M&E of think tanks' influencing efforts

Monitoring and Evaluation of Think Tanks' 'Influencing' Efforts Contacts and links Possible example for a think tank based on a Senior Management, Programmes and Projects structure Questions What is the theory of change in my context? Enrique Mendizabal
Founder onthinktanks.org
@onthinktanks

enrique@mendizabal.co.uk Develop a Pathway of Change Decide which indicators to measure Choose the most relevant monitoring tools Reflection and
Evaluation Significant changes in policies and institutions only take place when all conditions come together at the same time
(Baumgarter, Jones) Changes in policies take place as a result of the coordinated actions of coalitions of individuals and organisations who share the same values and interests
(Sabatier, Jenkins-Smith) Changes happen when windows of opportunity open and leaders and social entrepreneurs are able to connect two or more components of the political process: the way in which the problem is defined, the solution or the political climate that defines the issue (Kingdon) Policies change when the preferences of individuals change as a consequence of the way in which proposals and options are presented and framed
(Tversky y Kahneman) Changes in policies take place as a result of the actions and ways in which elites manage political, economic and knowledge-based power (C.Wright Mills, Grindle) http://jbogarphotography.com/page3.htm Economy Efficiency Effectiveness The politics of change The information and assumptions made about the Theory of Change and the Change Pathways of our interventions Changes in the context (expected and unexpected) The relevance and value of our interventions Revise your Change Pathways How are we going to contribute to this process? How can we monitor both the theory of change and our proposed change pathway? But based on a sound theory of change ongoing dialogue Journals and logs Analysis and
learning Annual Think Tank Review But don't just retro-fit it:
nobody wins