Other feedback initiatives
Client assesment
The microfinance sector has developed substantial common methods on 'client assessment' to manage and report their performance. A suite of tools has been developed, drawing on impact assessment and market research methods, including client satisfaction.
A 2001 handbook commented "The first rule with all [of these tools] is ADAPT! ... Each tool must be adapted to the specific circumstances in which it will be applied." A major microfinance network has a working group currently developing common reporting standards.
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Measuring empowerment
A social movement in Bangladesh works with groups of poor people on issues including land rights. They developed a performance framework with indicators for performance at 3 levels across 4 areas. In 2006, over 6,800 groups assessed themselves using the framework. Assessments have been carried out annually.
Groups find the process useful to develop action plans and make demands on service deliverers. The organisation uses the results to monitor progress and assess individual field staff. They report measures to their donors like "79%, 69% and 48% of groups were able to access their full entitlements to education, health and social welfare programs respectively".
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Listen First
"Listen First" is a draft set of tools that development organisations can use to manage how accountable to the people they serve. It is based on a 4 x 4 framework, which sets out flexible performance standards across 4 areas: providing information, involving people in making decisions, listening and staff attitudes.
The approach generates feedback from local people and field staff using the framework and aims to generate dialogue for improvement. It aims to measure the level of participation actually achieved.
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The Outcomes Star
The Outcomes Star is a tool for measuring the outcomes of work with homeless people in the UK. It is based on ten 'outcome areas', such as: physical health, self care and living skills, managing money and others. Homeless people mark their position on a scale of 1 - 10 for each area, in dialogue with care workers.
The approach has been widely adopted in the UK, with over 90 organisations signing up to use it. The approach is being adatped for other areas of welfare provision.
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Grantee Feedback
The same approach has been applied to getting feedback from grant-recipients on donors.
In the US, the Center for Effective Philanthropy pioneered the approach: using a standard survey to generate quantitative data on grantees' perceptions of how donors work with them.
DARA has used the approach to develop the Humanitarian Response Index, based on grant-recipients rating official humanitarian organisations against indicators from the Good Humanitarian Donorship principles.
Keystone has applied the approach in Africa, generating comparative feedback from grantees of African grant-makers to benchmark performance.
Try it yourself using Keystone's free feedback app!
