Are we delivering progress?
Until recently I headed a large programme at WWF. I admit I was slightly obsessed about a few things, including delivering on what donors had paid us to do, and showing that the work we did do delivered progress.
My obsession on these basic metrics was not universally shared by colleagues. After all, some worried, what would happen if this showed we were not doing what we were being paid to do, let alone if what we were being paid to do was not delivering progress.
Can Your Measure Progress?
That I worked on delivering political change for conservation seemed enough to put donors off from asking if their investments were working. Winning votes or loosing them seems mysterious and off putting (it is not).
But, I got tired of fobbing off donors, and read everything I could get my hands on to see how you can show if you are delivering. Sales have an easy time of it. Did you make the sales or not? Sales progress can easily be defined.
But, did your intervention push a country or President to take a decision they otherwise would not have done? Well, after a lot of work, I realised it is possible to measure those metrics. I may write it about it one day. There is not huge demand from anyone about showing that kind of progress.
Metrics for NGOs?
But, Peter Day, one of my favourite Radio 4 presenters, discussed just this issue with Harvard’s Robert S. Kaplan and Allen S. Grossman. They have written an excellent piece that shows that most donors don’t ask if their investments are working.
Who Succeeds in Delivering Progress?
A few donors did ask these questions to the NGOS they paid for. Good things happened. NGOs returned to a unrelenting focus on their core goals – helping the poor and disadvantaged, protecting our planet etc – and refound their addiction to delivery. They have returned to their core mission and now are able to show to themselves and their donors that they are working.