Results-based management

Results-based management (RBM) is a program/project life cycle approach to management. It integrates:

• strategy
• people
• resources
• processes and measurements to improve decision-making
• transparency
• accountability

The approach focuses on:

• achieving outcomes
• implementing performance measurement
• learning
• adapting, and
• reporting on performance, including outcomes

Global Affairs Canada uses RBM to effectively and efficiently manage Canada's international assistance. It is more than just a set of tools; it is a management approach and a way of working that looks beyond activities and outputs to focus on actual result, the outcomes of projects and programs.

Policy

We use RBM to better manage Canada's international assistance program from start to finish: planning and implementation, evaluations, and reporting and integrating lessons learned into the development of future programs

• Results Based Management Policy Statement 2008

Guidance

The policy is supported by a comprehensive guide for the application of RBM in international assistance programming.

• Results-based management for international assistance programming: A how-to guide
• International Assistance Results – Reporting Guide for Partners

The following tip sheets and checklists are designed to help users navigate sections of the RBM guide:

• Checklist 1.1: How to assess and/or review a logic model
• Checklist 2.1: How to assess and/or review a performance measurement framework
• Checklist 5.1: Reviewing Results Reports from Global Affairs Canada Implementers
• Tip Sheet 2.1: Results Chains and Definitions
• Tip sheet 2.2: Syntax  structure of outcome, output and activity statements
• Tip sheet 2.3: Questions and approaches for Theory of Change clarification and refinement
• Tip sheet 3.1: Selection of performance indicators by level of outcome
• Tip sheet 3.2: Outcomes, indicators, baseline, targets and actual data
• Tip Sheet 4.1: Gender equality results and indicators
• Tip sheet 5.1 - Reporting on innovation in international assistance
• Glossary of results-based management terms

Advancing Human Rights and RBM: The following document outlines how to take a human rights perspective throughout the lifecycle of an initiative. It helps applicants consider human rights in order to inform the initiative’s theory of change, expected outcomes, and monitoring strategy. It also provides guidance on planning, designing and implementing an initiative in a human rights-sensitive manner.

• Advancing human rights

Tools and templates

The following tools make it easier to manage for results throughout the entire life cycle of an investment or project for Global Affairs Canada staff, partners and executing agencies. Global Affairs Canada has standard templates for these tools:

• Logic Model Template and Outputs and Activities Matrix Template (PDF, 91 KB)
• Performance Measurement Framework Template (PDF, 1 MB)
• Risk Table template (PDF, 554 KB)

Related links

• Glossary of key terms in evaluation and results-based management (OECD-DAC)
• International program for development evaluation training
• Office of the Auditor General of Canada
• Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action
• Performance and Planning Exchange
• Policy on management, resources and results structures
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Centre of Excellence for Evaluation
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Results-Based Management lexicon
• UN Sustainable development goals
• Gender equality and empowerment measurement tool
• Results in development co-operation (OECD-DAC)
  • Managing for Sustainable Development Results Guiding Principles (OECD-DAC)
  • Global Affairs Canada’s architecture for results of international assistance (OECD-DAC)
  • Global Affairs Canada’s internal capacity-building approach for results-based management (OECD-DAC)
  • Global Affairs Canada’s approach to feminist evaluation practices (OECD-DAC)
  • Results in Development Co-Operation: Provider Case Studies: Canada Global Affairs Canada (OECD-DAC)