Contribution

Methods, tools & techniques

Methods, Tools and Techniques are ways of gathering data and collecting the information to learn what changes have happened.

Overview

How do you measure the direct difference you’ve made? It’s tough to try to link your actions to a change or result, especially when many things affect an issue.

Many groups may be trying to influence something and it’s hard to pinpoint your influence within that wider picture.

Traditionally, groups are asked to ‘attribute’ their contribution to a change occurring in the world. This is called attribution. That is, how much can be attributed to a community’s effort to effect change.

Observers would look at changes in a person, family and community and try to decide how much came about as a result of the programme. They may not be able to tell and it can be unethical to claim attribution or direct cause and effect.

Contribution analysis seeks to provide an alternative approach. Contribution analysis is a structured effort to establish (or discount) a plausible, or likely, association between your actions and observed changes. It also seeks to understand the support factors that are needed for an intervention to make a contribution. 

It is useful for:

  • Learning – by giving feedback to people driving an intervention so they can adjust accordingly.
  • Accountability – by demonstrating that you have made a difference; that through your actions and efforts you have contributed to the results achieved.
  • Assigning credit – by affirming different participants’ contribution to an observed change.

You may decide that the contribution you attribute to your activity is minimal, indirect or direct. The best methods to use depends on what you think the contribution was. To help you find out, do prior research, get reactions from your backers or review case studies. Use multiple methods to gather more data, deepen your analysis and develop a stronger contribution case.

Core Resource

A core resource is John Mayne’s 2001 paper on contribution analysis as an approach for exploring cause and effect.

Read more:

In this paper Mayne sets out six broad steps:

  • Step 1: Set out the cause-effect issue to be addressed.
  • Step 2: Develop a theory of change and risks to it, including rival explanations.
  • Step 3: Gather the existing evidence on the theory of change.
  • Step 4: Assemble and assess the contribution story, and challenges to it.
  • Step 5: Seek out additional evidence.
  • Step 6: Revise and strengthen the contribution story.

Contribution analysis is increasingly being used in evaluations to address causal issues in complex settings.

Other Resources

  • This post from 2021 discusses the challenges with attribution and the benefits of adopting a contribution-focused approach.
  • This 2019 brief sets out key principles and concepts in contribution analysis.

 

    Contribution analysis may be best suited to validate a large project or to test policy impacts.

    Benefit Limitation
    Reduces uncertainty about attribution. Time consuming and can be resource intensive.
    Increases strategic thinking about “value added” of intervention. May require different levels of expertise and facilitation.
    Allows for shared credit among collaborative stakeholders. Tough to avoid subjective bias in identifying and testing explanations.
    Increased “clout” with doubters, funders and researchers. Can generate conflict among stakeholders in terms of claiming credit or weighing up different explanations for change.