Outcome Mapping
Resource Library

A case study of a portfolio evaluation of influencing work that combined Outcome Harvesting, Contribution Analysis, Appreciative Inquiry and realist-informed analysis to identify outcomes, test contribution claims and explain how change occurred across complex contexts.

This brief explores how bricolaged MEL can be designed intentionally. How can practitioners make clear and deliberate choices about what methods and elements to combine, why they are being combined, and how they should be used? It considers what can guide a more structured design process, from values, principles and stakeholder deliberation to purpose, context and methodological choices. It also asks how transparency, operational constraints and appropriate guardrails can help ensure that bricolaged MEL remains flexible while also being credible and robust. This series of think pieces explores six learning questions discussed by participants of the OMLC Learning Lab in December 2025. For more details, visit https://www.outcomemapping.org/bricolage.

A case study of an evaluation in East Africa that built on Outcome Mapping with Outcome Harvesting, a structured youth survey, third-party interviews and participatory sensemaking to create a fit-for-purpose, complexity-responsive MEL design.

The OMLC partnered with SLEvA and EvalYouth Asia to present an introduction to actor-focused methods, focusing on OM and OH. The presentation explains the shared origins, similarities and differences between OM and OH, how you might use them individually, together and with other methods in bricolage. The session was delivered by OMLC Stewards, Simon Hearn and Mariam Smith and moderated by Jigme Sonam, Co-Leader of EvalYouth Asia. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Hemanthi Ranasinghe (Council Member of Sri Lanka Evaluation Association and Senior Professor in Forestry & Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Sri Lanka) and concluded with thanking remarks from Ms. Ana Erika Lareza (Chair of EvalYouth Global Network).

This brief explores what good bricolage looks like. What principles or features make it effective and credible? Identifying these will help us describe what distinguishes thoughtful, intentional bricolage from combinations based on methods we are familiar with, or more ad-hoc mixing. Ultimately, can we develop guidance for what good bricolage means? Does good bricolage need to consider feasibility, time, budget, responsiveness to users, capacities, context, power, and values? This series of think pieces explores six learning questions discussed by participants of the OMLC Learning Lab in December 2025. For more details, visit https://www.outcomemapping.org/bricolage.

This poster was presented by Mahesh Krishnan at the OMLC Learning Lab 2025. Language of Intuition is a triptych of abstract paintings developed as a research finding from Mahesh’s work under the Feminist Innovation in Monitoring and Evaluation (FIME) Small Awards. The research focuses on developing gender-responsive evaluator competencies and resulted in a curriculum framework titled "The Holistic Transformative Evaluator Framework". The paintings were created using an experimental technique introduced through this research, termed the "Pareidolic Tracing Method", rooted in trans indigenous epistemologies. Pareidolia refers to the psychological phenomenon of perceiving patterns and meanings within abstract forms. By engaging with this phenomenon, the method translates research observations, embodied knowledge, and intuitive insights into visual form. Through these works, Mahesh proposes the semiotic interpretation of non-verbal cues, intuition, and affect as critical yet under-recognized competencies for evaluators working in gender and social justice contexts. Mahesh Krishnan (Xe/Xem) FIME (Feminist Innovation in Monitoring & Evaluation) Small Awards Grantee Core Team Member, Gender & Equity Network South Asia (GENSA)

Gill Westhorp introduces Realist Evaluation to participants of the OMLC Learning Lab 2025. This is a recording of a webinar in October 2025 provided in the run up to the Lab to orient participants to different MEL methods and inform useful discussions during the Lab itself. The videos were made public after the Lab. Please note this is not intended as a training.

This brief explores why practitioners are increasingly using methodological bricolage. Many programmes work in complex systems with uncertainty, many actors and perspectives, contributing to complex change processes. In such situations, is using one single method for MEL enough? If not, why not? Understanding what drives people to mix and combine methods helps us explain, justify and communicate these choices to managers, donors, or commissioners, and to argue for the time and resources needed. This series of think pieces explores six learning questions discussed by participants of the OMLC Learning Lab in December 2025. For more details, visit https://www.outcomemapping.org/bricolage.

This poster was presented by Richard Smith at the OMLC Learning Lab 2025. The poster highlights the M&E framework created for the ‘Peaceful and Resilient Communities” (PaRC) program in Ethiopia, funded by the Swedish Embassy in Ethiopia. In 2023/24 Phil Smith from Learning Loop worked together with a team from the coalition members - PMU, NCA, ECFE, EMWACDC, YBCEDO, EECMY-DASC, EMRDA - to create an actor-focused results framework, which employs Outcome Mapping (OM), Outcome Harvesting (OH), and a simple Social Network Analysis (SNA) to help the program track changes in behaviour, narratives, and relationships. Data collection focuses on local teams compiling journals at the local level together with the boundary partners of the program. This helps the teams to adapt locally, but is also aggregated at the program level to support program level sense-making across the partnership. As of February 2026, the program has also started to use Contribution Analysis to explore in more depth the causal pathways for some of the key changes identified through OM/OH.

This poster was presented by Sonal Zaveri at the OMLC Learning Lab 2025. This poster presents an innovative approach to evaluating complex social change projects through the strategic blending of Utilization Focused Developmental Evaluation (UFDE), and Outcome Mapping (OM) methodologies. Key Focus: The research addresses a critical challenge in development evaluation: How do you effectively evaluate dynamic concepts like gender violence, masculinity, participation, and empowerment? Using the Action for Equality (AfE) project as a case study, this work demonstrates practical solutions for assessing transformative interventions targeting gender norms and violence prevention among young men in low-income communities. Primary Contributions: •Methodological Innovation: Successfully demonstrates how OM can clarify project goals and theory of change before applying UFE key questions, intended users and uses; and Developmental Evaluation for addressing adaptation in complex settings •Practical Impact: Shows how this blended approach identifies unintended positive outcomes and makes evaluation accessible to non-evaluators •Field Application: Provides concrete tools for evaluating masculinity and gender norm change initiatives Target Audience: Development evaluators, gender practitioners, program managers, and researchers working on social transformation projects. This resource offers valuable insights for anyone seeking robust, participatory evaluation frameworks for complex social change initiatives, particularly in gender equality and violence prevention contexts.