Networking and Collaborating to Create a Powerful M&E Team
By Vasundhara Kamath
It takes a village not just to shape a child’s future, but also to shape a cause such as promoting women’s political leadership. After all, the inertia of status quo needs force, and lots of it, to change its momentum. This has been at the heart of major historic endeavors such as the women’s suffrage movement, but holds equally true for efforts of all sizes.
This idea of collaboration for change runs through the foundation of Running Start. In our mission to empower young women to run for public office, we often draw on the support of our network.
In late 2019, Running Start began revamping our monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategy. The efforts were made possible thanks to a grant from the Ascend Fund at Panorama Global. The project was as important as it was ambitious. On one hand, it would align data collection measures more closely to our overall program goals — Confidence, Connections and Capabilities. On the other, it envisioned setting up a longitudinal study to examine the long-term outcomes and impact the programs had on young women’s ambitions to run for office. Although Running Start had long been collecting feedback from our participants, this systemized, data-based approach would allow for greater clarity while reviewing how programs currently worked and determining areas for future improvement.
In the design and implementation of the project, Running Start sought the help of graduate student consultants. Realizing the importance of a mixed methods approach, the Chief Strategy Officer, Melissa Richmond, as well as Technology and Outreach Coordinator, Carly Madsen, sought consultants who could contribute with necessary skills. With the help of our network, Vasundhara Kamath and Allison Goulden were brought on board to assist with the project.
Vasundhara has a background in law and academia, and has completed her PhD (Law) in India. In November 2019, as she was finishing her Master of Public Policy degree at The George Washington University, she was looking for opportunities that would help utilize her methodological and quantitative research skills in the women in politics space. Manira Alva, Vice President, Political and Civic Engagement at Vital Voices, an ally of Running Start, introduced her to the organization.
Allison’s passions lie in empowering young people, particularly young women, to become interested in and involved with the political process. Allison attended Juniata College for her undergraduate studies and started graduate school at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management in Fall 2019. After interning with Running Start, Allison wanted to continue to be involved with the organization and was so excited to have the opportunity to work on the project, where she could utilize her qualitative research skills and learn about the methodology of M&E.
The M&E process drew upon the skills of both consultants and gave them an opportunity to learn from each other. Allison’s prior experience with the organization helped in getting a head start with the review of literature and program materials. Her qualitative research skills were crucial in engagement with the stakeholders necessary to determine program goals and indicators. Vasundhara was then able to use these results in designing data collection instruments and developing analysis strategies. This resulted in successful completion of a survey of around 1,000 alumnae, which is the first step in the longitudinal study. The consultants are also developing tools for the continuous monitoring of individual programs.
When hit with a roadblock, the consultants often relied on the Running Start staff and community for advice. One such expert who has guided the project is Zoë Glas, who is a UX researcher at Lyft Rentals. She has long been a friend of Running Start, thanks to an introduction by WAKE International. Her expertise and experience have guided the entire survey process, including streamlining survey questions and attention to data quality. During the analysis of alum responses, her experience brought our focus towards recognizing a narrative supported by data. This has meant brainstorming on visualizations that objectively present the data without shrouding it in technicalities.
Since the conclusion of the survey, the consultants have been working towards collecting rich qualitative data through interviews and focus groups in an effort to supplement the quantitative responses. These efforts have been guided by two other women from the Running Start network: Kansas University academics, Mary Banwart and Emily Vietti, were introduced to Running Start by the grantor. Their rich research background, including studies on gender and politics, have greatly influenced the qualitative component of the project. Their inputs have guided the team to use the survey results to reflect and review the qualitative methodology, which is ongoing.
The exercise has provided a unique lens through which to view program workings and outcomes. It has offered a new platform for Running Start to involve its community more fully in curating the programs and continuing its M&E efforts, including the next steps in the longitudinal survey.
But most of all, it has revealed, yet again, the transformative nature of collaboration. It ultimately shows that when women work together, we get work done!
Vasundhara Kamath is a Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant at Running Start. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the George Washington University, with a dual concentration in gender policy and program evaluation. She completed her PhD (Law) from NALSAR University of Law in India, and taught Constitutional Law and Feminist Jurisprudence at School of Law, Christ University for nearly 3 years. Her research focus has been on using data driven methods to make governments more diverse, and to increase women’s political participation.
