Locally-Led Developmental Evaluation Advantages and Limitations: The Case of Headlight Consulting Services
By: Endashaw Beshir, Esrael Woldeyesus, Tseday Tilahun, Yitbarek Woldetensay, and Yomif Worku Introduction Development and humanitarian challenges are local in nature; hence, effective humanitarian and development assistance requires an inclusive approach that centers local actors throughout all aspects of the work (USAID, 2022; USAID Learning Lab, 2022). Locally-led development improves the participatory process and enhances
Being a DE Admin – How the Role Shifts When Focusing on Locally-Led DEs
By Chelsie Kuhn and Julie Mandolini-Trummel Now that we have reminded readers of what DEs are, when DEs are the right fit, and how to determine if their project is ready for a DE, we wanted to share a bit more about one of the essential roles for implementing a DE—the DE Administrator. This post
Is Developmental Evaluation a fit for all projects? (Part 2)
By Dr. Yitbarek Woldetensay, Developmental Evaluation Lead, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC. Introduction As described in our previous post, two essential questions need to be answered before deciding that Developmental Evaluation (DE) is the right fit for our project. The first question (Is DE the right fit for the proposed project?) was described in our last
Is Developmental Evaluation a fit for all projects? (Part 1)
By Dr. Yitbarek Kidane Woldetensay, SDRM-SI DE Team Lead, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC. Introduction No single evaluation approach is best for all projects, nor is there a “good enough” approach– matching an evaluation approach with a particular project is about finding the “right fit.” Choosing the right evaluation approach for the proposed project is crucial
What is a Developmental Evaluation? (101 Level)
By Julie Mandolini-Trummel, CLAME Specialist, and Alison Harrell, CLAME Specialist, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC This blog post is the first in a 3-part series on Developmental Evaluations. In Parts II and III of this blog series, we will explore how to identify if a DE is a good fit for your project/activity and how DE
Continuing Your Organizational Learning Journey with CLA
By Georgia Handforth, CLAME Associate, Headlight Consulting Services, LLCand Rebecca Askin, Senior CLAME Specialist, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC This blog is the third and final of a three-part mini-series on organizational learning and the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework. This is the third and final post of our three-part mini-series on Collaborating, Learning, and
Two Tools for Assessing and Leveling Up CLA in Your Everyday Work
By Georgia Handforth, CLAME Associate, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC This blog is the second of a three-part mini-series on organizational learning and the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework. Welcome back to our mini-series sharing Headlight’s experiences with Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA)! In the first post in this series, we talked about why CLA is
Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Practice and Insights at Headlight
By Georgia Handforth, CLAME Associate, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC This blog is the first of a three-part mini-series on organizational learning and the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework. Here at Headlight—and for many of our partners and peers—we spend our days digging into development work that is evidence-based, systems-aware, and locally-led. While most people
Reflections on Writing a USAID Performance Management Plan
By Maxine Secskas, CLAME Associate, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC This is the second in a 2-part series on USAID Performance Management Plans. This installment in our blog continues the discussion around USAID Performance Management Plans (PMP), begun in our previous post, What is A USAID Performance Management Plan?, which explored the history of PMPs to
What is a USAID Performance Management Plan?
By Maxine Secskas, CLAME Associate, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC This blog post is the first in a 2-part series on USAID Performance Management Plans. This blog post (and a subsequent post reflecting on our recent support in drafting a Performance Management Plan) is intended to inform and offer suggestions from our recent experience for those