of the Alliance. Evaluation of capacity building is absolutely critical to achieving quality, although, as this research shows, the practice is not very widespread. We hope this research will help inform a broad spectrum of capacity builders as they embark on more systematic evaluation of their work. More than just research results, this report is packed with information and resources on how to effectively evaluate capacity-building programs. It includes resources such as:

Findings from more than 60 interviews, literature review, and scan of capacity-building evaluations;
Sample logic models;
Definitions of key concepts;
Evaluation tips and checklists; and,
Rich case studies and lessons learned.

While this study illuminates many important lessons in evaluation of capacity building, it also sets the stage for the next set of questions in the field, such as: What types of capacity-building interventions are most effective? Can we find the causal link between capacity building and outcomes? We hope that as evaluation of capacity building becomes more widespread, we can work together to collect and compare data, assist one another in evaluations, and continue to build on the growing community of practice in this area.

If you have conducted or are planning on conducting evaluations of your work, please let us know - email us at education@allianceonline.org.

The report is available to Alliance members for $25 and non-members for $35. Order today!