Independent Evaluation

Monitoring & Evaluation

To understand project impact and ensure “transparency” in processes; generate information to develop a basis for further decision-making and project implementation

Due Diligence

Facilitate “go” or “no go” decision-making by evaluating social returns and risks if to pursue a particular investment (in projects or organizations); advice on resource and investment required.

VA Selected Cases

One Foundation Handwashing Program Evaluation

Project Description

In December 2021, Venture Avenue conducted an evaluation for the One Foundation Handwashing Program. The evaluation comprehensively explore the key behavioral factors influencing children's hand washing, as well as the impact of project implementation on children's hygiene habits, and provide professional suggestions for the future development of the project.

Key activities

  • Developed evaluation tool: Conducted desktop research and interviews; Formulated an overall evaluation framework and developed assessment tools
  • Designed Children's Survey Questionnaire: Use participatory evaluation to conduct large-scale surveys to collect quantitative data and conduct in-depth analysis

Shell China Social Investment Program Evaluation

Project Description

In August 2020, Venture Avenue was invited by Shell China Social Investment (SI) team to evaluate its five core SI programs and the overall SI portfolio. This assessment was aimed at understanding the impact of the SI programs, reviewing the process of the programs, assessing the achievement of program goals and portfolio performance, identifying key issues to be addressed by the future Shell China SI strategy as well as providing recommendations and suggestions on portfolio selection and follow-up strategies.

Key activities

  • Conducted desktop research, including Shell China SI strategy paper, program proposal and reports
  • Interviewed key stakeholders including managers and staff at the Shell China SI team and from other departments of Shell, and key responsible personnel of the program partners as well as the program beneficiaries
  • Conducted field visits: Visited 17 schools in 6 provinces and interviewed implementing agencies, teachers, children, parents and other relevant stakeholders
  • Provide suggestions: Comprehensively analyzed the key factors in promoting children's correct handwashing and proposed suggestions

Evaluation of One Foundation’s Joint Philanthropy Project（2017-2019）

Project Description

July 2020, VA was invited by One Foundation (OF) to evaluate their Joint Philanthropy Project (2017-2019). The evaluation would provide a comprehensive analysis of Joint Philanthropy’s design, implementation and outcomes, with special focuses on the development and sustainability, philanthropic products, fundraising and public advertisement of the two networks supported by this experimental grant of the OF.

Key activities

  • Desktop research on every year’s project proposals, budgets, annual reports, interim records and archives of Joint Philanthropy and its two grantee networks, as well as the philanthropic products designed by the two networks
  • Online survey using two sets of e-questionnaires for members of the networks with different level of closeness; scale questions, choice questions and open questions were used to understand these members basic information, involvement with their respective network, feedback on the products and other information
  • Conducted filed visit in 30 sites of 9 provinces across the country
  • Write evaluation report to summarize project’s outcomes, sort out project implementation and management issues, and formulate project improvement suggestions

Evaluation of One Foundation’s Children's Service Station Program（2018-2020）

Project Description

In June 2020, Venture Avenue was invited to conduct a comprehensive effectiveness and social impact evaluation for the One Foundation Children's Service Station Program (2018-2020), and provide suggestions on promoting the professionalization, platformization, and scale-up.

Key activities

  • Review project-related materials, industry research reports, and professional academic papers in the field of child development. Formulate an overall evaluation framework, and develop evaluation tools
  • OConducted a large-scale questionnaire survey covering more than 400 sites across the country to collect quantitative project data and conduct in-depth analysis
  • 40 telephone interviews with OF management team, Joint Philanthropy project team, secretariat and different types of members of the two networks, as well as external experts
  • Site visits on 6 member organizations each from the two networks, face-to-face interviews with their leaders and staff as well as various stakeholders including community leaders, residents and volunteers; observing community activities conducted by some of these member NGOs
  • Performing both quantitative and qualitative analysis, evaluating the project design, key outcomes and challenges, making recommendations for the future development of the two funded networks and the Joint Philanthropy project

Sany Foundation "E Action" Grant Scheme Final Evaluation

Project Description

In September 2019, VA was invited by Sany Foundation to provide evaluation of its "E Action" grant scheme. The evaluation aims to provide an overview of how “E Action” was conducted and its impact, to synthesize lessons learned and identify areas of improvement, and to provide recommendations to grant scheme design in the future.

