Practitioners’ Guidance to Assessing Systems Change
- Partner: USAID Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP), DAI
- Publication Type: Learning Brief
- Date: May 31, 2023
- Team: Dun Grover (ACDI/VOCA) with Meghan Bolden (MarketShare Associates), Lina Henao (iDE), David Okutu (Mercy Corps), Zulkarnaen Nasution (Palladium) and Zakaria Tavberidze (Mercy Corps)
- Recommended Citation: Practitioners' Guidance to Assessing Systems Change. Washington, D.C.: United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Prepared by Dun Grover, Meghan Bolden, Lina Henao, David Okutu, Zulkarnaen Nasution, and Zakaria Tavberidze for DAI through the Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP) Activity, 2023.
Drawing from the practical experience of MEL managers working on market systems development (MSD) programs around the world for a diverse set of donors, this guide aims to help other MEL managers find what works best for their program and teams in assessing systems change. The guidance is aided by the honest exchange from peers working in diverse contexts, team capacities, and mandates.
Findings are divided into four parts:
- Bound the System: What is the system that is changing?
- Define the Outcomes: What parts of the system have changed?
- Assess Degree of Change: How significant are these changes?
- Understand Contribution: What impact did the program have?
Each section lists key points and common challenges, provides a frank assessment of the pros and cons of common approaches, makes recommendations, and suggests practical actions.
This learning brief was originally published by the USAID Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP) Activity on Agrilinks on May 31, 2023.
