A participatory approach to monitoring impact
In 2014 Transparency International (TI) developed a movement-wide approach to monitoring impact. The approach aims to build a more robust body of evidence regarding what works in the fight against corruption, why and how it works. The Impact Monitoring Approach (IMA) is designed to be broad and flexible enough to capture the different change processes that the TI movement and more broadly the anti-corruption community are contributing to and achieving. It is a twin-track approach that consists of a) the impact matrix: an analytical lens to be used in projects and initiatives to monitor their progress in achieving change; and b) in-depth impact assessments that zoom in on relevant correlations identified through the monitoring. The approach is expected to

• inform programme-level decisions and improve programme design and implementation
• improve the allocation of resources, diverting funding from ineffective to effective interventions
• inform and build knowledge in the wider anti-corruption community regarding what works and what does not work in the fight against corruptionThis approach is highly participatory – it requires and actively promotes the involvement of both internal and external stakeholders and constituents. This includes discussions on unintended and/or negative consequences too.

A quarterly review to track strategic performance

The TI-S has several processes in place to monitor, evaluate and learn from results achieved in partnership with the chapters. Mechanisms to share and discuss experiences and promote learning between TI-S and the TI Movement are built into programmes and projects. These include regular field visits and phone calls, regional meetings, monitoring reports and mixed working groups. The secretariat also provided support to four chapters in developing their organisational MEL systems: Guatemala, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Further, in 2014 TI-S continued to offer training on topics such as “monitoring and evaluation” and “theory of change” to staff. Finally, a Value for Money concept paper was finalised in 2014 and the framework for organisational Performance Indicators was conceptualised and signed off by the Management Group.

Evolving into a learning organisation

Besides the ongoing monitoring of whether their work is on track, TI regularly conducts learning reviews and independent evaluations to assess the effectiveness of projects and programmes and to improve learning and internal accountability processes.

The work of the TI-S is guided by a five-year Implementation Plan which outlines the secretariat’s contribution to realising their Strategy 2015. The Implementation Plan provides a direction for the secretariat’s priorities, resource allocation and management decisions, as well as a framework against which the secretariat can be held accountable by the movement and external stakeholders. The five-year plan also guides the development of the secretariat’s annual implementation plans. In 2013 TI-S introduced a quarterly review system which allows the mainstreaming of data collection in all departments and systematic assessment of the progress made against their annual implementation plan.

In 2014, these reports continued to be mainstreamed in the organisation and allowed a sound assessment of the performance of the secretariat, provided the basis to inform accountability reports and informed learning and decision-making. The TI Secretariat compiles annual Implementation Reports to inform partners and stakeholders of the work done in the previous year.