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Outlines the principles of 'Outcome Mapping' a method developed by IDRC to assess impact of development work. The approach recognises that the impact of an organisations work is difficult to disentangle from the range of other factors influencing development in a particular place. It focuses on the effect the development project or organisation has on the behaviour, relationships, activities and actions of key people and partners it works with, or that are within its sphere of influence. It begins with a workshop to design a programme and monitoring system, followed by a series of self-assessment workshops to monitor change and refine strategies

Presents the findings of a research project that focused on the information needs of the urban poor, and the information sources they access. The study found that the main sources of information were social networks, key informants, and infomediaries. It considers the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and impact assessment methods. It ends with suggestions for development agencies seeking to share their knowledge and information with the urban poor

Report based on a workshop on the proliferation, and expansion, in terms of impact and coverage, of orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) initiatives in east and southern Africa. Three levels critical to successful scale-up of activities were identified: community, facilitation, and policy/resource. The respective roles of community groups and CBOs, intermediary NGOs, government, international NGOs and donors are explored. Special consideration is given to the role of intermediary NGOs: those which provide technical and/or financial support to other NGOs/CBOs. Brief case studies are drawn on as examples

An organisation with 600+ members in 70 countries whose goal is to exchange ideas, experiences, and works that relate to social, economic and educational development in tandem with arts, and to work collaboratively and create tangible policies and projects that allow those untouched creative areas to develop. The e-forum is a great resource for arts-related postings. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.art4development.net or by sending a blank email to See also the 'Knowledge Centre' under 'Projects' on the website for links to some interesting publications around art and development

A study for DFID staff, and for policy consideration, about the role of ICT in development. Identifies and assess the links between information and poverty, and concludes that although spreading ICT ('bridging the digital divide') should not be an end in itself, there is enormous potential for ICTs to increase information flow and empower poor people. The study then discusses the potential role of the international community, and sets out specific recommendations for DFID. Includes several appendices containing: a bibliography; brief case studies of Chile, Costa Rica and India; and list of related DFID funded projects. The study concludes that ICT should not be viewed as an end itself but has the potential as a tool to increase information flows and empower people. It can play a part in achieving International Development Goals

This article focuses on a set of training materials that has been developed to assist community partnerships in their efforts to plan and monitor services for children. These materials highlight eight elements of continuity and successful partnerships: (1) families as partners, (2) shared leadership, (3) comprehensive/responsive services, (4) culture and home language, (5) communication, (6) knowledge and skill development, (7) appropriate care and education, and (8) evaluation of partnership success. Results from a field study that included more than 200 reviewers and eight pilot sites are summarized. Results indicate that a majority of reviewers found the training materials easy to understand, relevant to their work, and up-to-date. In addition, data gathered from the pilot sites indicate that the partnerships found the materials practical and useful for addressing a variety of issues, including time constraints, communication gaps, differences in professional training, and funding limitations