How can organizations manage for results?

While a considerable amount of literature is available about Results-Based Management (RBM) concepts and techniques, I would like to stress that these techniques, by themselves, are not sufficient to achieve effective results in organizations. RBM techniques must be supplemented by organizational policies and strategies, such as knowledge, information management and learning strategies and human resource policies if they have to impact programme effectiveness.

There is no single "road map" to RBM

There is no single road map to RBM, and therefore each organization must adapt RBM to its specificities and strategic mandates. However, a wide range of commonalities exists among organizations, which could constitute a basis for a system-wide harmonization effort to implement RBM in organizations.

To achieve this, some critical success factors or necessary conditions have to be met for an organization to achieve effective implementation of RBM. These include;

• Existence of a clear conceptual framework for RBM as a management strategy.
• Clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
• Clearly formulated long-term objectives.
• Alignment of organization's programmes to long-term objectives.
• Alignment of organization's resources to long-term objectives.
• Existence of an effective performance monitoring system.
• Effective utilization of evaluation findings through timely feedback and reporting.
• Internalization of RBM approach within the organization.
• Existence of a knowledge management strategy.

About the Author

Rohin Onyango is a Kenyan citizen, Research Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist. He holds a Master’s in Development Studies (MDS) from St. Paul’s University (SPU), Limuru-Nairobi, and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Statistics from the University of Nairobi (UON) in Kenya. His work focuses on the creation and utility of M&E products and systems, results-based management, and how evidence can be integrated into organizational learning and decision-making. 

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