Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 4 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 4(2023)

• The Supporting Level focuses on disseminating knowledge in the field of evaluation and facilitating the exchange of experiences through community gatherings, modeled after the PROOcenku Club meetings.

For seasoned evaluators — those who have either conducted external evaluations, coordinated such evaluations, or commissioned them — an Evaluation Institute has been established.

“When we conceived this educational program, we consulted with legal experts and the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. Our aim was to amalgamate expertise from various fields, including sociology, fundamental and applied sociological research, and financial consulting. After all, evaluation is all about determining effectiveness,” explains Irina Reshta, Project Coordinator at InA-Center Association and Vice President for Program Affairs at Siberian Center Holding.

The architects of this project conducted an indepth analysis of the educational landscape for evaluators in Russia, identifying two primary groups of prospective clients for their training programs. On the one hand, there are those who seek concise training. Often, individuals in this category lack a precise understanding of which competencies to develop. On the other hand, there are specialists who desire more extensive, long-term training, complete with guidance, support, and direct interaction with educators. These individuals are willing to invest in their education, yearning to become part of a professional community, and they possess a clear understanding of which competencies they need to reinforce and what contemporary knowledge they need to acquire.

By July 2024, the project’s organizers plan to train 100 NGO employees in Russia, with state education documents issued for them.

“PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN VARIOUS PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS” CATEGORY

In this category, we also have three winners: Natalia Kosheleva, Irina Efremova-Garth, and Vladlen Zamorsky.

Natalia Kosheleva, a consistent contributor and expert for the Positive Changes Journal, a featured guest on the Positive Changes Factory podcasts, and a board member of the Association of Program and Policy Evaluators (ASOPP), received her award with gratitude towards the magazine’s editorial team and the Positive Changes Factory for providing a platform to discuss the topic of evaluation.

“Thanks to the Positive Changes Journal, I have authored articles in Russian about two evaluation methodologies — Outcome Mapping[53] and Outcome Harvesting.[54] I’ve also had the opportunity to discuss these methodologies on the journal’s podcasts.[55] Subsequently, I mustered the courage to conduct a webinar on the same topic during the ASOPP conference. The response was heartening, with people expressing relief that we’ve finally introduced a methodology suitable for their projects. This is truly gratifying for me, as I typically feel reserved about discussing matters I haven’t personally crafted. Sharing insights into these methodologies represents progress for me, and it has proven to be beneficial to others,” Natalia Kosheleva remarked.

Irina Efremova-Garth, another regular contributor and expert of the magazine, and the Director of Sustainable Development at Mobius Technologies, has used the pages of Positive Changes to delve into the perspectives of grant-making organizations on evaluation in the present and future.[56] She has also shared her views on the role of knowledge and knowledge management practices within philanthropic organizations,[57] in addition to providing insights into the professionalization of evaluation in both Russia and globally.[58]

In her response, Irina noted the burgeoning interest in social impact assessment and introduced a synonym for the word “impact” — “transformation,” as suggested by participants at a conference in Karachay-Cherkessia.

“Impact revolves around the image we aspire to create. We recognize the paramount importance of visualizing this image. If you embark on a venture armed with a clear vision of your intended outcomes, you can subsequently gauge whether you’ve reached your desired destination. I believe ’transformation’ serves as an excellent synonym for ’impact,’ and I encourage everyone to embrace it,” expressed Irina Efremova-Garth.

Irina also emphasized that social impact assessment is gaining increasing significance within the donor community. This is because the pool of available resources remains constant, while the responsibilities entrusted to decision-makers regarding programs and investment projects are incredibly huge.