IDT MELIA session

27.10.21

Content

1. PRMF & MELIA - overview
2. CGIAR results framework - recap
3. Proposal template: MELIA section content
4. MELIA guidance
1. Result framework
1. Impact
2. Action Area outcomes + indicators
3. Initiative outcomes + outputs + indicators
2. MELIA Narrative
3. MELIA activity/study table
5. Support & Resources

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Performance and Results Management Framework & MELIA

Accountability:

• Provide transparent, timely, robust evidence of CGIAR’s outputs, outcomes, impacts, return on investment, and related risk to achieve this

Learning:

• Improve performance and manage risk effectively over time, based on experience,
• Adaptive management,
• Treating success and ‘intelligent failure’ with the same spirit of enquiry and openness,

Communications and resource mobilization:

• Provide evidence and content to help align, elevate and diversify the way that CGIAR approaches communications, advocacy and resource mobilization.

The PRMF supports CGIAR’s impact pathways through:

• Providing accurate and ready access to CGIAR results to enable uptake by partners and research users,
• Generating knowledge on CGIAR’s contributions to development, allowing partners and CGIAR to co-define clear roles for CGIAR within specific innovation systems and strategic partnerships,
• Providing evidence to inform decisions on impact-oriented investment in research and innovation,
• Building capacity to effectively manage performance

Please Note

1. Strongly recommend starting w ToC
• The results framework must match the results described in Initiative and Work Package Theories of Change (ToCs)
• The MELIA section must be built to provide empirical evidence in support of critical steps in the ToC.
2. Please treat this MELIA section as the starting point for future discussion and planning with new Units/Groups
• MELIA guidance and operationalization will be provided through CGIAR-wide functions in coordination with the Initiative level.
• Initiatives can benefit from a broad-brush results framework that clearly lays out results and key indicators but avoids restrictive detail. Such an approach can facilitate adaptive management, innovation, and—ultimately—better results.
• It is expected that collection of data against the CGIAR common impact indicators, and against the AA outcome indicators will happen in coordination with other Initiatives and projects in the portfolio.
• Information generated here should be directly compatible with completing section 2.2 Measurable three-year (End of Initiative) outcomes.
3. Support is available.

QoR4D

1. CGIAR results framework

CGIAR Impacts

5x Impact Areas

11x Targets

19x Indicators

Action Area

Initiative

Control

Interest

Outputs

Outcomes

Inc. End of Initiative outcomes

Outcomes

Influence

NOW

2030

2024

2022-2030

2. Proposal template section 6. MELIA

1. Result Framework

- table

2. MELIA Plan

– narrative (500 words)

3. Planned MELIA studies and activities

- table

The MELIA section has three components:

Following slides highlight key details of each section

The MELIA section of the Proposal template requires: Statement of Initiative-specific metrics related directly to the Initiative objectives; Statement of alignment with CGIAR Performance and Results Management framework and system; Plans for Initiative-level evaluation and impact assessment; Arrangements for internal learning.

1. Result framework - table

2. MELIA Plan – 500-word narrative

3. Planned MELIA studies and activities – table

TABLE A

3. Guidance – Initiative result framework – TABLE A - Impacts

• Based on TOC
• For each Impact Area, highlight the impact indicators that your Initiative will:
• Contribute to, and
• Will be able to contribute data towards
• If you don’t see an impact indicator matched to your Initiative, you can propose an impact indicator.
• Note that any proposed new impact indicators will be assessed for future inclusion in the CGIAR common impact indicator set.
• Add SDG target #s to each Impact Area

TABLE B

3. Guidance – Initiative result framework – TABLE B – AA outcomes

• Based on TOC
• Select your Initiative’s primary Action Area
• Select the Action Area outcomes and corresponding outcome indicators that your Initiative will:
• Contribute to, and
• Will be able to contribute data towards
• Think about your TOC’s causal logic in selecting indicators

TABLE C

3. Guidance – Initiative result framework – TABLE C – Initiative outcomes and outputs

1. Copy all results from your TOCs into the “Result” column noting that End of Initiative outcomes are the highest-level result used in TABLE C.
2. For each result, select a result type (outcome or output).
• Remember that you are not expected to define Initiative-specific impacts or higher –level AA outcomes in TABLE C (these have been covered in TABLES A & B).
3. Define an indicator for each result and include it in the “Indicator” column.
• Use the common indicator list above, noting that Initiative-specific indicators can be used if these are required and/or beneficial to understanding progress and contribution to impact, and do not fit easily within other standard categories.
4. Define a unit of measurement.
• Use generic number/percentage/area/weight/yield (tonnes/hectare), individual (person)/household/currency
5. Define geographic scope.
• Use global, regional (list region), country (list country or countries)
6. Define the indicator data source.
• Indicate if data is from Primary or Secondary source
• Clearly state name of data source
• Specify link to data source, where available

7. Define the data collection method (for Primary data only)
• Provide data collection method appropriate to the indicator and your field of research (e.g. key informant interviews, focus group discussions, observation, household interviews, household questionnaires)
8. Define the frequency of data collection
• Define how often data will be collected against the indicator using the data collection method (e.g. monthly, semi-annual, annual, mid-point/18 months)
9. Define baseline value (for outcomes only).
• If baseline value is not available, state ‘Not available’.
10. Define the baseline year (for outcomes only).
• If baseline year is not available, state ‘Not available’
11. Define the Target value
• All Target values must align with TOC
12. Define the Target year
• All Target year values should be within Initiative lifespan

Common Indicators

1. Capacity development:

Output: Number of people trained, long-term (including Masters and PhDs) and short-term, disaggregated by gender.

