Articles & Publications

Evidence & Evaluation

The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is one of six federal tiered innovation and evidence initiatives that prioritizes evaluation and building evidence of effectiveness. The focus on evidence in SIF goes beyond confirming that the funded programs achieved their intended outcomes and impacts; it includes understanding how they are successful and how they can be improved. […]

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What Constitutes Strong Evidence of Program Effectiveness

The Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) was developed to assess the effectiveness of federal programs and help inform management actions, budget requests, and legislative proposals directed at achieving results. The PART examines various factors that contribute to the effectiveness of a program and requires that conclusions be explained and substantiated with evidence. The PART assesses

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When Scale Means Contraction: Putting Quality Considerations First

This article draws on several cases to build a performance assessment framework premised on an organization’s operational mission, scale, and scope. Not all organizations should measure their long-term impact, defined as lasting changes in the lives of people and their societies. Rather, some organizations would be better off measuring shorter-term outputs or individual outcomes. Funders

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Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don’t Agree with or Like or Trust

Often, to get something done that really matters to us, we need to work with people we don’t agree with or like or trust. Adam Kahane has faced this challenge many times, working on big issues like democracy and jobs and climate change and on everyday issues in organizations and families. He has learned that

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