Week 6: Monitoring & Evaluation -> are we making an impact?

Posted on October 14, 2012 by cogdog — No Comments ↓

Introduction> impact – realization of changes and innovations

The final i is for impact; the realization of the changes and innovations. If we care about impact, we need ways to know if impact has happened. We need to pay attention. This week we’ll look at ways to monitor and assess the success of the online interactions and spaces you have been researching and explore the value propositions we started with in the first two weeks. (Note: because it has taken us a while to get clarity on the projects, it might be good to revisit the PURPOSE of the phase you are exploring. For example, in the innovation phase, the purpose is to gather requirements and ideas for product X).

There are lots of lofty claims about the power of the internet for groups and networks. How do we assess that claim? How do we assess it for open and innovative design?

Discussion #6 :

There are many tools to help assess activity expressed through social media. This week we will have an Interview with Beth Kanter on social media metrics and explore how do these help us discern the health of our communities and networks? Or not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdad5u0NHto Pay particular attention to her comments towards the end of the recording about a THEORY OF CHANGE. Could you articulate a theory of change for the thing(s) you are researching?

Teamwork Activity #6:

Assess your project progress to date and explain your monitoring and evaluation approach of your own teamwork. Then look at the site(s) you are researching. What quantitative measures might be used/are used on the site you are researching? What qualitative measures? Would the results you are finding be acceptable to an organization or business looking to sponsor such a community? Why or why not? How might the site facilitators/owners/sponsors use monitoring and evaluation for iterative improvement? The results of this inquiry will be part of your final report. Please post your draft findings and tag appropriately.

You should also be thinking about how you want to create/produce/share your final product, which is a presentation of 8 minutes or less. Remember what we have been saying about the narrative, or story, that you are giving your NGO “client.” You want to be able to share with them what you learned about your phase of the design cycle and if they should/should not consider it for their product and work.

By production, we mean what tools will you use to put together something that can be shared on the web. Audio, video, images, text… whatever! Here is a hint. Look at Alan Levine’s blog, http://www.cogdogblog.com –> TONS of ideas!

If you want to request a team meeting with any of the tutors, SCHEDULE IT! (Please note that Nancy is on the road from Oct 17 – Nov 1 and is a little less available!)

Personal Blog Reflection Prompt #6:

Reflect on your contribution to your team’s project to date and get feedback from at least one other member in a response to your reflective post. How would you monitor and evaluate your own learnings so far? The learnings of your team? The whole class?