INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY REVIEW AND DESIGN FOR STRENGTHENING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMONWEALTH

Development of an institutional Theory of Change, Strategic Plan, and MEL Framework with Commonwealth Foundation

Client
Commonwealth Foundation

Period
2020 - 2022

Service
Strategy and Learning

Locations
Global Commonwealth

Areas
Governance and Social Accountability,
Universal Health & Immunisation,
Climate Resilience

In July 2020, the Commonwealth Foundation commissioned Collaborative Impact to undertake a Review of its Strategy 2017-2021 and to facilitate the design and drafting process for its next Strategy 2021-2026, including its institutional Theory of Change (ToC) and its monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework.

Unlike a conventional evaluation that generates evidence to test for strength of contribution and to measure achievements against preset criteria, the Review focused on creating shared forward-looking insights regarding the Foundation’s value, niche and potential as the basis for strategic planning.

Specifically, Collaborative Impact was tasked with assessing the approaches, structure and functioning of the Foundation with reference to its identity, operating environment and other relevant factors well beyond the current strategic plan. Additionally it was expected to actively engage Foundation staff and stakeholders in a collaborative process for building up collective insights and ownership of the new strategy. 

Collaborative Impact further assisted the Foundation in drafting the new Strategic Plan 2021-2026 and results framework, and facilitated the development of an impact-focused MEL framework that combines traditional grants monitoring with Outcome Harvesting to encourage cross-programmatic learning and adaptive programming.

The Commonwealth Foundation is unique within the Commonwealth system and internationally, due to its distinctive mandate as an intergovernmental organization. Originating from the Member States, its mandate is to support and advance the growth of free and active civil societies, emphasizing citizen participation and voice in governance across the Commonwealth.

The final review report was shared widely, including with all governors. Feedback confirmed that it provided a strong roadmap for the future.

Commonwealth Foundation. 2021-2026 Strategic Plan. 5.

Approach and Process

This was a highly interactive, iterative, and essentially forward-looking process and approach that integrated strategy review and strategy design. Design workshops engaged all Foundation staff and managers in a collective visioning and imagining of the Foundation’s future work and change pathways. Three interlinked impact pathways were identified (a programmatic pathway, a strategic/diplomatic pathway and an organisational pathway), and exemplary cases or practices were selected as ‘signposts to the future’ that would generate solid insights into the new strategy’s priorities and contribution claims.

Mixed cross-unit and cross-programmatic teams engaged in a series of pathway-specific and cross-pathway workshops to reflect on the Foundation’s achievements and future pathways, drawing on evidence from the selected cases. An institutional Theory of Change (ToC) was constructed and investment priorities were agreed for the 2021-2026 strategy period. Through stakeholder interviews with Foundation partners, members and officials from the various Commonwealth governing bodies, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and accredited Commonwealth Organisations, additional views and reflections on the Foundation’s present and future were collected and triangulated.