In this step, you will: Elicit values and identify what matters to those affected by the CBWM programs to understand the positive benefits and adverse impacts.
| For this step | |
| Resources required | Interviews, focus group sessions, and workshops with knowledgeable, involved and affected parties such as CBWM volunteers, donors, community members, and local leaders. |
| Expected outcomes | Full list of program benefits |
| Tools | Identify change and program benefits (Tool 3a) Organize benefits using means and ends (Tool 3b) |
Note on benefits and outcomes
Benefits are also referred to as outcomes and serve as the evaluation framework for understanding and assessing value.
Why are you doing what you do?
It may seem obvious to you, but have you clearly articulated program’s benefits (also called goals, objectives, or outcomes) so that others outside the program can appreciate its value?
This step will undergo this process, answering the questions:
- What changes is your program achieving?
- What are the important results from this change?
- What do people care about from this change?
In CBWM programs, benefits typically fall into two categories:
- Expected benefits are the intended outcomes when the program is initiated.
- Unexpected benefits are gains that were not planned but emerged during the program’s implementation.
Both types of benefits should be captured in this process to capture the full program valuation.
Realized benefits
Realized objectives are the expected benefits (or outcomes) the program was designed to achieve – and successfully did. These often include improvements in water quality, increased community awareness and engagement in environmental issues, acts of stewardship and responsibility in Indigenous territories, and data collection that supports policy and management decisions. For example, if a CBWM program aims to reduce pollution in a local river, the realized objective would be a measurable reduction in pollutants, which is a direct result of the program’s activities such as regular water quality testing, community clean-up events, and/or advocacy for better waste management practices. These benefits are typically quantifiable and directly align with the program’s predefined goals.
Unexpected benefits
Sometimes, unexpected positive outcomes arise from carrying out a program. For example, a water management program might foster a strong sense of community, connecting people socially and to their environment. Or, local schools might start integrating the program into their curricula, enhancing students’ environmental education. Though unplanned, these unexpected benefits can add significant value to the program.
Understanding expected and unexpected benefits is key when making a case for investment. By reviewing the actual outcomes of the program, managers can assess the program’s effectiveness and make decisions on future activities. Recognizing and leveraging unexpected benefits can also create new and exciting opportunities to grow your program.
Process
1. Identify the program’s original objectives – these are the expected benefits (Tool 3a)
Start by defining your program objectives – what outcomes was your program designed to deliver? The purpose of the activities outlined in Tool 2a should align with and contribute to your program’s objective. A good starting point is to review the original objectives likely defined before starting the program. For example, your objectives might include the following:
- Monitoring the impact of road salts
- Assessing the effects of specific environmental events (e.g., forest fires) on water quality
- Ensuring clean and safe water for local communities
- Practice of Indigenous governance
- Preserving the environment
- Meeting regulatory compliance
- Enhancing public health
Highlighting your program objectives will help to translate realized and unexpected benefits that align with broader societal, environmental, and regulatory needs. These benefits serve as a roadmap for success, outlining how the investment will be utilized to achieve measurable and impactful outcomes. Ultimately, a well-defined set of benefits not only justifies the investment but also showcases the program’s significance and its potential to yield substantial returns in terms of societal, environmental, and economic benefits.
Reviewing organizational documents (website, marketing materials, grant proposals, etc.) is a good starting point to articulate your organizational objectives.
2. Engage with the people involved (Tool 3a)
A great way to learn more about your program’s benefits is by talking to the parties you’ve identified as important in your “Who” matrix. They may highlight unexpected outcomes by asking what matters to them, such as improved mental health, greater community cohesion, or instilling a sense of purpose within residents. Sometimes, these unexpected outcomes are valued more than what is anticipated. Their Feedback provides valuable insights into the broader impact of your program and is a great tool for explaining why your water management program is so valuable.
3. Sort immediate and long-term benefits (Tool 3b)
In a water monitoring program, it’s important to differentiate between the immediate benefits that come from doing the program’s activities and the long-term goals you’re ultimately working towards. By clarifying what has been achieved (end benefits) and how those achievements were realized (means benefits), the program can be effectively evaluated, allowing you to explain the path taken to achieve the results clearly.
Immediate benefits often focus on process-related outcomes, such as increased community participation or greater awareness of water issues. For instance, if the program gets local students to collect and test water samples, the immediate benefit is that they learn about and actively participate in taking care of the environment.
Long-term benefits, however, are the big goals that the program wants to achieve over time. These are results-focused, like better water quality, lasting policy changes, efforts towards intergenerational equity, or sustainable behavioural changes within the community. In the same example, if the students’ work contributes to changing local laws to reduce pollution, that is a long-term benefit. In some cases, long-term benefits may not be measurable but are anticipated by the program.
The means, in the context of water monitoring programs, refers to the actions and processes that the program undertakes (e.g., data collection, community engagement, advocacy), while the ends refer to the ultimate impacts and outcomes the program seeks to achieve (e.g., cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, safer recreational activities).
Means-ends analysis helps trace the connection between activities (means) and the desired outcomes (ends), highlighting how each step contributes to broader goals. This distinction enables a clearer pathway from the data collected during monitoring to the positive, long-term impacts on water quality and public health, as well as other social or environmental benefits. Understanding this distinction is key to creating a well-structured Case for Investment, which emphasizes both the process (means) and the ultimate goals (ends) the program is working toward.
By separating immediate (means) and long-term (ends) benefits, you can more effectively assess and communicate the program’s short- and long-term value. This approach allows for more targeted improvements in program design and better fundraising and ensures that immediate activities contribute to the program’s ultimate objectives.
To turn your objectives into clear actions and benefits, you can use why and how tools to separate the means from the ends when brainstorming.