What to Measure

Beginning to gauge an organization?s influence within the community starts by measuring the inputs that go into conducting a program. Understanding what materials go into the project such as the number of staff, transportation, and time commitment are all factors of the budget or the amount of money you are willing to spend on those sectors. Keeping constant track of the program planning and having organizational charts helps track the inputs and outputs and assists in reflecting on your program implementation.

Outcomes

Outputs measure the immediate results of your completed program activities. Asking questions like, how many participants have you reached or how many pieces of training or classes have you completed aids are examples of those instant outputs. There are short-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes. Short-term outcomes are ones that change the attitude and knowledge known by the participants such as enhanced football skills. Medium-term outcomes change participants? behavior after the program such as gaining healthy eating habits. Long-term outcomes are also known as impact and a program?s activity will not be the only thing to create impact. Some outcomes can include a measurable change in poverty levels or gender equity within an area.

Impact Assessment

Once the program has ended, taking in feedback and comprehending what is being learned can help modify and adjust the program to continue being beneficial for the program. Monitoring a program once it has been designed, during its implementation means having methods such as feedback evaluations and measuring outputs is needed to evaluate the process. Some tips for monitoring programs are deciding what inputs are important to keep track of, making spreadsheets and checklists of activities, and assigning a responsible person to keep track of those tools.

Evaluating a program determines the effectiveness and the success/failure of the program. These evaluations seek to prove that the program is the cause of the effect while ruling out other potential external effects. Program efficiency can be gauged based on equity, the number of participants, cost-effectiveness, and impact. Take a look into our Module 4 on Impact Assessment and learn more about how to measure your organization?s effect on the communities involved.

By: Ola Adebayo (GIL Team Member)

As someone who did not regularly workout before an international pandemic confined us to our homes, the concept of remaining active and healthy while indoors is foreign to me. But since social isolation began, it seems like the whole world has decided that now is the time to start exercising. Whether it be the news, social media, or friends who have way more motivation than I do, the exercise train is officially rolling, which is great! Besides the obvious physical value, exercising has been shown to help mental health and can encourage routine building- something that is valuable during a time where the days of the week blur together. But throwing yourself into an exercise routine can be harder than people think, especially for those of us who do not have experience doing it. So, I spent the last week researching ways to make keeping active easier while at home.

Arsema?s 5 Tips to exercising during self-isolation:

1. Stretch. Even if you cannot exercise daily, stretches are short and can make a huge difference in maintaining flexibility. Many use them to begin their day with a calming routine, I prefer blasting mid-2000?s pop music but to each their own.
2. Build up the intensity of activities. START SMALL. This one should be self-explanatory but please do not run a 5k if you haven’t ran a mile in four years. It is okay that you are not up to your previous levels of exercise, do not hurt yourself trying to skip steps.
3. Find motivation. This one proved difficult for me but I found that the best way to exercise was with another person, that way if I bail or try to get out they could hold me accountable. I used members of my family but doing a workout routine with a friend (6 feet apart or over zoom) is still a great option. If you like exercising in solitude, set a goal to reach!
4. Find the way you like to exercise. There are so many ways to keep active. Going on runs, lifting weights, workout machines, etc. My personal favorite method is team sports, which for obvious reasons is not ideal in today?s circumstances. I have been going on bike rides instead so I can be active while also not having to follow a strict workout plan. My sister?s favorite exercise method is using YouTube workout videos, which are useful because many require little outside equipment.
5. Forcing yourself to exercise is not the way. This is one that I struggled with the most. I felt that because I had all this free time, it should be easy for me to jump into a routine. But building new habits, especially in a time where many have difficulty focusing on the smallest tasks due to declining mental health and continued stress is hard. Keeping active is something to strive for but do not get mad at yourself if all you can do is stretch. There are perilous times, and exercising is often more of a mental game than it is a physical one.

By: Arsema Belai (GIL Guest Contributor)

Identify a Need

A Needs Assessment is a questionnaire that helps your organization understand your target population, the way the target population views their own needs, and how the target population?s outcomes differ from that of the already in place model. By conducting a Needs Assessment, an organization can craft a specific focus and identify any gaps in information. For example, let?s say a community?s specific category of need falls within Nutrition, knowing this information the organization can develop indicators that can be measured, how they will collect their data, and who they data will be collected from.

Identify a Problem

Once a need is identified, constructing a problem analysis helps convey why the need that has been identified should be addressed. Asking questions such as what is the origin of the problem, what social values are being threatened, and are there any gender, ethnic, or cultural considerations that need to be viewed. Going through the assessment and problem analysis, a problem statement can be framed utilizing specifics such as who is being affected, the location that is being affected, and why this is a problem. A possible problem statement, ?Moderate to severe levels of food insecurity caused by climate change, changing farming techniques, and economic policies are pervasively affecting communities in rural Maharashtra causing missed school and work, poor mental and physical health outcomes, and economic decline?.

