Abdoulie Ceesay’s Post

Beyond the Expected: Using Outcome Harvesting to Deepen MSC In Monitoring & Evaluation, the Most Significant Change technique helps us capture powerful stories of transformation — often told from the perspective of those directly affected. But what about the changes we didn’t plan for? That’s where Outcome Harvesting comes in. By identifying and verifying outcomes after they occur, this approach allows us to uncover unintended, emergent, and even surprising shifts that MSC stories might hint at but not fully explain. Together, MSC and Outcome Harvesting offer a dynamic way to explore both the human experience of change and the broader ripple effects that follow. One captures the narrative, the other traces the impact. If you're looking to surface hidden outcomes and enrich your learning process, this pairing is worth exploring. #MonitoringAndEvaluation #MSC #OutcomeHarvesting #ImpactEvaluation #EmergentChange #LearningAndAccountability

🔗 A New Theoretical Synthesis: Bridging Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) and the Resource-Based View (RBV) For decades, organization theory and strategic management have evolved side by side — often addressing similar questions, yet rarely in direct dialogue. In our latest publication, we bring together RDT and the RBV to establish a new theoretical interface that bridges these two powerful frameworks. Our article integrates RDT’s external dependence explanations with RBV’s internal, capability-based logic, offering a more comprehensive understanding of how firms acquire, develop, and sustain competitive advantage. This synthesis reframes organizational dependence not merely as a constraint but as a strategic mechanism for developing new resources and capabilities. At the same time, it deepens the RBV by incorporating environmental dependence and power dynamics as key processes that explain how resources are actually obtained and evolved over time. Accordingly, the paper contributes to: Organization theory, by conceptualizing dependence relationships as inputs to competitive advantage creation; and Strategic management, by extending the RBV toward a process-based understanding of resource acquisition and renewal. 📖 Article: Bridging Resource Dependence Theory and Resource-Based View: A Theoretical Synthesis 📚 Journal: Management Decision (SSCI Q1, ABS 2) 👥 Authors: Oğuzhan Öztürk (Izmir Bakırçay University) & Mehmet Bağış (Sakarya University of Applied Sciences) 🔗 DOI: 10.1108/MD-05-2024-1071 We hope this study inspires new theoretical and empirical research at the intersection of organizational interdependence, resource orchestration, and dynamic capabilities. #StrategicManagement #OrganizationTheory #ResourceBasedView #ResourceDependenceTheory #DynamicCapabilities #TheoreticalIntegration #TheoryDevelopment #ResearchInnovation #EmeraldPublishing #ManagementDecision #SSCI #ABSList #AcademicResearch #KnowledgeCreation #MehmetBagis #OguzhanOzturk

The GEERM White Paper (Redacted Edition) - This version introduces the Grigg Enhanced Equilibrium Resilience Model (GEERM). It is a framework for visualising and measuring organisational resilience as a dynamic equilibrium between governance and risk. The redacted edition provides the full conceptual structure while reserving deeper technical and methodological content for research and academic request. You can read the paper here on LinkedIn. If you would like a secured full copy for research, training, or academic review, please message the GEERM page and a page admin will provide it directly. #Resilience #RiskGovernance #StrategicSecurity #SystemsThinking #GEERM #OrganisationalResilience

Bridging Policy Intention to Outcomes: Designing a Theory of Change That Delivers In humanitarian and development work, bright policy intent often falters when the logic linking intention to outcome is weak or opaque. That gap is where a well-crafted Theory of Change (ToC) or logic model plays its strategic role. When designing a ToC or logic model, start with backwards mapping (also known as back-casting): begin from the high-level policy goal and work backward through intermediate and immediate outcomes to identify what must happen and in what sequence. This helps ensure you don’t miss crucial preconditions or assumptions. Next, explicitly articulate the assumptions underlying each causal link. These are often the fragile connectors, what must hold true, what risks could disrupt the chain, and what contextual conditions must persist. Then, build a logic model (or more than one), a visual or narrative schematic of inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes drawing from the same causal logic as your ToC. The difference is that the logic model doesn’t always explain why each link holds; it offers a more operational view. Finally, link your ToC / logic model to monitoring and evaluation: choose indicators at each stage (short, medium, long term) so you can test whether the anticipated causal links hold in practice and be ready to revisit and adapt when they don’t. When done thoughtfully, a ToC becomes more than a planning tool. It becomes the narrative and methodological spine that connects your policy’s promise to measurable outcomes, while surfacing uncertainty and supporting learning. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eMgYFk5x #TheoryOfChange #LogicModel #PolicyToOutcomes #HumanitarianResearchToolkit #HumanitarianResearch #Evaluation #EvalYouth #APEA #MEL #EvalYouthAfghanistan #AfES #ProgramEvaluation #MonitoringAndEvaluation #PM #DataAnalysis #HumanitarianDecisionMaking #Reporting #Learning #AustralianEvaluationSociety #InternationalEvaluationAcademy #IAC #IPDET #EvaluationTraining #GlobalEvaluationInitiative #Sustainability #Agriculture #GlobalDevelopment #GenderEquity #YouthEmpowerment #Energy #ImpactAssessment #EvidenceBasedDecisions #LearningAndAccountability

