Outcome Mapping

Outcome Mapping is a planning, monitoring and evaluation methodology developed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and set out by Sarah Earl, Fred Carden and Terry Smutylo in 2001. It redefines results as changes in the behaviour, relationships, activities and actions of the people and organisations a program works with directly — its 'boundary partners' — rather than as downstream development impacts. By focusing on the behavioural changes a program can plausibly influence, Outcome Mapping addresses the attribution problem head-on and shifts evaluation toward learning and contribution.