LO 1 UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT.

RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT (RBM) is a broad management strategy that is used as a

means to improve management effectiveness and accountability by using a transparent
and participatory approach in defining realistic expected results related to a strategic
intent; monitoring progress towards the achievement of expected results and evaluating
performance; and reporting and integrating lessons into management decisions. It is
defined as orienting all action and use of resources towards achieving clearly defined
and demonstrable results.
Reasons to use results-based management:
►performance expectations jointly set out and owned by stakeholders
►clear accountabilities assigned for results
►risks to performance monitored and addressed
►timely performance information available for decision making
►improved performance reporting to stakeholders
►improved efficiency and effectiveness

Key elements of results-based management:

►focusing the dialogue on results at all phases of the development process
►aligning programming, monitoring, and evaluation with results
►keeping measurement and reporting simple
►managing for, not by results
►using results information for learning and decision-making
LO 2 EXPLAIN WHAT A RESULT IS.

RESULT is an observable, describable or measurable change in a state or condition, which

is typically derived from a cause and effect relationship. There are three types of such
changes – outputs, outcomes and impact. The changes can be intended or unintended,
positive and/ or negative.

Results may:
►appear within a short time or take years to be fully realised
►be planned or unforeseen
►be either positive or negative
►be reflected at the level of individuals, groups or society

LO 3 DISCUSS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESULTS, IN THE CONTEXT OF STRATEGIC

MANAGEMENT.
RESULTS CHAIN is a sequence for a development intervention that stipulates the necessary
sequence to achieve desired results. It is made up of five key elements, namely inputs, the
activities, the outputs, the outcomes, and the impacts. A results chain depicts in a graphic
manner the relationship between results on the one hand, (outputs, outcomes, and
impact) and the resources (inputs and activities) necessary for achieving them, on the
other.

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 inputs activities outputs outcomes impacts

INPUT describes a resource (human, material, physical, or financial) that is required for the
execution of the programme or project activities.
ACTIVITIES generally relate to the process of transformation or consumption of the inputs,
which is aimed at generating an output. They are the actions taken or work performed,
through which inputs, such as funds, technical assistance, and other types of resources,
are mobilised to produce specific outputs.
OUTPUTS are changes in skills or abilities and capabilities of individuals or institutions, or the
availability of new products and services that result from the completion of activities
within a development intervention within the control of the organisation. They are
achieved with the resources provided and within the time period specified. They are the
immediate result of the consumption of resources and the completion of all programme
or project activities.

OUTCOMES represents institutional and behavioural changes in the lives of the targeted
beneficiaries of the outputs. Outcomes constitute the core benefits that the initiative or
strategy aim to realise and establishing outcomes will illustrate what success looks like. You
can have different types of outcomes, such as attitude/belief; knowledge/skill; behaviour;
and condition.

IMPACTS refers to the resultant improvement, usually in larger society, that is consequent
upon sustained outcomes.

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LO 4 CRAFT RESULTS THAT ENABLE EASE OF MEASUREMENT.

LO 5 DISCUSS THE ROLE OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION IN THE SCHEME OF STRATEGY

EXECUTION.

MONITORING is the on-going process by which regular information on the progress being
made towards the achievement of goals and objectives are generated.
Monitoring should assist to find answers to two basic questions:
(1) Are we taking the actions that we planned to take?
(2) Are we making progress towards achieving the results we set out to achieve?
EVALUATION is a time-bounded, assessment of either ongoing or completed endeavours
(strategic initiatives, programmes, projects, etc) to determine the extent to which they are
achieving stated results and contributing to decision-making.

Types of evaluations:
►performance-logic evaluation – This is usually focused on determining the strength and
logic of the causal model behind a policy, programme or project.
►implementation evaluation – This typically assesses the extent of congruence between
whatever was intended to be implemented and what actually happened.
►outcomes evaluation – This generally seeks to establish the effectiveness of
interventions. The primary aim is to determine if targeted groups have benefitted as
anticipated from the strategic intervention and if desired changes are being realised.
►impact evaluation – This is the classic evaluation that attempts to establish if there are
any changes in the broader population and the extent to which they can be attributed
to the strategic intervention executed.

LO 6 DIFFERENTIATE MONITORING FROM EVALUATION.