Key activities

  • Conducted desktop research, including project management documents and funded project information that is publically available
  • Interviewed key stakeholders including project officers, and key responsible personnel, partners as well as beneficiaries of funded projects
  • Benchmarked renowned international organizations to summarize its best practice in grant management
  • Completed an overall evaluation report for "E Action" and respective evaluation reports for each funded project

Vanke Foundation “Community Waste Management” Evaluation

Project Description

The flagship project "Community Waste Management" of Vanke Foundation aims to explore and promote a large-scale management model of urban and rural community living waste so as to make “zero waste” become a reality in Chinese communities. In September 2019, Venture Avenue was invited to carry out a phased evaluation of the flagship project

Key activities

  • Reviewed and analyzed relevant policy documents, research reports, project documents, etc.，interviewed with the internal and external stakeholders, and conducted field visit to the project sites to get a deep understanding of the achievements and problems, best practice and lessons, industry trends and demands
  • Organized focus group discussion by inviting the heads of cooperation NGOs, industry experts and resident representatives to come together and share their insights of the project as well as community waste management industry
  • Assisted in the workshop design to help the foundation and its partners to establish an "emotional community"
  • Completed an evaluation report which summarized the primary results and progress, identified the problems in project design and implementation, clarified the impact of external environmental changes on the project, and provided recommendations regarding project strategy and management improvement

Inner Mongolia Red Cross “Brightness Action” Evaluation

Project Description

In December of 2017, VA was invited by Inner Mongolia Red Cross to evaluate impact and sustainability of one of its key projects “Brightness Action”

Key activities

  • Designed evaluation framework, KPI, and data collection tools
  • Took field trips to selective project sites and conducted interviews and beneficiary surveys
  • Generated an evaluation report, highlighting project progress, impact, management effectiveness, scalability, and improvement suggestions

See Love Project Evaluation

Project Description

VA was engaged by Beijing Lianyi Foundation to conduct an impact evaluation of See Love project, a children’s vision care education program.

Key activities

  • Established evaluation framework and ran pilot evaluation at one school
  • Adjusted framework based on piloting result
  • Delivered training to evaluation volunteer team in Beijing and Shanghai
  • Analyzed data from evaluation team and provided evaluation report

“Warm-Hearted Finance 2013 Philanthropy Award” Evaluation and Project Support

Project Description

In April 2014, VA was engaged by China Financial Herald under the China Business Network to provide full support for a new project that would accredit the charitable activities of financial institutions in China.

Key activities

  • Conducted preliminary investigations of charitable activities among financial institutions
  • Designed awards, evaluation criteria and selection procedure
  • Supported the special reports on philanthropy published in monthly magazines
  • Conducted phone or face-to-face interviews as a third party evaluator
  • Facilitated round table discussion around corporate social responsibility at the Award Ceremony

2012 One Foundation Transparency Model Evaluation

Project Description

In 2012, One Foundation initiated the Transparency Award to accredit non-profits with demonstrated transparency, professionalism and sustainability. VA was invited to conduct independent evaluation of 17 candidates of the Award.

Key activities

  • Conducted field interviews with organization representatives, phone interviews with beneficiaries, audit of organizational files
  • Composed an assessment report for each organization covering areas of organizational governance and management, program management, human resource management, publicity and accountability, financial management
  • Provided suggestions on improving financial transparency among charitable organizations

Youchange “Evergreen Volunteer Teaching Program” Impact Evaluation

Project Description

Youchange Social Entrepreneur Foundation (Youchange) “Evergreen Volunteer Teaching Program”, initiated in 2010, recruits experienced retired teachers in cities to train teachers in deprived areas and improve educational quality. VA was invited to evaluate social impact of the program.

Key activities

  • Established evaluation framework covering project input, output, direct/indirect outcome, impact, efficiency of fund usage
  • Conducted field visits, phone interviews and surveys at 7 project sites with various stakeholders
  • Compared the efficiency and effectiveness among 7 project sites, and identified key success factors
  • Provided recommendations to the foundation on how to better monitor and manage the program

British Council “Skills for Social Entrepreneurs” Program Trainee Survey

Project Description

Since 2009, the British Council (BC) "Skills for Social Entrepreneurs (SfSE)" program has provided training to ~1,000 existing and potential social entrepreneurs in China. In April 2013 VA was invited to conduct a survey among the SfSE trainee network.

Key activities

  • Analyzed the development stage, bottlenecks and needs of SEs in China
  • Conducted online questionnaires and phone interviews covering multiple dimensions of SEs’ status quo, including organization type, service type, service area, management team, organizational scale, social impact, and financial performance, development barriers, trainees’ feedbacks and recommendations for SfSE, etc
  • Analyzed the impact of SfSE on the trainees and their needs in terms of capacity building, resource, etc.
  • Provided recommendations to improve SfSE based on case study of the other capacity building platform and programs in China

Need Assessment of Rural Clinics in Post-Disaster Areas and Aid Plan Design

Project Description

In post earthquake Sichuan and Gansu, hundreds of village clinics, township hospitals and county hospitals were heavily damaged. They were responsible for covering medical care for ~10 millions of people. 35% of the population are the poor, whose income are below 3000 yuan per year. VA was invited by a leading international foundation to investigate the needs of hospitals.

Key activities

  • Conducted 90+ field interviews with hospitals, about 300+ interviews with the poor in SC and GS
  • Analyzed the segmented hospital market by scale and geography to find out the"patterns" of needs and ranked them by four dimensions
  • Analyzed the role village clinics, township hospitals and county hospitals played in rural medical care
  • Evaluated their needs in the aspects of equipment, talents and training