Glossary_and_terminology.doc



We understand that different organizations utilize different terminology to refer to similar concepts. For purposes of our work, we rely on the definitions below.

|Activities |The processes or actions taken by the foundation or a grantee to achieve outputs and move toward outcomes. |

| |Example: A grantee might conduct a review of successful communication approaches that are focused on prevention |

| |of a specific disease or promotion of a new savings product. |

|Baseline |An analysis or description of the situation prior to an intervention, against which progress can be assessed or |

| |comparisons can be made. |

|Direct Beneficiaries |People (or entities) who will receive some or all of the monetary or intellectual proceeds that result most |

| |immediately from the grant. |

| |Clarification: The foundation sees the benefits that accrue to these entities as a step toward helping other |

| |ultimate beneficiaries. |

| |Example: In a genetic science crop research grant, the direct beneficiaries of the grant may be the seed |

| |companies that will be able to market the improved seeds that result from the scientists’ prior research work. |

|Evaluation |An investigation into whether, why, and how results are or are not achieved. Evaluation can help the foundation |

| |answer key questions about grants, initiatives, and strategies. |

| |Question answered: To what extent did grant X, or institution X, successfully accomplish its strategic goals, and|

| |what were the key ingredients for success—or the reasons for failure? |

| |Example: The foundation commissioned an evaluation to determine how and to what extent charter management |

| |organizations are more effective at improving student achievement than comparable districts. |

|Geographic Areas Served |All countries that benefit or are intended to benefit from this project. This is where the target population is |

| |located, not necessarily where the work is occurring. |

|Geographic Location(s) of|All locations (country, and sub-region or state if known) in which work will be performed for this project, if |

|Work |this project gets funded. This includes locations in which sub-grantees or sub-contractors will work. |

|Impacts |Ultimate sustainable changes, sometimes attributable to action. |

| |Example: By 2025, twice as many low-income young adults will earn a postsecondary education credential with value|

| |in the labor market by age 26. |

|Indicators |Quantitative or qualitative variables that specify results for a particular strategy, initiative, or grant. |

| |Similar terms: Metrics, measures |

| |Clarification: Indicators form the basis of monitoring and evaluation because they tell us how to assess |

| |different outputs, outcomes, and impacts. |

| |Example: An agriculture grantee might measure the percentage increase in an average crop yield as an indicator of|

| |the effectiveness of the improved seeds that it helped develop. |

|Inputs |The resources used to implement activities. |

| |Clarification: Inputs typically include financial, human, and material/equipment resources, as well as the |

| |efforts of foundation staff, partners, and grantees. |

| |Example: Inputs may include items such as building materials, technical assistance, staff, and vehicles. |

|Key Milestones |A subset of all milestones that may exist in a project workplan, these are the most critical project activities, |

| |outputs, and outcomes that are included in the grant agreement. Grantees regularly report on their progress |

| |toward achieving the key milestones; these reports are expected for future funding. |

|Measurement |The process of collecting and recording observations during an inquiry. |

| | |

| |Clarification: At the foundation, measurement activities include indicator monitoring, evaluation, and long-term |

| |impact tracking.  We also use the term “measurement” to refer to a set of principles and practices associated |

| |with these activities. |

|Milestones |Sequential signs of progress during a project or initiative, usually tied to estimated completion dates. |

| |Example: One milestone for a grantee might be to mobilize a certain amount of additional investment from other |

| |partners by the end of 2011 to support the grantee's work. |

|Monitoring |A process of collecting, analyzing, and using data to ensure compliance and improve performance, comprised of |

| |both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Monitoring tells us whether milestones and basic |

| |targets are being met, and whether critical activities are proceeding as planned. |

| |Similar term: Performance measurement |

|Objectives |The major components of the project required to achieve results. |

| |Clarification: An objective could be any subdivision of work that makes sense as a logical way to organize the |

| |project's key activities, outputs, and outcomes—such as a geographic location or a body of work. |

| |Example: One such body of work might be: “Conduct a needs or readiness assessment.” This objective would have a |

| |set of associated results (mainly activities and outputs), including conducting site visits, interviewing |

| |experts, analyzing data (activities), and writing a report (an output). |

|Outcomes |Intermediate observable and measureable changes that may serve as steps toward impact for a population community,|

| |country, or other category of beneficiary. |

| |Examples: Possible outcomes may include a reduction in the number of new disease cases, an increase in crop |

| |yield, and statewide adoption of new best practices in education. |

|Outputs |The direct and early results of a grant or intervention’s activities. Outputs refer to the most immediate sets of|

| |accomplishments necessary, but not sufficient, to produce outcomes and impacts. |

| |Examples: Possible outputs may include the number of people trained, the number of public service announcement |

| |radio spots on the topic of proper contraceptive use, and the number of tons of new seed varieties distributed. |

|Results |Any of the foundation or grantees’ inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. |

| |Clarification: “Results” is used as a generic, all-encompassing term that can include all positive or negative |

| |changes, as well as the absence of any change at all. When possible, it is best to use more specific terms, such |

| |as impacts, outcomes, outputs, activities, and inputs. The results of almost all grants will likely include |

| |outputs; some will include outcomes; and few, if any, will in and of themselves include impacts. |

| |Example: Possible results may include technical assistance (input), a review of communications approaches |

| |(activity), the number of people trained (output); an increase in crop yield (outcome), and by 2025 a doubling in|

| |the number of low-income young adults who will earn a postsecondary education credential with value in the labor |

| |market by age 26 (impact). |

|Scalability |The degree to which a piloted intervention can function, adapt to increased demands, and deliver similar/expected|

| |results when applied to a significantly larger context (e.g., with expanded sets of beneficiaries, regions, |

| |geographies, policies, and political circumstances). |

|Sustainability |The degree to which achieved results, particularly outcomes and impacts, can continue over time, especially after|

| |foundation funding ends. |

|Targets |Specific values or projections for intended results, to be achieved within particular timeframes. |

| |Clarification: Note that it is not necessary to set targets for all intended results. |

| |Example: If the indicator is “# of children vaccinated,” then a target might be “10,000 children vaccinated by |

| |June 2012.” So a result (in this case, probably an outcome) might be “5,000 children vaccinated” or “100,000 |

| |children vaccinated”—depending on what was achieved by June 2012. |

|Ultimate Beneficiaries |People (or entities) whose lives or experiences we expect to change as an eventual result of the grant. |

| |Clarification: Grant proposals should be able to trace a conceptual link to their intended ultimate |

| |beneficiaries, even if the proposed project itself will not work directly with these people (or entities). |

| |Example: In a genetic science crop research grant, the ultimate beneficiaries of the grant may be the farmers who|

| |will be able to buy and plant the improved seeds that result from scientists’ prior research and seed companies’ |

| |sales and distribution efforts. |

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