MONITORING EVALUATION
►monitoring is continuous – it happens on ►evaluation is periodic – only important
a daily basis milestones are evaluated
►monitoring involves documenting ►evaluation involves an in-depth analysis
progress of achievements
►during monitoring, data is collected ►during evaluation, data is collected
regularly and reported frequently periodically

Monitoring data does not provide the basis for attribution and causality for change.
Monitoring data also does not provide evidence of how changes are coming about or
that they are or are not occurring. Monitoring data, cannot address the strengths and
weaknesses in the design of the project, programme, or policy. To address these and
other important questions regarding the generation of appropriate results, evaluation
information is necessary.
LO 7 DEVELOP TECHNICALLY ACCEPTABLE INDICATORS FOR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT.

INDICATORS are instruments for the measurement of performance. They are basically the
quantitative or qualitative variables used to objectively determine the changes that are
being realized by an initiative.

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PERFORMANCE INDICATOR is a unit of measurement that specifies what is to be measured
along a scale or dimension. They are qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an
output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of a programme or
investment.

LO 8 DISCUSS DIFFERENT TYPES OF INDICATORS AND THE CRITERIA FOR INDICATOR

SELECTION.

Good indicators must satisfy the CREAM criteria:

►Clear – the indicator must be precise and unambiguous
►Relevant – the indicator must be appropriate to the subject at hand
►Economic – the indicator must be available at a reasonable cost
►Adequate – the indicator must provide a sufficient basis to assess performance
►Monitorable – the indicator must be amenable to independent validation

LO 9 DESCRIBE THE NEED FOR A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO STRATEGY EXECUTION.

LOGIC FRAMEWORK provides the skeleton or structure of an initiative. It usually gives a
clear picture of the initiative and how its elements (from beginning to end) are
systematically linked. It provides a common approach for integrating planning,
implementation and evaluation.
The framework is useful for:
►Mapping out programme elements, creating a fuller picture of what results and
approaches the programme team plans to be accountable for.
►Helping the programme team ‘keep their eyes on the ball’ by focussing on planning,
selection and implementation of activities that lend themselves to the achievement of
programme objectives.

Example: Logic Framework – Results Chain

Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

Trainers, ORT Lobby for the ORT units in Improved use Reduced
suppliers, Funds, establishment clinics, ORT of ORT for mortality rates
Participants of ORT units, information, managing for children
Conduct ORT ORT-competent childhood under give
awareness health diarrhoea, years old
campaigns, professionals, Reduced child
Train health ORT sachets morbidity
professionals in
ORT usage,
Procure and
distribute ORT
sachets

LO 10 EXPLAIN HOW TO UTILISE LOGIC FRAMEWORKS TO ENABLE BETTER STRATEGY

EXECUTION.

LO 11 DEVELOP A RESULTS CHAIN FOR ORGANISATIONAL INITIATIVES.

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LO 12 DEVELOP A LOGFRAME MATRIX FOR ORGANISATIONAL INITIATIVES.
LOGICAL FRAMEWORK APPROACH (LFA) is an results-based management tool for
systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programmes and
projects. The approach helps to identify strategic elements (activities, outputs, outcomes
and impacts) of a programme as a hierarchy of aims (or a results chain); their causal
relationships and the external factors that may influence the success or failure of the
programme. The main output of the LFA is the Log Frame Matrix (LFM).

LOG FRAME MATRIX (LFM) is a concise document that outlines the key features that lead
to a project achieving its goal. A log frame contains 20 cells organised into 5 rows and 4
columns (5 X 4 Matrix). The Log Frame Matrix is used to present information about results
and activities in a systematic and logical way.

LOG FRAME MATRIX

RESULTS AND OBJECTIVELY MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS

ACTIVITIES VERIFIABLE VERIFICATION
INDICATORS

X
IMPACT

OUTCOME

OUTPUTS

ACTIVITIES

OBJECTIVELY VERIFIABLE INDICATORS (OVI) are the quantitative measures that would
provide evidence of the extent to which intended activities, outputs, outcomes, and
impacts have been met and achieved. OVIs essentially enable the tracking of the
performance standard to be reached. The provide a basis for effective monitoring and
evaluation.

MEANS OF VERIFICATION are sources or means from which information related to

indicators can be obtained, such as project documents, field visits, publications, reports,
and ad-hoc studies. They tell us where we can find the data necessary to verify the
indicator measurement.

ASSUMPTIONS are the necessary and positive conditions that must continue to exist in
order for the cause-and-effect relationship between different levels of the hierarchy of
aims to subsist.

