The document describes the Improve it Framework, which was developed by BOND and adapted for presentation at the Good Practice in Education conference. The framework provides a way for NGOs to measure and communicate their effectiveness in international development work, focusing on the education sector. It includes indicators across thematic areas and ways of working, as well as a Domains of Change Framework for Education that outlines key outcomes in education policy, management, teaching and learning. Over 150 people from 77 organizations contributed to developing the framework.

1. Improve it Framework – education theme
Prepared by BOND and adapted by Gabriela Dib for presentation at the
Good Practice in Education conference – Edinburgh, April 27th, 2012.
bond.org.uk

2. The Bond Effectiveness Programme (BEP)
…a three year process of supporting UK NGOs in improving how they assess
and demonstrate their contribution to social development; this involves
• Developing agreement and supporting implementation of a sector wide
framework of shared indicators and data collection tools (Improve it
Framework); and an online effectiveness self-assessment and
resource portal (organisational health check).
• Building knowledge and skills to support members to measure and
manage effectiveness and value for money
• Creating an enabling environment that encourages and supports
organisations to deliver improvements in their effectiveness
bond.org.uk 2

3. Contributors to the BEP
Partners of the BEP:
bond.org.uk 3

4. The Improve it Framework
What is it?
• A framework grounded in the distinctive contributions that
UK NGOs make to international development that will support
organisations to measure and communicate their
effectiveness robustly and consistently.
• Across ‘thematic areas’ and ‘ways of working’ it asks: What
should we assess? How should we assess? And, what
should we communicate?
Why are we developing it?
• Developing robust, cost effective methods to measuring
effectiveness is a collective challenge for UK NGOs
• UK NGOs need to start telling a more robust story at sector level as well as at
organisational level about the contribution they make to international development
Who is involved?
•155 people from 77 organisations (bond, NIDOS & CADA members, PPA
agencies, Comic Relief grantees) bond.org.uk 4

5. De
on go liver
isi th,
ec r od y o
i g d e No lly
n h
s& fe
nc n t lob
a the serv ssen
lue i g po ices tial
Inf kers and or to
a th
m ou Principles of
S
assessing effectiveness
Voice
Inclusion
co so
e
Transparency
Bui pport t in th
mm ciety ing civ
Utility
Stre
th ity
lic
e S actio
g or
un
Triangulation
elo orth
Pub
n
ngt
f
ou t
e
Contribution
pm
N
hen
Appropriateness
h
ldin
and il
s u
dev
n in
South
institutions in the
organisation and
Developing

6. Domains of Change Framework for Education
Outcomes
a) Laws, policies and practices b) Adequate resources are allocated c) Performance in
are in place that support quality and adequate teachers recruited and education is monitored
education that is accessible for trained for the provision of quality at a national and local
all children education for all level
Outcomes
Outcomes 2
a) School management
a) Mothers, fathers and other Governments and committees exist and manage
caregivers support all their other mandated bodies schools effectively
children to access education
ensure all children b) School managers access,
b) Communities actively support access quality manage, and deploy resources
and participate in children’s education in an effective and transparent
education way
6 3
c) CSOs support and advocate for c) Teachers, resources and
improved education for all infrastructure are in place to
Communities actively Schools are well
support the education support education
managed, safe and well
of all children d) Schools are safe and
resourced
healthy environments for girls
1) All children and boys
access quality
education where
Outcomes
they learn useful
knowledge and a) Teaching is high quality,
Outcomes
skills child-centred and child-
friendly
a) Children participate in a b) Teachers deliver a full
meaningful way in decisions that 5 4 allocation of lessons
affect their education c) Teachers are trained and
b) Children participate in their All children participate All children receive supported to deliver high
own and others’ learning in their education and their full allocation of quality teaching
in school life high quality teaching d) The curriculum is relevant
c) Children have a positive
and appropriate
attitude towards education
e) Teaching supports equality
and empowerment

7. Domain 3: Schools are well managed, safe and well resourced
Outcome 3a: School management committees exist and manage schools effectively
Indicators Tools
School committees exist and function The Right to Education indicators and form for section 9: right to transparent and
•# and % of schools with a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) accountable schools covers the functioning and representativeness of the PTA, the
•Level of activity of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) functioning and representativeness of the SMC, the monitoring of the school
•# and % of schools with a School management committee (SMC) budget and the inspections and review of the school’s performance.
•Level of activity of the School management committee (SMC)
•# and % of schools where the roles and responsibilities of school committees are The Plan UK child friendly tool Section 1: School management
clearly defined
•# and % of schools where school management have played their roles and fulfilled The VSO quality scale for education services quality areas on education
their tasks effectively management and community engagement includes scales on: teacher participation
•Evidence that the participation of parents in the PTA/SMC is meaningfully and voice; gender equality in education management; school improvement plans;
changing the policies and practice of the school collaboration with education authorities and other education bodies;
representation and inclusion in PTAs/SMCs; and participation and voice in
education management.
School management is representative
•# and % of schools with women in the composition of school management
(principal and/or deputy principal)
•Improvement in teacher participation and voice in school management
•% of members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) from marginalised groups
(including women)
•% of members of the School management committee (SMC) from marginalised
groups (including women)
Use of School Development Plans
•# and % of School Development Plans developed
•# and % of School Development Plans in use
•# and % of School Development Plans that have achieved x% of their targets
Capacity of education managers The VSO quality scale for education services quality area on education
•Improved capacity of head teachers and other education managers to supervise management: scale on adequate supervision/support for teachers.
and support teachers
School records are kept
•# and % of schools with student attendant lists
•# and % of schools with follow-up records on student performance

8. Steps in assessing, learning from and
communicating your effectiveness
Identify the
Identify the Identify who Identify what
Describe Identify how evidence
problem & you will work you want to
your vision you will work that you will
underlying with & change
of change with them collect and
causes influence (outcomes)
how
Focus of Improve it
Framework
Collect and Reflect and Communicate
analyse the learn from results to key
data the data stakeholders
bond.org.uk

9. Improve it Framework: what it is and is not
It is not… It is…
• …about creating a single way of • …about providing a collective resource
assessing effectiveness –it’s about that UK NGOs can draw on when
encouraging greater harmonisation developing their own context specific
and consistency where appropriate M&E frameworks
• …going to offer an off the shelf • …about developing shared approaches
answer to measuring effectiveness, where we can
but it will provide a common starting • ….about providing organisations with
point the tools to be able to tell a more
• …going to produce an encyclopaedia robust story of how they are
of indicators and tools. There will be contributing to change
an element of prioritisation. • …going to be practical & simple
• …an organisation specific tool; • …going to be dynamic & will continue
seeing 60% of your organisation in it to evolve
is good enough bond.org.uk 9

10. Way forward
Jan– May 2012: thematic task groups work with Bond to revise
and finalise the background papers, agree the Domains of
Change Frameworks and identify the indicator and data
collection methods to be included in the final Improve It
Framework.
Jan – May 2012: Consultation with UK NGOs on each of the
five ways of working and the development of background
papers on assessing effectiveness in each area.
July – Launch of the Improve It Framework as an online tool.
Save the Children UK will include the framework on its
internal Education Update advising country offices to use it
when relevant for their programming.
bond.org.uk

11. Thank you!
bond.org.uk