Identify Inputs and Outputs

Now that a problem statement has been generated and the population has been pinpointed it is time to find out if there are any best practices for addressing this need in similar contexts. Ask the population and staff about what has been done in the past and do some evidence-based research on what programs have proven successful. When this research is carried out, programs, and information that may be beneficial can be altered to fit your specific context and population. Creating a SMART objective plan helps focus on what is going to be achieved by implementing the program and processes both the inputs and outputs that are needed. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, Time-Bound, and is a simple tool to develop an Action Plan.

Planning a program doesn?t have to be a stressful task. Check out our Module on Program Design and utilize the available resources to easily and effectively conduct your program/project planning and design.

By Ola Adebayo – GIL Team Member

What and Who are the Board of Directors of NGOs’

The Board of Directors of non governmental organizations (NGOs) are a consortium of people who have been selected to ensure an organization stays aligned with the mission and to proffer advice to management. In most nonprofits, the board of directors are selected based on their involvement and impact in the communities’ served, expertise in key subject areas, and potential network opportunities to further maximise the organization’s impact.

The Board’s Responsibilities

The role of an NGO board is to ensure consistent alignment with mission and vision goals, review the organization?s performance periodically to ensure viability and sustainability, and support the Chief Executive Officer and the rest of senior management in networking, advising, and any other capacity as needed. The board also put on programs and activities that promote the mission, and at times appoint the CEO/Managing Director when needed.

So, not all board members join the board with all of the skills necessary to effectively discharge their duties. Thus, it is essential to have recurrent training that keeps the board members equipped with updated knowledge and information. Training can include financial literacy (budgeting), new strategic plans (program development), and ways to communicate across different parts of the organization.

Policies and Policing the Board

While defining and creating responsibilities for board members, you should also ensure good governance policies are created which serves as guidelines for the organization’s standard of practice, and accountability for board members behavior and performance. These policies should be made available to all staff and management, written down with members signature and pledge properly documented. The policies should also explicitly outline consequences for each infraction.

A few recommendations for topics on governance policies’ are; human resources, sexual harassment, anti-corruption, procurement of goods and services, vendor contract management, and media enagement amongst others. If your NGO involves children, generating child protection policies such as mandatory reporter status for your board members creates accountability for the work being done. A mandatory reporter is someone who must report when they suspect that child abuse and/or neglect is occurring.

Board Performance

After developing board responsibilities and policies for your organization, you have to measure its performance periodically to improve impact and efficiency. Similar to how you would do performance review over staff, you can measure current outcome statistics and cost-effectiveness to the past. Comparing your organization?s performance to other organizations that are working in similar contexts can assist in better-understanding of ways to adjust as well as illustrate transparency and self-regulation to impress donors, funders, employees, clients, and volunteers.

Make sure to check out our Module 2dedicated to Governance that goes further in-depth on how to create and implement board policies and responsibilities into your NGO.

By Ola Adebayo & Oluwabukola Apata – GIL Team Members

What are Gender and Gender Lens?

Gender is the cultural understanding of roles, likes and dislikes, and identity. It differs from biological sex, which is determined based only on physical sex characteristics. A gender lens is looking at problems and developing programs that address gender stereotypes along a spectrum (transgender, gender-neutral, genderqueer, etc) versus a binary (male and female). Our Programming and Organizational Structure Modules provide resources in assessing your organization in various aspects such as gender.

What is the Whole Point?

Being able to understand the gender-specific needs in your community creates impactful change that lasts long after the work has been done. Different gender-specific needs that occur within communities are limited gender-neutral sports teams and public facilities like bathrooms, a predominant language, and culture that consists of the binary and stereotypes i.e. girls should stay inside, cooking and cleaning; boys go outside and work. These needs play a major role in gender inequality and negatively impact girls, women, and non-binary individuals.

What Happens Next?

Empowering everyone in the community no matter what they identify as helps the world move towards equity and value for all. It builds a new generation of socially resilient, educated, and economically independent members of society. Although gender empowerment often comes with empowering those who need the support, men and boys can use their privilege to advocate for those with less privilege and be engaged to promote and support gender equity. Boys and men are also needed to discuss masculinity and its narrative in gender empowerment.

Make sure to check out our Module 1 dedicated to Gender that utilizes these terms and gives more information on the impact and needs of a gender-based language in your community

Definitions:

• Binary: classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine, whether by a social system or cultural belief
• Gender-neutral: having no specific gender identity or having a gender identity that is neutral
• Genderqueer: someone who identifies with neither, both, or on a spectrum of male and female
• Masculinity: a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with boys and men
• Non-binary: the umbrella term covering all gender identities and expressions outside the gender binary
• Privilege: a system of advantages or rights that are available solely based on sex
• Transgender: people whose gender identity or gender expression differ from the sex assigned at birth

What other gender definitions/language are you aware of? Tell us in the comments 🙂

By Ola Adebayo – GIL Team Member

Women in Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement

In 2013, three Black women organizers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created a Black-centered movement in response to the acquittal of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin?s murderer. The viral movement has now garnered a global network of about 40 chapters. The members organize and intervene in areas of violence toward Black communities. The BLM Movement includes women, queer, and transgender and center the leadership around them as there are significant gaps in recognition in past Black liberation movements.

