Department of Economics - University of Bologna
Centre for International Development - Bologna

Outcome Mapping and Outcome Harvesting
Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation For Complex Development Programmes
2015 Annual Edition
Outcome Mapping -- Monday-Wednesday, 15-17 June 2015
Outcome Harvesting -- Thursday-Friday, 18-19 June 2015
Our Course

This is the 10th Annual Edition of the joint Bologna Centre for International Development / Department of Economics Summer Training Programme on Monitoring and Evaluation. This year the programme's focus is on two methods that are increasingly on the cutting-edge for planning, monitoring and evaluation in development situations characterized by a dynamic environment and unpredictable results.

In innovative projects and programmes of development and social change, at the time of strategic planning often it is difficult, if not impossible, to predetermine what specific, measurable actions need to be taken or what results will be achieved. Planned interventions and intended results shift, sometimes dramatically, or need to be revised over the life of a project or programme, and unintended outcomes emerge. In these situations, Outcome Mapping is a method to involve multiple, interacting actors and factors to create concrete yet flexible options for intervening, measuring and learning. The Outcome Mapping module addresses:
  • Introduction of the concepts of ‘complexity’ and how they relate to planning, monitoring and evaluating development interventions.
  • Practical, participatory introduction to Outcome Mapping, including: how to apply its actor-focused tools to planning, monitoring and evaluation.
  • Break-out groups and exercises, with applications of the Outcome Mapping framework to actual situations encountered by participants in their own work environments.
When a project, programme or organization is implemented in dynamic uncertainty, conventional monitoring and evaluation can be inappropriate because what is done and the results may vary considerably from the original plan. Outcome Harvesting is used to identify, formulate, analyse and interpret what was achieved and how, regardless of whether it was pre-defined or not. The special value of the tool for monitoring and evaluation is that it enables people responsible for monitoring and evaluating development work to identify and formulate intended and unintended, positive and negative outcomes, determine how the intervention contributed to them and make sense of it all. The Outcome Harvesting module includes:
  • Implications of complexity science for monitoring and evaluating development initiatives
  • Practical exercises apply Outcome Harvesting to a case study written for this course
  • Illustration of how Outcome Harvesting could be applied to a project which used Outcome Mapping as its planning framework.
For a less-than-three-minute explanation of Outcome Harvesting (video).

The two hands-on courses present practical steps, examples and participatory exercises in applying these planning, monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) tools to strengthen management for development results. Special attention is given to situations where there is uncertainty about the causal relationships linking inputs, activities and outputs with the outcomes and impacts of development interventions. And, all concepts will be applied in working groups by the participants. Thus, they will leave with practical guidance and skills in using these complementary tools to plan, monitor and evaluate their interventions and what they achieve in order to be accountable and to improve performance.

The courses are targeted to people who commission, manage or carry out PM&E:
  • Government officials, department heads and programme managers 
  • Foundation and development funders
  • Policy makers and programme implementers 
  • Development practitioners and activists 
  • NGO and CSO staff 
  • Development graduate students
The two courses are designed for people with practical or theoretical experience either in development and humanitarian work or in PM&E. Have you ever needed to find alternative approaches when conventional frameworks for normal planning, monitoring and evaluation do not generate useful processes and results? Have you ever wanted to know whether a development intervention is having the desired effects and is achieving the aimed objectives before it is too late to make changes in your strategy? If your answer is Yes, then you need to learn some hands-on practical tools for PM&E that have a track record in supporting dynamic, complex development interventions! 
Want to know more about the programs of the two modules? Read here:
OUTCOME MAPPING MODULE
OUTCOME HARVESTING MODULE

Our People
Direction and management:
  • The director of the Summer Programme is Pier Giorgio Ardeni, professor of development economics at University of Bologna, policy advisor, expert in poverty reduction programs and statistical development. 
  • The manager and coordinator is Cecilia Tinonin, PhD, assitant researcher at the Department of Economics on poverty analysis.
Our trainers are well know development experts with extensive field experience in low-income countries and recognized international experts in Outcome Mapping and Outcome Harvesting:
  • Terry Smutylo (OM), advisor, former Director of Evaluation at IDRC for 15 years, currently an expert on M&E and Outcome Mapping with extensive experience in M&E Training around the world. Co-author of the Outcome Mapping Manual.
  • Ricardo Wilson-Grau (OH), monitoring and evaluation advisor and organizational development consultant. With colleagues, developed the Outcome Harvesting tool, monitoring and evaluating thousands of outcomes of almost 400 networks and associations, NGOs, community-based organisations, research institutes and government agencies in 143 countries on all seven continents.
Want to know more about the trainers? Read here!

---

How to apply

Enrollment fees and applications deadlines are:
Early Bird Registration
(before 31 March 2015)
Full registration
(between 1 April and 14 June 2015)
1.500 euro 1.600 euro

The enrolment fee includes tuition and materials.
Room and boarding and travel expenses are not included.
Various lodging arrangement suggestions can be provided on request.
Partial tuition waivers will possibly be available for 
a limited number of applicants from developing countries only!
Please indicate in your application whether you need funding!
For those requesting funding, acceptance will be evaluated 
together with their granted fee status
Payment instructions will be given to accepted applicants only.
Fees will have to be paid to the University of Bologna (credit cards are not accepted).


IF YOU WISH TO APPLY:
Please send an application form and a short CV to:
omoh2015@cid-bo.org

Download an application form
Click HERE!!!

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree and must be proficient in English.

Enrol in this summer program in the exciting setting of Bologna!
Send in an application! Tell your colleagues!

For any information, please contact:
CID Summer School programs - Outcome Mapping and Outcome Harvesting course: omoh2015@cid-bo.org
PIER GIORGIO ARDENI (Academic Director): piergiorgio.ardeni@unibo.it
CECILIA TINONIN (Manager): ceciliatinonin@gmail.com
Important deadlines to remember


Application for Early-Bird Registration 31 March 2015
Credited payment (bank transfer) of Early-Bird Registration Fee 30 April 2015
Application for Full Registration 31 May 2015
Credited payment of Full Registration 1 June 2015