Services we offer

Baobab

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  • Institutional strategic plans: Depending on the needs of the clients, we approach the different elements with a methodological approach adapted to the specificities of each client. Elements that we can address are: the institutional diagnosis; the analysis of the external context; the definition of the mission, vision, principles and values; the strategic framework; the review of the organizational structure and organizational development; the funding strategy.

    Strategic plans at country or regional level: Each plan has different characteristics according to the needs of each client. These plans can incorporate: the analysis of the context; the definition of the theory of change; the framework of actors; the strategic framework; programmatic approaches; the funding strategy; the operational model.

    Sector or thematic strategies: These are strategies that develop elements similar to the previous ones. In each case, we adapt the service to the specific needs and the methodological approach agreed with the clients.

    Operational plans: They are the translation of strategic plans into concrete actions, with well-defined organizational structures, a budget and adequate management tools. They may include some analysis of feasibility or the application of key institutional principles or approaches.

  • Identification and formulation of projects: We assist clients and local partners in identifying and designing projects according to the requirements of the donors, based on a participatory methodology that seeks to support existing capacities and enhance them.

    Program identification and design: For those clients working with a programmatic approach, we support the identification and design process to produce a program document that may incorporate a context analysis, a description and analysis of the target population, sector analysis, an analysis of local partners and other actors involved in the program, the results-oriented intervention framework and its justification, some feasibility analysis and the financial or budget framework.

    In depth review of the theory of change of programs/projects: Usually starting from a results-oriented approach, we work with clients and their local partners to deepen the understanding of the changes that the program or project aims to drive, the connection between these changes and the factors that facilitate or hinder them. We translate this analysis into a better-founded program or project design.

    Production of the program/project baseline: We support clients and local partners in the design of tools, data collection and data processing, in order to establish the starting point of the program or project indicators, with an analysis of the base values that allows validating the design or proposing changes to adapt it to the reality in the light of the new data obtained.

  • Evaluation ex-ante of programs/projects: For institutions that offer calls for grants, we support the evaluation of the programs/projects presented, usually according to the tools and procedures proposed by the institutions themselves.

    Monitoring missions of programs/projects: We offer ourselves to our clients to carry out monitoring missions of programs/projects in which we can provide added value, either because of our expertise or because we had an important role in their formulation.

    Intermediate and final evaluation of programs/projects: We carry out evaluations with a variety of objectives and methodological approaches, depending on the needs and interests of our clients, usually applying a variety of participatory methodologies. In accordance with the agreed methodological approach, we recapitulate in a greater or lesser extent the context of the intervention, we analyse the planning and management of the program or project, we analyse the different components and their results, collecting evidence in which support the findings of the evaluation. We organize the findings according to the evaluation criteria and we pay close attention to producing recommendations and lessons learned shared with the actors. We make effort to ensure that the evaluation document is a tool that gathers the experience and learning, easy and pleasant to consult in order to take it into account in future interventions.

    Program impact evaluation: We assist clients and their local partners in researching and documenting the sustainable changes that the program has produced, as well as in understanding the strategies that have been most effective and efficient in achieving those changes. Depending on the methodological approach, we apply a variety of techniques to collect evidence of the impacts achieved and document them.

    Evaluation of strategies: We carry out evaluations of strategic plans or sector strategies, adapting our work to the requirements and methodological approach agreed with the clients. The evaluation may include an update of the context in order to analyse the relevance of the strategy, the analysis of the results achieved, a critical review of the theory of change and specific analysis of the different strategies. In some cases it is necessary to harvest the results achieved before being able to evaluate. Throughout the methodological approach, we emphasize participatory techniques to involve the different participating actors.

  • Production of monitoring, evaluation and learning system for programs/projects: We consider these systems very important for the effectiveness of multi-year programs/projects with some degree of complexity. During the development of the system, we review and optimize the results-based approach of the program/project, reviewing and improving the definition of the results with well-defined indicators. We identify the tools that are needed to manage the data and we pay attention to the processes of the clients and their partners to manage them. We carry out a first definition of the final evaluation to ensure that the follow-up will provide data that will be needed. Finally, we draw up the monitoring, evaluation and learning plan, ensuring that the necessary structures exist or are created to manage it.

    Development of tools for data collection and management: We assist clients and their local partners in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation data management tools that are well integrated with the tools used for implementation, contributing to simplify, improve and optimize the flow of information in program/project management.

    Definition of monitoring, evaluation and learning processes: When these processes are undefined and they raise problems, we assist clients and their local partners in formalizing them, usually attending separately to each component or result of the program/project, specifying the people involved and the tools used in the definition of each process. 

  • Assessment of capacities: This analysis allows establishing the baseline of the organization's competences and resources in a set of dimensions that make up its institutional personality. Each dimension is subdivided into a set of capacity aspects. We work with each client to define this capacity structure, and select the most appropriate methodology to analyse it, recommending a high participation of the different teams of the organization in the process and transparency in the results. We adapt the depth of the analysis to the interests of the clients and we choose in each case the most appropriate techniques for obtaining information. The analysis obtained becomes a tool to monitor the organizational development.

    Organizational development plans: The preparation of these plans requires the availability of the capacity analysis, which provides us with the information to identify with our clients the institutional priorities for improvement. For each area of capacity to improve, we identify different strategies to achieve it and we compare their effectiveness and efficiency based on various criteria. We build plans that fit the resources that can be mobilized. When we work with clients who are supporting the capacity building of their partners, we analyse the opportunities to learn and collaborate between those partners and we incorporate these collaborations into the respective plans.

    Advice on organizational issues and management systems: We base this advice on a proper understanding of the institutional strategy and the results expected in the medium term, both in terms of its external action and internal organizational development. We usually focus our advice on specific aspects, such as the organizational structure, internal functioning and dynamics, planning systems and procedures, the definition of procedures, financing, etc.

    Training for organizational development: We offer our available knowledge and skills to our clients, for face-to-face or online training for their teams in subjects such as people management, process facilitation or learning management.

    Contribution to Global Education: We join other actors in cooperation and education for development to educate to achieve a just world, participating in activities of awareness raising, training, research, social mobilization or political advocacy.

  • Studies to systematise and learn from programs: We support our clients in producing studies that allow them to retrieve the experience and learning of relatively complex programs, with a view to use it in future planning or programming. To carry out the study, we make a team with people who provide expertise in the field and in the intervention context. We include also in the team the people from our clients or local partners who have led the work, taking advantage and enhancing their capacities.

    Strategic and organizational learning studies: We produce studies that allow our clients to systematize and analyse their organizational practices, in various fields such as planning, sector strategies, methodologies, resources, etc., helping them to harmonize the practices of their teams in different countries or between organizations that are part of the same network.

    Cooperation policies: We assist our clients in reviewing and improving the institutional policies that guide their actions. In policies that address specific topics, we incorporate people who are experts in the field into the team. 

© 2008     Baobab Consultoria, Carretera Nova, 52, Esc D, 2-1, 08530-La Garriga, Barcelona    info@baobabconsultoria.com    Tel.: (34) 626 855 330