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Example: You work for a company named People Care. You have noticed employee
morale is low and you suspect that it is affecting customer satisfaction. You have been
tasked with creating an employee wellness centre to boost morale.

results and activities objectively means of assumptions

(in a test or exam, only list one verifiable verification (positive
thing in each column) indicators (in the form of a assumptions
(start from the bottom and work (must be document) that allow you
up) numerical) to move up to
the next level)
impact increased customer customer
(the impact of customer satisfaction survey report,
your outcomes, satisfaction, index, net profit financial
in this case will better statements
be increased company
customer performance
satisfaction)
outcomes physically-fit percentage of report of employees are
(what you want workplace, employees that physical fitness committed to
to achieve increased passed fitness tests, survey their work and
overall, in this employee tests, job report adopt a
case you want satisfaction satisfaction customer-
to boost percentages centric culture
employee
morale)
outputs functional number of visitors log, the centre is
(direct employee employees awareness utilised by
outcome of the wellness centre, using the assessment employees
activities) employees that wellness centre, report
are level of
knowledgeable awareness
about wellness about wellness
in the company
activities conduct number of project report employees buy-
(in this case it wellness workshops in to the
will be creating workshops, issue conducted, workshops and
a wellness wellness number of pay attention,
centre – will be packages, packages the wellness
given in the construct an issued, centre is
question) employee percentage equipped and
wellness centre completion of approved for
the wellness use, the CEO
centre project was happy with
building a
wellness centre

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LO 13 DESIGN APPROPRIATE MEASUREMENT TOOLS.
RESULTS MEASUREMENT MATRIX (RMM) is a tool for capturing results and reflecting progress
for purposes of reporting. The tool shows desired results, indicators, baselines, and targets.
The matrix explains how results are to be achieved, including causal relationships and
underlying assumptions and risks.
LO 14 DISCUSS THE PURPOSE OF BASELINES AND TARGETS FOR ORGANISATIONAL
INITIATIVES.
BASELINE is a qualitative or quantitative measurement of the state of an indicator at the
beginning of, or just prior to, the monitoring period. Baselines are the first critical
measurement of the indicators. A baseline is information gathered at the beginning of a
project or programme against which variations that occur in the project or programme
are measured.
TARGET is a specified objective that indicates the number, timing (and sometimes the
location) of that which is to be realised.

LO 15 TRACK AND DETERMINE PROGRESS OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES.

LO 16 APPLY RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT THINKING TO THE BALANCE SCORECARD.

Developed in the early 1990’s by Kaplan

and Norton, the BSC looks beyond
financial measures of performance and
recognises the importance of matters
related to internal business processes,
customers as well as learning and
growth within the overall scheme of
organisational performance.
BALANCE SCORECARD (BSC) is a
management tool that provides a
comprehensive picture of the extent to
which the organisation is progressing
towards or achieving its strategy goals.

A balanced scorecard is a strategic management performance metric that helps

companies identify and improve their internal operations to help their external outcomes.
It measures past performance data and provides organizations with feedback on how to
make better decisions in the future.
The Balance Scorecard enables organisations to:
►align business activities to its vision and strategy
►improve communications with external and internal stakeholders
►effectively monitor its performance against pre-set strategic goals

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There are four perspectives reflected in the Balance Scorecard:
(1) customers – views organisational performance from the perspective of the customer
or key stakeholders the organisation is designed to serve. Answers the question: how
should we appear to our customers?
(2) internal processes – views the quality and efficiency of an organisation’s performance
related to the product, services, or other key business processes. Answers the question:
what business processes must be excel in?
(3) financial – views an organisation’s financial performance and the use of financial
resources. Answers the question: how should we appear to our shareholders?
(4) learning and growth – views human capital, infrastructure, technology, culture, and
other capacities that are key to breakthrough performance. Answers the question: how
should we sustain our ability to change and improve?

CUSTOMERS
goals measures targets initiatives

INTERNAL PROCESSES
goals measures targets initiatives

FINANCIAL
goals measures targets initiatives

LEARNING AND GROWTH

goals measures targets initiatives

Each perspective has the following elements:

►goals – what the strategy is to achieve in that perspective
►measures – how progress for that particular goal will be measured
►targets – refer to the desired value that the company seeks to obtain for each measure
►initiatives – what will be done to facilitate the reaching of the target
PLEASE NOTE: I am selling the service provided in summarising this chapter and not the
intellectual property provided.

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