Contribution Analysis for Adaptive Management – Apgar, Hernandez and Ton (2020)

This note is designed shares guidance on using contribution analysis for adaptative management by examining how the approach enables programmes to work with theories of change in a practical, reflexive way, and how its findings can inform programme adaptation. Contribution analysis is a theory-based approach that helps users arrive at conclusions regarding the contribution that programmes have made to particular outcomes. This note examines how and to what extent contribution analysis can enable adaptive management (CM4AM). Through the use of interviews with stakeholder, it evaluates four programmes that adopted elements of CM4AM in their practices. The note concludes by arguing that the combination of contribution analysis and adaptive management can help facilitate the collection of, and reflection and use of high-quality data and analysis in adaptive decision-making.