A3: Assessing Network Effectiveness
Session description
Over the past few years there has been growing acknowledgment that grantmaker investments in networks can be as or even more important to achieving social impact than investing in individual organizations. However, assessing the effectiveness of these networks is complicated. Evaluations of networks need to consider networks both as means and ends, as an important capacity in a community and as instruments of transformation for achieving results. Hear from a panel of practitioners on how they are defining and assessing networks, explore methods and tools for evaluating networks, and dig into examples of evaluations currently in progress.
Participant learning goals
• Learn about how some funders are assessing the impact of their work from the perspective of networks (versus organizations).
• Understand the issues, challenges, examples, resources, and tools in use in the field for evaluating networks
• Learn from colleagues about their approach to grantmaking with a network lens and assessing its effectiveness.
Intended learning level
Activation — exposure to new ideas you maybe haven’t heard before
Speakers
![[photo]](https://8ca84662c5b8f0cff50d-4baaaf97d63fd7b01243e1b1c57f0cc1.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/19/profile_e38ec4567a00d4327974c6f15d331f6d.png "Gale Berkowitz, MasterCard Foundation")
Gale Berkowitz, MasterCard Foundation
Web site
Speaker Biography
Gale Berkowitz is currently the director of evaluation and learning at The MasterCard Foundation in Toronto, Ontario. She leads the foundation’s evaluation and learning agenda, embedding evaluative learning in its culture from its early stages. Just prior, Berkowitz was director of evaluation at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and held a similar position at the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation before that. Berkowitz holds a bachelor’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.
![[photo]](https://8ca84662c5b8f0cff50d-4baaaf97d63fd7b01243e1b1c57f0cc1.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/17/profile_3586cc05827917fa07919589e751f9fc.png "Tom Kelly, Annie E Casey Foundation")
Tom Kelly, Annie E Casey Foundation
Web site
Speaker Biography
Tom Kelly joined the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 1999 and became evaluation manager in 2002. He provides evaluation support to foundation staff and grantees and manages evaluations of foundation initiatives. His recent work at Casey includes the evaluation of policy advocacy, networks, and community capacity, and building internal foundation performance and results measurement capacity. Before joining the foundation, Kelly was an evaluation consultant in Washington, D.C., for state and federal multisite demonstration programs.
![[photo]](https://8ca84662c5b8f0cff50d-4baaaf97d63fd7b01243e1b1c57f0cc1.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/18/profile_b1edaacc4b24700f819592c1f3b81f80.png "Diana Scearce, Monitor Institute")
Diana Scearce, Monitor Institute
Web site
Speaker Biography
Diana Scearce is a senior consultant with the Monitor Institute where she works primarily with networks and multi-stakeholder groups. Her work combines strategy, facilitation, research, scenario thinking and learning design. Scearce has been facilitating the Network of Network Funders, a community of practice for grantmakers who are investing in networks, since early 2009. Prior to joining the Monitor Institute, Scearce was a scenario practitioner at the Global Business Network. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School and resides in San Francisco with her husband and two sons.