IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide - Better Evaluation
IDEASFacilitators’ GuideInnovating, Designing,Evaluating and Applyingto Small-scale media andcommunication projectsJESSICA NOSKE-TURNERH E AT H E R H O R S TJ O TA C C H IPANTONE 639PANTONE 583C88 M40 Y30 K20PANTONE 411 70% TintC53 M44 Y100 K27
2IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide
AcknowledgementsMany people and organisations have generously contributed to the creation of the IDEASFacilitators’ Guide, which accompanies the IDEAS Guide. This includes feedback, workshopsupport and suggestions from the following organisations and individuals:ABC ID: Domenic Friguglietti, Vipul Khosla, Angela Davis and Kate Raseta.PACMAS: Francis Herman, Talita Tu’ipulotu and Wilson Toa.The Centre for Social and Creative Media at the University of Goroka and participants ofthe Goroka Workshop (July 2014).Further Arts and participants of the Vanuatu Workshop (December 2015).Research assistants: Samantha Ryan and Mark Eby.Editing and layout: Erin Byrne-Gurung.This guide draws upon resources and guidance from the BetterEvaluation website. It is informedby Evaluating Communication for Development: A framework for social change by June Lennieand Jo Tacchi (2013). It also draws upon research on media development carried out by JessicaNoske-Turner (thesis title: Navigating theory, negotiating difference and beating the system: acritical how-to of media assistance evaluation; forthcoming book, under contract with PalgraveMacmillan). Other references are footnoted.Funding for the IDEAS Guide and the IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide is provided through an AustralianResearch Council Linkage Project Grant (LP120200705), titled ‘Mobilising Media for SustainableOutcomes in the Pacific Region’, in partnership with ABC International Development.Suggested citation: Noske-Turner, J., Horst, H. and Tacchi, J. (2016). IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide.RMIT University.FeedbackDo you have any useful feedback for us to learn how to better improve this guide? Please emailus at j.nosketurner@gmail.com or heather.horst@gmail.com.We publish this guide under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0licence. We encourage you to use and remix this guide to suit your needs. Wesimply ask that you attribute the source and provide the same licence conditionsin your products. If you do use this content, please share your experiences withthe authors (j.nosketurner@gmail.com or heather.horst@gmail.com) so thesecan be included in ongoing research into communication and media projectevaluation.IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide3
Overview of the IDEAS Facilitators’ GuideWhat is this guide for?The IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide provides briefing notes on how you, as a facilitator, can supportsmall-grant recipients to use the IDEAS Guide to clarify their project design, and to plan andmanage their evaluation. The Facilitators’ Guide is best used in conjunction with the IDEASGuide. These guides are designed to be used together in the planning and implementation of aworkshop. Facilitators can also adapt the steps to suit the mode and length of delivery.Why was it developed?The Facilitators’ Guide was developed to accompany the IDEAS Guide to help facilitators toeffectively support capacity development for individuals working in grassroots and communityorganisations who might have little or no experience of evaluation. It may also be helpful for moreexperienced practitioners. The approach integrates evaluation into the design of projects. TheIDEAS Guide and the Facilitators’ Guide were developed in the context of a specific program (thePACMAS Innovation Fund) in the Pacific; however, we hope that the guides can be adapted foruse beyond this original context.Who and what is a facilitator?The role of facilitator is an important one. Facilitators are observers, listeners, negotiators,supporters and coaches. We might think of facilitators as people who can help workshopparticipants by asking more detailed questions about their ideas. Facilitators might assist them inunderstanding different perspectives and ways of thinking about a challenge or a goal. Facilitatorsare not experts; instead, their key role is to draw out the expertise that exists among participants.In the context of a small grant or innovation fund, facilitators will usually be part of the managingor funding organisation. They may have a specific role in supporting capacity development, a rolein monitoring and evaluation, or any other position with an interest in assisting the recipients offunds to manage their own project design and evaluation.Sailing as a metaphor for learning-based evaluationWe have used a metaphor of sailing throughout the IDEAS Guide, which was suggested to us byone of the practitioners we consulted while developing the IDEAS Guide.The sailing metaphor, and the idea of a learning path or journey, is used throughout the guideto tie together the modules with a sense of purpose, and to provide an easy way to understandprogress through what can be a challenging topic. Asking participants to define the kind oflearning journey they are on in the beginning will help practitioners to critically engage in thinkingabout their practice, and about what they want to know from their stakeholders and communities.They will continue working with these questions and ideas throughout the workshop.The sailing metaphor is useful for thinking about how to respond to the uncertainty associatedwith innovative projects, and the importance of adaptability in terms of how organisations andindividuals navigate getting to their stated goal. Evaluation can help with making sense of4IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide
