Outcome Mapping Workshop

Outcome Mapping Workshop

On April 12-14, 2011, four groups — the Nova Scotia Advisory Commission on AIDS, the Nova Scotia Participatory Food Costing Project, Activating Change Together for Community Food Security, and the Department of Health and Wellness’ Innovation Support Team — came together at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia to learn about Outcome Mapping.

Outcome Mapping facilitator Terry SmutyloThis three-day hands-on workshop introduced the group to the concepts of Outcome Mapping and offered participants the opportunity to apply it to their projects. Facilitated by Terry Smutylo, one of the pioneers of Outcome Mapping globally, everyone agreed that this workshop offered a practical, realistic, and exciting approach to evaluation that is meaningful in participatory projects, and when working towards social change.

Below you will find information on: what Outcome Mapping is; 10 videos harvested from the workshop with facilitator Terry Smutylo, that highlight the the first seven steps of Outcome Mapping; biography of Learning Facilitator Terry Smutylo and additional resources on Outcome Mapping;

What is Outcome Mapping?

Outcome mapping is a new approach to planning international development work and measuring its results….The method focuses on measuring changes in the behaviour of the people with whom a [development] initiative works most closely. Outcome mapping limits its concern to those results – or “outcomes” – that fall strictly within the program’s sphere of influence.

Ben Ramalingum and Sarah Earl, Outcome Mapping Learning Community Brochure

 

Outcome Mapping is:

  • A participatory method for planning, monitoring and evaluation;
  • Focuses on changes in behaviour of those with whom the project or program works; and
  • Oriented towards social change & organizational learning.

Terry Smutylo, Outcome Mapping Workshop, April 12-14, 2011

Outcome Mapping Video:

 

Terry Smutylo, Learning Facilitator:

Terry Smutylo created International Development and Research Centre’s (IDRC) Evaluation Unit in 1992, serving as its Director, until his retirement. He has since worked as a Special Advisor to IDRC, on the faculty of International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET), as an outcome mapping facilitator, and as an independent evaluation consultant with international research and development organizations.

He specializes in methods that empower stakeholders, promote learning, and focus on outcomes in project, program, and strategic evaluations. While with IDRC, he led teams that developed several internationally recognized methodologies, including organizational self-assessment and outcome mapping. He has conducted evaluations, provided training, and facilitated organizational development for development organizations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Additional Resources on Outcome Mapping:

  • Outcome Mapping Facilitation Manual.
    Sarah Earl, Fred Cardon, and Terry Smutylo (2001).
    International Development Research Centre, Ottawa.This is an excellent and accessible resources, providing an overview of Outcome Mapping in a step-by-step fashion, along with a facilitation guide for you to use with your project.
    Download: http://outcomemapping.ca/resource/resource.php?id=269
  • Online International Community of Practice
    This online community includes discussion forums, many free downloadable resources, and the opportunity to connect with others using Outcome Mapping around the world. You can also subscribe and post any of your work / work-in-progress as a shared resource.
    @ www.outcomemapping.ca.

 

Our thanks to Terry Smutylo, Jeff Harper, Katrina Ross, Satya Ramen, Mount Saint Vincent University, the four organizations, all the participants of the workshop, and the NS Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism for financial support.