Outcome: Change in the capacity of key (i) Individuals, (ii) Organizations (government, civil society and private sector), and (iii) Networks (e.g. multi-stakeholder platforms).

Three levels:

(i) unrealized alignment and contribution to shared objectives

(ii) mid-point alignment and contribution to shared objectives

(iii) full alignment and contribution to shared objectives

2. Policies:

Outcome: Number of policies/ strategies/ laws/ regulations/ budgets/ investments/ curricula modified in design or implementation, informed by CGIAR research.

Three levels of maturity:

(i) research taken up by next user,

(ii) policy enacted,

(iii) evidence of impact on people and/or environment of the policy.

3. Innovations:

Output: Number of innovations

Outcome: Number of beneficiaries using the innovation, disaggregated by gender.

Outcome: Other quantitative measure of innovation use (e.g. area)

Stage of innovation:

i) end of research phase (discovery/proof of concept);

ii) end of piloting phase (if relevant);

iii) available for uptake;

iv) uptake by next user

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4. Data Assets (Information products):

Output: Number of peer reviewed journal papers

Output: Number of other information products

Outcome: Uptake of information product (including Altmetric score)

5. Initiative-specific indicators

Additional Initiative-specific indicators required and/or beneficial to understanding progress and contribution to impact that do not fit easily within other standard categories

Indicators referring to novel PRMF concepts such as Innovation Packages, Scaling Readiness and Projected Benefits

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• Full indicator description sheets will be developed.
• Use current set of information as starting point.
• Support available.

Guidance: MELIA Plan – 500-word narrative

• It is expected that collection of data against the CGIAR common impact indicators, and against the AA outcome indicators will happen in coordination with other Initiatives and projects in the portfolio.
• Support available.

Guidance: TABLE D: Planned MELIA studies and activities

To complete TABLE D:

1. Select the type of MELIA study or activity planned from the list provided
2. Link the MELIA study or activity to a result or indicator in Tables A, B, or C.
3. Define the anticipated year of completion (based on 2022-25 Initiative timeline. If part of the results will become available after 2025, please answer “2025 and beyond”)
4. List any co-delivery with other Initiatives (name of Initiative, joint impacts, outcomes)
5. Describe how the MELIA study or activity will inform management decisions and contribute to internal learning

Type of study or activity:

1. Causal Impact Assessment learning studies

2. Adoption or diffusion studies addressing learning questions on the ToC

3. Tracing of scaling activities & policy advice, as base for long-term, large scale impact studies

4. Qualitative Outcome Study (mainly to substantiate contribution to policy or similar)

5. Program/project evaluation or review

6. Ex-ante, baseline and/or foresight study

7. Scaling Readiness Assessment study

8. Other MELIA activity (please specify)

Support and Resources

• performanceandresults@cgiar.org
• MEL COP
• IA COP

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• MELIA guidance including current version of CGIAR Results Framework
• Performance and Results Management Framework
• PRMF core concepts presentation
• Indicator support presentation – narrated
• Current Results dashboard
• SDG indicators

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Thank you

Housekeeping – partner data standardization

Housekeeping – partner data standardization

1. What -  Improved partner data gathering and cleaning for batch 2
2. Why we do this and what we gain from it - Standardized partnership data for efficiency and as a basis for network analyses (e.g. CGIAR Initiatives Analysis) for IDTs, Science Global Directors, Regional Directors, Action Area technical teams and other stakeholders, like System Council, for strategic partnership coordination and management. 
3. Support offer to IDTs 
1. We build on the clean list of partners from the pre-concept/investment plan where you have already listed partners
2. We update the pre-concept data to align it with your full proposal submission
3. We generate a spreadsheet containing your Proposal partnership data for further portfolio-level analysis
4. Need to confirm before 16th Nov. 2021.
5. We will liaise with you for validation and filling of any info gaps. 
4. What will be required from the IDTs
• To access this support please share with us any drafts of your proposal before 16th Nov. 2021, esp. the sections where you mention partners or a link to a shared (work in progress) full proposal document, e.g. mainly under Impact Statements, narratives for Work Package TOCs. 
• We will need full names of partner (vs just an acronym) and a website would be useful if it is a new partner that we will add to the central CGIAR partners database
• Alternatively, if you think it useful we can share the cleaned database from your Initiative’s pre-concept for your updating - TBC by IDTs who think this is useful. link to Database (from the pre-concept)