As it developed throughout 2013 and 2014, it was utilized as a platform and organizing tool. After Mike Brown was murdered by Ferguson Police Officer in a matter of 15 days, the Black Lives Matter Ride was planned where over 600 people gathered to support the community in Ferguson and St. Louis and bring the message back to their homes. Now the BLM project has developed into a global network with the recent protests being seen in all 50 states in the US and in several countries around the world. The fight for justice and equity for all does not stop but continues every day.

2020 Movement

Since 2013 there have protests calling for justice for the lives that have been taken too soon due to police brutality. This protest has gained a lot of momentum in a short amount of time and doesn?t seem like it will be letting up soon. This tragedy occurring right near the 3-month mark of a nationwide quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak is seemingly fueled by not only the long-awaited need for police reform but peoples? restlessness after being inside. Although most businesses are beginning to open and universities are preparing for in-person fall, protestors are adorning masks and trying to maintain social distancing guidelines.

With worldwide outcry of the murder of George Floyd, the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Public School District has canceled their contracts with the Minneapolis Police Department, all 4 officers involved have been arrested, and the Minneapolis City Council has voted with a non-veto majority to begin disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department.

As a global network, Girls in the Lead calls on all sports and development programs to be aware of racial, gender, and sexual orientation discriminatory tendencies in their organizations. Now is the time to not only support the movement, It is also imperative we all review institutional, management, and operational policies, activities, and procedures to ensure we are not contributing to systemic racism, prejudiced, or complicit towards the pain and suffering of others, especially minority groups in the communities we serve.

Below is a collection of resources to help develop your involvement and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Sign Petitions

Petition for George Floyd

Demands for Breonna Taylor

Petition for Tony McDade

Donate to Organizations

Black Voters Matter

Campaign Zero

Color Of Change

Legal Defense Fund

The Marsha P. Johnson Institute

Movement For Black Lives

NAACP

National Action Network

National Black Justice Coalition

National Urban League

By: Ola Adebayo, GIL Team Member

A little background about myself; I was born and raised in Minnesota but am currently attending school in St. Louis. Growing up, I absolutely loved playing sports with my siblings and looked at it as more of a way to have fun, rather than stay active. When my family moved into a neighborhood that had a grassy field close by, my brothers and I spent nearly every day there playing the traditional football and soccer but also new sports that we created with our neighbors.

Eventually, I outgrew the neighborhood scrimmages and, with help from my school district, joined school teams at the junior high level, most notably football and basketball. I was a football fanatic. I watched the Minnesota Vikings every Sunday, played constantly with classmates, and even chose a football player to dress up as for my elementary school biography project. The feeling of excitement I felt for being part of an ?official? football team was unmatched. However, my football career was cut short when I quit following my first season. You see, Title IX guaranteed that because there was no female football team, I was allowed to play on the boys? team. It did not protect me from the hurtful rumors my teammates would spread about me off the field. Nor did it protect me from my coach making me sit out certain drills to make my teammates more comfortable or giving me less playing time compared to other kids of my caliber. When it came time to consider a second football season, even though I had grown into a stronger person due to the betrayal I felt from my teammates and coach, I decided to let football go.

While the less than welcoming response from my team and coach led me to stop playing football, I still continued basketball where I enjoyed the camaraderie that came with playing with other girls. Unfortunately, when my sister sought to join the same girls basketball team a year after I left, the school district decided that girls basketball was too pricey and scrapped the program. They maintained that there was a ?girls basketball club,? where girls could come in after school and shoot a basketball around, but it wasn?t the same. My sister was heartbroken.

Today when I look back at the opportunities I was given, I realize both how fortunate I was to have been shaped by my experiences in sports and how much more needs to be done. My football history made me tougher and surer of myself. It was sad that I felt the need to leave the organized team after a season, but I valued myself enough to know I was not being treated fairly and could do better. Basketball helped me feel like I had a true community. As a kid, I was always playing with my mostly male neighbors. Having a space to enjoy what I loved with other girls made me realize that the two were not exclusive- you could be both girly and strong.

This theme of strength in female athleticism is something I immediately noticed when I was first introduced to Girls in the Lead. I feel that the activities I was a part of could have greatly benefitted from the advice Girls in the Lead gives on building inclusive athletic programs. My confidence in Girls in the Lead and their message is why I jumped at the chance to blog for them and share the stories of women around the world. I am excited to begin this journey and hope you will enjoy reading my posts in the future!

Arsema Belai, (GIL Contributor)