Resources

Before implementing any type of international development / aid program it’s a good idea to identify all the risks you might face, and work out what you are going to do about them. Risks to the program might include internal issues, such as the necessary resources not being available or …

Download Tiny Tools Many international development / aid programs try to directly improve people’s lives through activities such as building boreholes, running agricultural training programs, or setting up youth programs. When evaluating these types of programs it can be difficult to know if community members really believe that their situation …

One of the most common questions I get asked by people doing surveys in international development is “how big should my sample size be?”. While there are many sample size calculators and statistical guides available, those who never did statistics at university (or have forgotten it all) may find them intimidating or …

While it might seem surprising to people outside the field of international development / global aid, one big challenge in any international development program is making sure that activities actually get implemented in the first place (and in the manner they were designed). Community health workers, teachers, peer educators and …

It used to be that if you were working in international development and wanted to improve your skills you only had two choices. Either spend a lot of time and money doing a masters degree, or try to teach yourself using whatever old textbooks you could find lying around. These …

Semi-structured interviews are a staple of international development programs. Unfortunately they are often done in a rush without proper planning and analysis. The result can be a pile of interview notes that don’t contain the information you need, or simply repeat the same points over and over without adding anything …

Every employee and volunteer in your program should have a basic job description that lists their responsibilities, who the report to and who they supervise. Job descriptions are important for making sure that everyone knows exactly what they are responsible for. Common roles in international development programs include the Program …

All international development programs should have a budget. Donors almost always require a detailed budget to be submitted before they fund a project. Budgets are also necessary to ensure that expenses can be anticipated ahead of time. For large programs there may be an overall budget as well as multiple …

Strategic planning is the process of defining an organisation’s direction – where the organisation is going and how it’s going to get there. Most organisations conduct strategic planning every 3-5 years. There are lots of different ways to do a strategic plan, and lots of different structures for the final …

Designing a new program can be both challenging and rewarding. Challenging because it’s difficult to know if you’ve designed it the right way. Rewarding if your program ends up working (or discouraging if it ends up not working!). There are plenty of manuals on how to design programs, like these …