information about what is and isn’t working, and with identifing what unexpected challenges orimpacts are emerging, to enable practitioners to adapt their practice during the project.Purpose of the workshopThe Facilitators’ Guide is designed to support facilitators to organise and run a workshop forproject teams. The IDEAS Guide itself is designed to cater for a range of different skill levelsand familiarity with evaluation. It is ideal for project managers and team members responsiblefor reporting and evaluation, as well as any other participants who are interested in evaluation,to participate in the workshop together. Ideally, participants would come to the workshop with anew or early-stage project to develop during the workshop, which they could present and discusswhen they return to their organisation. By the end of the workshop, participants should have arevised project design, and a draft monitoring and evaluation plan.Overview of the IDEAS Guide modulesThe IDEAS Guide includes 10 modules1 and is divided into 2 parts. The modules in part 1 focuson clarifying the design and approach of the project. This sets the foundation for part 2, whichfocuses on the design of the evaluation. Although the activities are sequential and designedto build upon each other, you may wish to adapt the order to suit the workshop participants’purposes2.Guide moduleIntroduction to the IDEASGuidePurposeThe purpose of the introduction is to provide participantswith an overview of the workshop, to introduce the IDEASGuide, and to establish an open and trusting group dynamic.PART 1Module 1: Understandingthe role of evaluation andlearning in innovationModule 1 frames evaluation as continual learning. Thepurpose is to introduce the concept of learning-basedevaluation, emphasising how evaluation can help projectteams and other stakeholders to learn about what’s workingand how they can improve the project.Module 2: Defining yourproject goals and prioritiesThe purpose of module 2 is to articulate the aims of theproject, and to clarify the underlying approaches. Havinga clearly defined project is a foundational part of planninglearning and evaluation.Module 3: Understandingthe people connected to theproject (stakeholders)The purpose of module 3 is to identify all projectstakeholders. Participants will create a map of the peopleand groups connected to the project, and identify theirinterests. The stakeholder map is built-on in later sections.Module 4: Stakeholderparticipation andcommunicationThe purpose of module 4 is to consider how best tocommunicate and engage with different stakeholders, andhow to incorporate different kinds of expertise. The moduleencourages participatory modes of engagement with arange of stakeholders.1. The modules draw upon the Rainbow Framework. To learn more see BetterEvaluation.org.2. The principles of evaluation are presented in Evaluating Communication for Development by June Lennie & Jo Tacchi(2013).IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide5
Module 5: Doing the rightthing by the people involvedwith the project (ethics)Module 5 explores potential ethical issues and risks incommunication projects. The purpose is to prompt reflectionon these issues, to locate ethics within the cultural context,and to start developing strategies for preventing risks.PART 2Module 6: Planning data-useModule 6 focuses on data-use, and works towards creatinga data-use calendar. The purpose is to identify points inthe project timeline when data could be used to informimprovements in order to support a learning-basedapproach.Module 7: Asking the rightquestionsThe purpose of module 7 is to develop key evaluationquestions that state clearly what project teams andstakeholders need to know about the implementation of theproject. These should correspond with the identified projectgoals and project components.Module 8: Planninginformation and datacollectionThe purpose of module 8 is to select data collectionmethods that are realistic and that will provide goodinformation in order to answer the key evaluation questions.Module 9: Making sense ofdataThe purpose of module 9 is to demystify data analysis, and toprovide strategies for making sense of data and patterns.Module 10: Reporting andsharingThe purpose of module 10 is to explore options for bothtraditional and non-traditional ways of reporting and sharingfindings.Table 1. Structure of the IDEAS Guide.6IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide
Preparing to facilitate a workshopWe recommend that the information and activities in the IDEAS Guide be facilitated through aworkshop. This allows facilitators to actively support participants through the process. A possiblestructure and schedule for a two-and-a-half day workshop, which is the shortest workshop lengthfor comfortable delivery of the full IDEAS Guide, is included on page 8. This can be adapted tosuit; in many ways, more and shorter sessions would be better where possible.Ideally, participants should be working directly on a current project as they go along. It is oftenuseful to begin with an early-stage or recently-funded project so that the workshop is directlyuseful to their work.The optimum workshop group size is usually 10-15 people. The participants should includekey members of the grant-recipient project teams, especially those responsible for projectimplementation, evaluation and reporting. It’s