Building Evaluation Systems and Capacities to Leverage Context- A Way Forward

The document summarises deliberations at the 2025 Evaluation Conclave 2025 (Colombo), co‑hosted by Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) and GRAAM. It explores how evaluation systems in development practice must be grounded in local contexts while remaining methodologically robust, highlighting the need for participatory evaluation, stakeholder‑ownership, context‑sensitive methods, and capacity building of evaluators and communities. It calls for institutionalising evaluation as a discipline, strengthening evaluator skills, and aligning evaluation use with policy and community needs, to ensure evaluations are meaningful, inclusive, and relevant to lived realities.

Pune and Mumbai Summary Report: Systems Convening for Philanthropy for Inclusive Development

This report summarises insights from two systems thinking convenings held in Pune and Mumbai in April 2024. Organised by CPID at ISDM, the convenings engaged stakeholders to reflect on challenges and systemic traps in Indian philanthropy, and proposed collaborative, inclusive approaches for sustainable development.

Summary Report: Systems Convening for Philanthropy for Inclusive Development.

This report summarises the first systems convening held by CPID at ISDM in September 2023, where funders, SPOs, and PSOs used systems thinking to reflect on philanthropic dilemmas in India. Themes include trust-based philanthropy, flexibility in funding, community participation, and the use of the Iceberg Model to uncover behavioural, institutional, and belief system barriers.

Understanding legal and regulatory compliance for NGOs

Skill-labs are part of ISDM’s efforts to build sector-wide capacities in compliance and governance. They are designed as case-led, peer-learning sessions featuring sector practitioners and domain experts. This document serves as a comprehensive FAQ-style guide to legal and regulatory compliance for non-profit organizations in India. It addresses key frameworks like Section 12AB, Section 80G, GST, and FCRA, explaining their significance and the common challenges NGOs face. The guide highlights the increased scrutiny and evolving donor expectations within the sector, and it emphasizes that compliance is crucial for maintaining credibility and securing funding. It also covers common pitfalls, such as failing to distinguish between foreign and domestic contributions or overlooking state-level labor laws.

Strengthening Internal Financial Controls & Preventing Mismanagement

Skill-labs are part of ISDM’s efforts to build sector-wide capacities in compliance and governance. They are designed as case-led, peer-learning sessions featuring sector practitioners and domain experts. This document provides a Q&A-style guide on strengthening internal financial controls and preventing mismanagement in non-profit organizations. It emphasizes that financial controls are essential for ensuring accountability, preventing fraud, and building credibility with donors and regulators. The report differentiates between financial systems and controls, identifies the three main types of controls (operational, financial, and compliance), and highlights that effective implementation is more about organizational culture and discipline than cost. It also outlines the collective responsibility of the board, management, and staff in upholding financial integrity.

Grant Management and Donor Reporting – Best Practices

Skill-labs are part of ISDM’s efforts to build sector-wide capacities in compliance and governance. They are designed as case-led, peer-learning sessions featuring sector practitioners and domain experts. This FAQ document offers a comprehensive guide on grant management and donor reporting best practices for Social Purpose Organizations (SPOs). It addresses common challenges, such as the administrative burden and high costs of compliance, by providing a step-by-step roadmap for building robust systems. The document covers critical topics like ensuring accountability, structuring effective reports, and developing a collaborative relationship with donors. It emphasizes that a focus on transparency, timely communication, and outcome-oriented reporting can transform compliance from a burden into a strategic advantage, strengthening donor trust and securing long-term funding.

Skill-labs: CSR Funding for NGOs – Compliance and Collaboration

These are part of ISDM’s efforts to build sector-wide capacities in compliance and governance. They are designed as case-led, peer-learning sessions featuring sector practitioners and domain experts. This FAQ document provides guidance for NGOs on securing CSR funding from corporate partners. It emphasizes that compliance is foundational, not just for legal purposes, but also for building credibility and trust with companies. The document addresses common challenges, such as the need for specific compliance certificates, and offers solutions like proactive communication, transparent reporting with data-backed outcomes, and financial transparency. It also provides best practices for identifying the right CSR funders, navigating partnerships, and initiating first-time outreach to corporates, highlighting the importance of building relationships beyond just seeking monetary support.

Covid-19 Demands Innovative Ideas for Financing the Sdgs

This event report from CSIS highlights the urgent need for innovative financing solutions to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It discusses the exacerbated financing gap and explores various sources and mechanisms to mobilise capital for sustainable development. The report emphasizes the importance of rethinking traditional financing approaches and fostering new partnerships to accelerate progress towards the SDGs amidst global crises.

Catalysing Climate Finance in African Markets

This event report discusses strategies for catalysing climate finance in African markets, recognizing Africa’s vulnerability to climate change despite its minimal contribution to global warming. It highlights the continent’s untapped potential in natural resources, especially renewables, and the need for significant investment in green infrastructure. The report emphasizes mobilizing public and private sector funds through innovative financial instruments and addressing roadblocks to attracting green finance for sustainable economic development.

Impact Or Illusion? Report Launch Event

Impact or Illusion: Unpacking the Complexity of Social Change Measurement explores challenges highlighted by a diverse panel of practitioners, funders, evaluators, and NPO leaders. The report confirms real-world impact but stresses that conventional indicators often miss indirect and long-term outcomes – measuring shift takes time and nuance. It reveals misaligned definitions of “impact” across stakeholders and raises concern over data fatigue caused by excessive collection of low-value metrics. The report calls for co-created measurement frameworks, capacity building for funders and NPOs, streamlined data aligned with program logic, and a collaborative ecosystem that emphasises learning and adaptive change
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