Effective Results Frameworks for Sustainable Development

Readers’ Guide

Why this toolkit?

While development co-operation providers increasingly adopt results-based approaches to ensure a focus on sustainable development impact, studies by the OECD and other institutions persistently highlight opportunities and deficiencies in the way tools and methodologies are used.

This toolkit is designed to help users increase the quality and usefulness of results frameworks in development practice. It showcases the latest insights and recommendations on how to design, monitor and use results frameworks for greater impact on sustainable development. It provides an overview of the different types of results frameworks that exist and how to enhance their design, monitoring and usage. It also offers advice on how to integrate complex issues in results frameworks, such as sustainable development, climate adaptation and inclusion.

Who is this toolkit for?

The toolkit is intended for both governments and international development co-operation agencies and ministries. The different chapters provide insights and tailored guidance for strategic planners, programme and project managers, and monitoring, evaluation, data and learning managers. It is also intended to support organisations of all sizes that act as implementers of development co-operation interventions.

How to use this toolkit

The guidance toolkit walks the reader through the types and components of a well-developed results framework, and how to design, use and monitor it. Each chapter can be considered independently according to specific and immediate needs.

The chapters are organised in a progressive manner, starting with basic information and moving to more advanced practices. They include checklists on issues to consider and practices to avoid, examples of useful practices and approaches, and lists of further resources and tools to explore the issues in greater detail.

Specific terminology

In this toolkit, the following terminology is used frequently and should be understood to mean:

• Government: Any government, typically national-level governments.

• Partner country: A country that receives development co-operation. The term is only used in discussing relationships between partners.

• Development partners: Development organisations that act as development co-operation partners in another country. This includes ministries, agencies and institutions that provide bilateral development co-operation, as well as multilateral development partners including United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks, global funds and international initiatives with a development focus.

• Implementing partners: Any organisation (civil society organisations, associations, non-governmental organisations, private sector firms, foundations, etc.) engaged in the execution of a programme or project.