Managing for Results

Managing for Results ensures that WRI’s work is designed to drive positive change in the world. We make sure all projects are aligned with WRI’s organizational Results Framework and grounded in strong planning and assessment practices. We evaluate programs and research within this framework to pinpoint where they are having the greatest impact and where opportunities for improvement lie. The Managing for Results system both pushes and enables WRI to design robust impact strategies and to hold ourselves accountable.

Our approach includes:

1. Strategic design: Managing for Results helps teams develop clear and focused Theories of Change that map out the causal pathway between activities and desired outcomes and identify indicators to measure progress toward longer-term intervention targets. These targets aim to drive change across three human systems (food, land and water; energy; and cities) and three enabling systems (finance, economics and governance). We also review project proposals to ensure they are strategically aligned and include adequate planning for monitoring, evaluation and learning.
2. Planning, reporting and adaptive management: We support teams as they develop annual workplans, report progress toward Theories of Change outcomes, and collect and analyze data for continuous improvement and learning. During key reflection points, we help teams evaluate whether their work is producing the outcomes and impacts they planned for and adapt as needed. This cycle of learning enables WRI to make the iterative changes needed to achieve our goals for people, nature and climate.
3. Institutional alignment: We coordinate efforts across WRI’s diverse programs and offices to align interventions with WRI’s organizational Results Framework, thereby enhancing collective impact and synergies for systems change.