In my work at Aleph Strategies as an evaluator, I see, read, and review a lot of theories of change (ToCs). Most of these change narratives often assume stability and linear progress, but in today’s volatile and uncertain world, that’s, almost obviously, no longer enough. We need to integrate futures and foresight methods into how we design and test our ToCs. Using foresight methods like scenario planning or horizon scanning pushes us to ask: 💡 What multiple futures could this theory encounter? 💡 How would our assumptions hold, or crumble, under disruption? 💡 What do we need to do now to prepare for the change in different scenarios? Stumbled upon an article offering tangible approaches to do exactly that. #foresight #theoriesofchange #evaluation #futures

📖✨ Happy National Dictionary Day! Like many fields, evaluation is full of jargon. Terms like evaluability assessment, logic model, or developmental evaluation can leave even seasoned professionals scratching their heads. That’s why we created the Eval Academy Dictionary — a growing resource that breaks down evaluation lingo into clear, practical definitions. Just straightforward explanations to help you feel more confident in your evaluation work. Whether you’re a program manager, evaluator, or just curious about the field, it’s a handy tool for brushing up on terminology and making evaluation more accessible. 🔎 Explore the dictionary here: https://loom.ly/BRZwwN4 #NationalDictionaryDay #Evaluation #EvalAcademy #ProfessionalDevelopment

Seeing Systems Through Time I chanced upon Hodgson and Midgley’s framing of systems thinking through the lens of time lately and was deeply struck by it. We often talk about boundaries in space, who and what is included in a system, but rarely about boundaries in time. Their “Three Horizons” model reminds us that improvement is never static. Horizon 1: sustaining what works today Horizon 2: navigating turbulence and disruption Horizon 3: transforming towards a new pattern of viability This resonates deeply with my own practice. About fifteen years ago, when we began incorporating original research literature into the crafting of Data-Based Questions, it was met with strong pushback. Many felt it was too demanding and too far from what students were ready for. Yet we believed that engaging with authentic scientific writing could deepen understanding and bridge the gap between school chemistry and real-world inquiry. Looking back, that moment of tension was our Horizon 2, turbulent, uncertain, and full of competing beliefs about what counted as “good assessment.” Today, such use of literature feels natural and necessary, a new Horizon 3 that has reshaped how we think about learning, thinking, and questioning. As educators, our challenge is not to choose one horizon over another, but to move fluidly between them, honouring what still serves while holding space for what wants to emerge. What if every curricular change we design began with awareness of which horizon it serves? And how might we nurture the conditions, in ourselves, our teams, and our learners, to navigate all three horizons with curiosity rather than fear? https://lnkd.in/gBQXKy5n #SystemsThinking #Foresight #ThreeHorizons #FutureOfEducation

Someone commented recently: “NBA, NAAC, NIRF, world rankings — all are a game of chakravyuh. They don’t change quality, just collect papers. Like makeup — looks good till it fades.” And that line stayed with me. Because yes — many institutions do get trapped. Endless reports, sudden audits, data without direction. But the real problem isn’t the system — it’s how we approach it. We keep chasing scores, not substance. If we shift that energy toward research, innovation, and faculty development — the same frameworks can become powerful engines of growth. That’s exactly why we built our Publication Accelerator — to help institutions and faculty publish quality research that drives real impact, not just documentation. Because the only way out of the chakravyuh… is through learning, collaboration, and meaningful research. Keep learning. Keep building. Keep moving forward.

It was a great experience to contribute to the research project "Clienting in Mega Projects: Beyond Outputs, Towards Outcomes" led by Prof. Jeni Giambona and A/Prof Nicholas Dacre (PhD, FAPM) at the University of Southampton Business School. The report looks at mega projects, the reasons they might succeed or fail, bringing together theory and practice, synthesizing academic ideas with professional insights. The end result is a comprehensive framework that can guide client organisations in improving the results of mega projects. You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dakfnnTs #projectmanagement #majorprojects #research #projectsuccess #businessschool

🎯 Impact Evaluation as an Instrument of Development Policy In the world of development, one question always matters the most: 👉 “Did our program actually make a difference?” That’s where RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trials) come in one of the most powerful tools for Impact Evaluation. An RCT is a scientific method used to test whether an intervention such as a new teaching approach, agricultural practice, or social program truly creates positive change. Participants are randomly divided into two groups: 🎓 Treatment group: receives the new intervention. ⚖️ Control group: continues as usual. By comparing the outcomes, researchers can identify the real impact of a policy or project, free from bias and assumptions. In this way, Impact Evaluation serves as an instrument of development policy, helping decision-makers design strategies that are evidence-based, efficient, and equitable. “Good policies are built on good evidence and RCTs help us find that evidence.” #ImpactEvaluation #RCT #DevelopmentPolicy #EvidenceBased #Research #SocialImpact #Learning #RuralDevelopment #DataDriven