Chapter 4: Implementing Results Management: Challenges and Opportunities
The first three chapters have presented an overview of results management
making every effort to simplify complex concepts and communicate key points
clearly. However, the presentation has necessarily been somewhat theoretical
given the complex concepts involved in results management. The challenge
for practitioners is to translate these theoretical concepts into effective
management tools. To support this effort, this chapter examines some of
the challenges to implementing results management and some key success
factors that can help overcome those challenges. (The two appendixes provide
more concrete detail on results management at the project and country
levels respectively).
Organizational culture. Making the transition to results
management requires more than simply adopting new systems or processes.
Results management requires the organization to create and sustain an
organizational culture focused on results. This can be challenging in
organizations that have traditionally emphasized inputs and processes
rather than outputs and outcomes.
Resistance to change. The difficult but absolutely necessary
transition from managing for outputs to managing for outcomes (results)
is likely to encounter resistance. Many desired development results are
likely to be incremental and difficult to measure. As a result, managers
and staff may tend to shift their workloads to tasks that are easier to
measure or achieve rather than staying focused on what is important from
a development perspective.
Tendency to make things complicated. One common mistake
is to design overly complicated results frameworks with large numbers
of indicators and targets. Even if these are clearly differentiated from
one another, the proliferation of indicators makes monitoring difficult
and unfocused and the practical use of the information more difficult.
Inadequate staff incentives. In most traditional public
sector organizations, staff incentives revolve around implementing business
processes and ensuring that the organization transforms certain inputs
into desired outputs. In international financial institutions, staff incentives
are traditionally oriented around processing projects and ensuring that
country “pipelines” are full. However, these incentives are
not likely to motivate staff to make the transition to results management,
a transition that requires a fundamentally different way of thinking.
Insufficient training and organizational support. In
many cases, organizations develop elaborate results management systems
without paying sufficient attention to the human dimension. The concepts
of results management are often new to staff; they represent an altogether
unfamiliar way of doing business. If they are not fully supported with
sustainable capacity development programs and reference materials, implementation
will be jeopardized.
 Top
Strong, focused leadership. Senior management must take
the lead in clearly communicating the main purpose and function of the
organization. This defines the results the organization aims to achieve
and should focus all stakeholders’ attention on the task at hand.
Strong leadership is essential for making the major changes in values,
attitudes, and organizational behavior required to create a culture focused
on achieving development results.
Customizing to the specific context. Even though the
core elements of any applied results management approach are basically
the same in any organization, program, or project, the specific blend
of elements needs to be customized. For instance, implementation of results
management in Asia must take into account Asian values and Asian ways
of communicating. Simply replicating what works in one context in another
(often quite different) context is unlikely to be successful. At the same
time, however, learning from the experiences and best practices of other
organizations is often quite valuable.
Keeping things simple. It is important not to try to
do too much at one time or to develop overly complicated and comprehensive
systems in the short term. Results management requires the formulation
of realistic expectations and the use of credible information. It is important
to start small and limit the number of desired outcomes and indicators.
Only then can you begin to build practical systems that support organizational
improvement and a consistent results focus. If results management is to
be sustainable, early efforts must be perceived as useful and as having
organizational legitimacy. This suggests that a gradual and systematic
approach involving phased implementation is essential in most organizations.
Building ownership through participation. Implementing
results management is best done using a blend of top-down and bottom-up
approaches. While it is certainly important to determine the information
parameters of systems to support strategic management of the organization,
it is also essential to take into account the preferences and needs of
staff, partners, and other stakeholders. Participatory processes should
be an integral part of designing results management approaches, both in
order to identify basic constraints and to ensure that the voices of those
who will use the systems are heard. Designing a system from the top down
and imposing it on the organization is much less effective.
Making conscious organizational changes. Organizations
constantly change. As the philosopher Hericlites pointed out 2000 years
ago, you can never dip your toe into the same river twice since the water
is always flowing. Organizations exist in a similar state of flux. Concentrated
efforts are required to remain relevant and to continue achieving results
in a constantly changing environment.
Results management, when properly implemented, represents a viable and
powerful strategy for effectively meeting this challenge. Most organizations
underestimate the scope and impact of the organizational changes that
accompany results management. Results management will not work in an organizational
culture wedded to strict hierarchies, tight management control, and rigid
compliance with rules and procedures. Organizational change affects every
aspect of operations, including strategic planning, resource allocation
and management, assessment and incentive systems, monitoring, and reporting.
This suggests that organizations should be ready to launch a well-planned
and adequately financed process of change management.
Next: Materials and Resources on International
Experience with Results Management
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Publications 
Introduction to Results Management