best to include as many team members as possible.You might also consider inviting other stakeholders involved in project implementation andevaluation where possible, as a broad range of perspectives can be valuable.For a workshop of this size, it works well to have up to four facilitators to ensure they canwork effectively with small groups. Former fund recipients can make great facilitators, as theirexperiences are often invaluable for participants just starting out on their own journeys.Facilitating such a diverse group requires a careful attention to group dynamics, which we identifyat different stages of the Facilitators’ Guide. Since this guide is designed to facilitate interactiveand applied learning, it is important that all participants are able to contribute and be heard.As a facilitator, it is important to be aware of factors such as gender, age, position, seniority,disability and other differences, and how these might influence group participation. Use groupwork times to observe group interactions. Be prepared to intervene to increase the inclusion ofquieter people, perhaps by changing the group arrangement, sitting with groups and facilitating,or by directly stating that all participants should have a chance to speak.Although the sequence of modules has been designed to offer a logical progression from planningthrough to analysis, you and the project teams can adapt the order to suit your purposes. Eachmodule begins with a summary and a list of materials required (see the preparation checklist).There are also notes with suggestions of questions that you, as a facilitator, might raise withproject teams at appropriate times. Icebreakers can be used any time there is a drop in energy.Suggested icebreakers are included in appendix 3.It is important to keep in mind local and culturally-appropriate forms of convening meetings. Forexample, in the Pacific it is common to offer prayers or blessings at the beginning of workshopsand meals. There may be other culturally-appropriate observances to consider. Asking one of theparticipants if they are comfortable to lead a prayer at these times is very common. You may alsowish to lead one or two of these observances as the facilitator.A PowerPoint file with workshop slides has been created to support facilitators. It is included as acompanion file to the IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide at http://betterevaluation.org/resources/guide/IDEAS Guide (see appendix 1 for details). If the PowerPoint will be used during the workshop,facilitators are encouraged to adapt it to suit. Guidance on the use of slides is included throughoutthe Facilitators’ Guide.IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide7
Structuring the workshop: A sample scheduleModuleTimeContentMinsDay 1Introduction9:00Official start time: Welcome people as theyarrive.159:15Presentation: Introduction of facilitatorsIntroduction, housekeeping.59:20Facilitation: Introductions by participantsPersonal introductions, introductions of projects.109:30Activity: Icebreaker159:45Facilitation or activity: Workshop guidelines59:50Presentation: Workshop schedule5(Optional activity: Expected outcomes)Module 1Module 28( 5)9:55Presentation: Overview of the IDEAS GuideCovering the objectives.510:00Presentation: Introduction to module 1:Understanding the role of evaluation andlearning in innovation1010:10Activity 1: Understanding which type of courseyou are travellingGroup activity using a spectrum on paper orcreating a physical line in the room.2010:30Activity 2: Considering the type of evaluationthat matches your learning pathwaysSmall group activity to reflect on the learningpathways and implications.2010:50Presentation and facilitation: Differencesbetween common thinking about evaluation andthe IDEAS Guide evaluation approach1011:00Facilitation: Wrap up511:05Morning tea1511:20Presentation: Introduction to module 2:Defining your project goals and priorities10IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide
Module 3Module 4Module 511:30Activity 1: What are you trying to do?Statements about future change.2011:50Activity 2: How are you trying to do it?Group sorting and ranking to understandcomponents.4512:35Facilitation: Wrap up1012:45Lunch301:15Presentation: Introduction to module 3:Understanding the people connected to theproject (stakeholders)101:25Activity: Stakeholder mappingIn small groups create a map of stakeholders.301:55Facilitation: Wrap up102:05Presentation: Introduction to module 4:Stakeholder participation and communication102:15Facilitation: Engaging different kinds ofexpertise, and culture and customs102:25Activity: Thinking about your engagement andcommunication stylesBuilding on the stakeholder map to clarifythe appropriate ways to communicate withstakeholders.302:55Facilitation: Wrap up103:05Afternoon tea153:20Presentation: Introduction to module 5:Doing the right thing by the people involvedwith the project (ethics)153:35Activity 1: Risks in media and communicationprojectsDiscussing ethics in relation to a series ofexamples.304:05Activity 2: Considering your own project’sethical risksGroup work on potential ethical risks.304:35Facilitation: Wrap up(Note: There is a 15-minute buffer in case ofrunning late.)105:00Finish day 1IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide9
