Outcome Mapping Workshop

PACDEF staff had a fruitful 2 and 1/2 days at La Rochelle, Penhalonga, Mutare from 8-10 May, training on Outcome Mapping. Outcome Mapping is a new planning, monitoring and evaluation method that PACDEF would be glad to employ in earnst this year on wards.
Barbara Jochheim, the WFD representative in Zimbabwe was the facilitator. Her method was participatory involving focus group discussions and plenary session discussions. Participation levels were very high and every participant learned a lot through this process. By the end of the two and half days, PACDEF had a clear vision, mission statement, progress challenge and  progress markers. Time was not sufficient enough to complete all that the workshop intended to cover. For this reason, PACDEF and Barbara agreed to meet again early June to finalize the stage on planning.

Barbara makes a point in a workshop in Mutare

The following week, 14-15 May 2012, Tsitsi Maradze, the Development Consultancy, hired by GIZ in liaison with more than 12 partners in Zimbabwe came to Mutare to provide M&E technical backstopping assistance to PACDEF. Her method was Results Based Management, which is a different approach to Outcome Mapping but very popular and also have a wide use in development projects including peacebuilding work worldwide. The two days were full of great learning for all the staff members at PACDEF. In addition to the Outcome Mapping generated vision, mission and progress challenge, we at PACDEF managed to develop a project purpose for the Buhera District peacebuilding project, impact, outcome, outputs and indicators. Time was not also sufficient to complete all that was intended, especially more work needs be done in coming up with more indicators for the outputs and outcome. There is great hope at PACDEF that the work in the field will be able to focus on making a lasting impact and the right tools will be in place to monitor and evaluate such progress.