The Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) framework

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The Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP)
framework
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Why use the TOP framework?

• Facilitates the systemization of project
  development.
• Provides mechanism to build in indicators from
  outset.
• Facilitates proposal assessment in terms of the
  feasibility of project results/impacts.

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What is the TOP Framework?

• The Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP)
  framework is an evaluative framework that can be
  used both to develop proposals and to evaluate
  project results.

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The framework has 7 levels that can be developed
downwards for the proposal and then evaluated
upwards for the results
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The global generic problem area should be defined
before starting work on the TOP framework
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The DOWNWARDS segment(Project Development)

• Needs assessment steps
• SEE Conditions
• Practices
• KASA
• Opportunity assessment steps
• Stakeholders
• Research
• Tasks
• Resources

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Needs assessment

• This is the planning stage
• This stage also provides the indicators for later
  project evaluation

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SEE Conditions

• Needs Assessment for long-term IMPACT
• S Social (class/gender/ethnic/religious
  minorities).
• E Economic (livelihoods, markets, trade).
• E Environmental (soil and water quality,
  biodiversity).
• Take all three dimensions into account.

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PRACTICES

• Analyze current practices at landscape system
  levels.
• Example
• Current practices around soil management of
  grazing land?
• Whose practices (mens/womens/the poor/which
  ethnic group)?
• Under what conditions are practices performed?
  (When? Using what resources and which techniques?)

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KASA Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, Aspirations

• Identify stakeholder populations
• Collect data to be used to establish a
  quantitative baseline on practices identified in
  previous step at the appropriate landscape
  systems levels.
• If possible use secondary data, otherwise carry
  out a survey

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Opportunity Assessment

• Take the above research plan
  
  and work out how to adapt it
  to specific conditions on the ground
• (Proposal for full project)

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Step 1 stakeholder negotiation

• Identify stakeholders to establish research sites
• Negotiate with them to adapt problem statement to
  their circumstances.
• Example
• The three major problem areas we will address
  are
• Soil erosion in the watershed
• Over-usage of chemicals in farming practices
• Womens lack of access to technical assistance

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Step 2 Design research strategies

• Engage stakeholders to design research strategies
  to address identified problems
• Example
• Identify alternative strategies to reduce soil
  erosion together with farmers by changing
  burn-off practices, building bunds, planting
  trees/bushes
• Identify alternative pest control methods to
  reduce chemical usage
• Work with extension agencies to identify ways of
  improving services for women.

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Step 3 Task specification

• Together with stakeholders identify tasks and
  task assignments necessary to implement each
  strategy.
• Example
• Work with farmers to test alternatives
• Train extension agents
• Build bunds

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Step 4 Identity resources for the budget

• Collaboratively consider the resources you will
  need for this.
• Example
• Training Personnel
• Administrative personnel
• Costs of training sessions
• Costs of inputs on farms
• Costs of farmer collaboration
• Supplies and Equipment

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The UPWARDS segment Project Evaluation

• Outputs
• Resources
• Tasks completed
• Research results
• Stakeholder reactions
• Impacts
• KASA
• Practices
• SEE Outcomes

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Outputs/Impacts

• Project outputs are directly under the control of
  the project
• Resources utilized,
• farmers/extension workers trained
• Impacts are the effect the project has produced
  on people, the economic situation and the
  environment
• These can be immediate, medium or long term

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Resources(Outputs)

• Were the resources available and utilized as
  planned?
• How relevant/necessary was each resource to your
  activities?
• How adequate?
• How well utilized?

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Tasks Completed (Outputs)

• Completed on schedule and as conceived?
• What went well?
• What problems did you have?

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Research Results (outputs)

• What reports, publications, additions to the
  knowledge database has your project produced?
• Did targeted stakeholders participate?
• Was a special effort made to integrate
  disadvantaged groups?

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Stakeholder Reactions (outputs)

• Were the stakeholders satisfied?
• Were there significant differences among the
  different groups?
• What about the reactions of the disadvantaged
  groups?
• Were everyones concerns addressed?

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KASA Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, Aspirations
(Impact)

• Conduct ex-post survey to compare with baseline
  data to assess short-term impact on these 4
  elements.

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Practices (Impact)

• If you found significant impacts at the KASA
  level, practices should have changed
  correspondingly.
• In this step you assess these changes.
• Are they what you were looking for?
• Are the changes across the board?
• Have some groups changed more?
• Why did this happen?

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SEE Outcomes (top level impact)

• Collect overall impact indicators at macro level
  in all three dimensions.
• Include all marginalized groups (women, children,
  religious and ethnic minorities, lower classes,
  poor, uneducated) in social and economic
  assessments.
• Quantify environmental benefits (direct and
  indirect measures).

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Overall impact of the TOP framework on SANREM

• Use of TOP framework by all projects will ensure
  consistent proposal evaluation.
• Its use will facilitate MEs evaluation of
  overall project results.
• It will help integrate indicators across
  projects.
• This will allow for clear and compact reporting.

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Across-the-Board Reconciliation

• When all the projects to be funded are identified
  the ME and TC will sit down with all teams to
  identify similarities at multiple levels, and
  also to locate cross-cutting themes and
  indicators.