Day 2Module 6Module 7Module 8109:00Official start time(Ideally you should start on time, especially ifpunctuality was discussed during expectationsand workshop guidelines on day 1. However, theschedule allows for an extra 5 minutes.)9:05Facilitation: Welcome back, recap of day 1Sharing of one key thing that stood out from day 1.Presentation: Introduction to day 2, introductionof the concept of ‘data’159:20Presentation: Introduction to module 6:Planning data-use109:30Activity 1: Uses and users of evaluation data109:40Presentation: Introduction to the data-usecalendar109:50Activity 2: Data-use calendar3010:20Presentation: Introduction to the learning loop510:25Facilitation: Wrap up1010:35Morning tea1510:50Presentation: Introduction to module 7:Asking the right questions1011:00Activity 1: Thinking again about the uses andusers of evaluation511:05Activity 2: Specifying the key evaluationquestions3011.35Facilitation: Wrap up1011:45Presentation: Introduction to module 8:Planning information and data collection511:50Presentation: Tracking project activities andachievements (‘monitoring’)511:55Activity 1: Creating a monitoring planGroups create a monitoring plan using thetemplate provided.1512:10Presentation: Capturing the unexpected512:15Activity 2: Choosing evaluation methods usingmethods cardsGroups match methods to key questions.30IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide
Module 9Module 10Conclusion12:45Lunch301:15Facilitation: Discussion of ethics in datacollection and evaluation151:30Activity 3: Compiling an evaluation planGroups transfer decisions made into the matrixprovided.201:50Facilitation: Wrap up102:00Presentation: Introduction to module 9:Making sense of data52:05Facilitation: Managing data52:10Presentation: Making sense of data52:15Activity: Workshop evaluationCompleting a workshop evaluation questionnaire.202:35Activity: Analysing workshop evaluation dataAnalysing questionnaire responses as a group.303:05Activity: Creating a data management andanalysis plan103:15Facilitation: Wrap up103:25Afternoon tea153:40Presentation: Introduction to module 10:Reporting and sharing103:50Presentation and facilitation: Traditional andinnovative reporting options53:55Activity: Choosing reporting options usingreporting cardsGroups go through and decide which optionsthey would like to use.254:20Facilitation: Wrap up104:30Facilitation: Reflection on key insights and wrap up(Note: There is a 15-minute buffer in case ofrunning late.)155:00Finish day 2Day 39:00 - 12:30Finalising evaluation plans.Appointments with facilitators.IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide11
Preparation for workshop: A checklistPrinting IDEAS Guide:o One copy per participant.o Printing instructions: A4, double-sided, colour printing (black and white printing may alsobe manageable if this is the only option; however, pay attention to colour-coding inmodules 2 and 7).o Binding options: guides can be spiral-bound; hole-punched and inserted into a ring-folder;or each module can be stapled together at the top left corner and kept together in amanila folder or something similar. Methods cards and reporting cards:o One copy per team/organisation (available at http://betterevaluation.org/resources/guide/IDEAS Guide).o Printing instructions: A4, single-sided, colour printing (black and white printing may also bemanageable if this is the only option).o Fold each sheet in half along the dotted line to form cards. Printed copies of the workshop schedule in appendix 2/downloadable files from http://betterevaluation.org/resources/guide/IDEAS Guide (one for each participant). Printed copies of the workshop evaluation questionnaire in appendix 5/downloadable files S Guide(one for each participant). Printed calendar template for each team/organisation. These can be downloaded andadapted from http:
4. IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide. Overview of the IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide. What is this guide for? The . IDEAS Facilitators’ Guide provides briefing notes on how you, as a facilitator, can support small-grant recipients to use the IDEAS Guide to clarify their project design, and to plan and manage their evaluation.
A well-developed training strategy and skilled facilitators are crucial for the success of the LDP, and this guide has been developed to assist facilitator trainers in all aspects of developing LDP facilitators. This guide will explain the objectives of the 13 workshop sessions, describe needed preparations, and outline
Data facilitators should use this program to transfer records from one county to another once it has been verified that the child moved. Only data facilitators should request that a child's record be transferred to another county within CHRIS. On-Site Support Data facilitators serve as the users' primary contact for program-related issues and
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Section 2 Evaluation Essentials covers the nuts and bolts of 'how to do' evaluation including evaluation stages, evaluation questions, and a range of evaluation methods. Section 3 Evaluation Frameworks and Logic Models introduces logic models and how these form an integral part of the approach to planning and evaluation. It also
The guide includes information on how a course is de-signed, how to organise a course, how to adapt the material, and tips that will help make your course a success. This guide does not cover designing training material. There is a separate guide that covers this subject and should be read and used in conjunction with this Facilitators’ Guide.
7 Concise Guide to the train of the trainer (TOT) on the GO Program/workshop evaluation There must be a survey postworkshop established locally to be completed by the facilitators/ co-facilitators of that specific TOT on the Go workshop. A copy
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