NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, May 18, 2009

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For years, groups working on poverty-fighting ventures have used stories, anecdotes, and milestone markers to highlight their work and secure funding.

Unfortunately, these things don’t actually measure the effectiveness of an organization’s effort. Nor do they showcase any unintended consequences, long-term changes, or missed opportunities. But Ross professor Ted London, after several years of field research, has developed a tool that organizations can use to better assess the true impact of their work.

London’s framework appears in the May 2009 edition of the Harvard Business Review and is in use by nonprofit and corporate partners in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.