April 25, 2025
Sharpening Results Measurement for Greater Impact: RECONOMY Workshop in Sarajevo
As part of Helvetas’s ongoing commitment to impact-driven programming, the RECONOMY team came together in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for a workshop on Monitoring and Results Measurement, held from April 8 to 11, 2025. This four-day workshop focused on utilizing the framework of the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) Standard in strengthening the program’s measurement system in capturing and evaluating the impact of its interventions.
DCED is a global forum of development agencies and organizations working to promote sustainable economic growth through private sector development. DCED sets widely recognized standards, including the DCED Standard for Results Measurement, helping organizations improve their impact, accountability, and learning.
Bringing together team members from across the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries, the workshop served as both a technical deep dive and an opportunity to align around shared priorities. The sessions began with a structured refresher on foundational elements of results measurement—revisiting the use of evidence-based results chains and discussing how to maintain a balanced approach between qualitative and quantitative data.
Learning from experience
Building on the insights of a preliminary audit conducted in 2024, the workshop focused on enhancing the quality of existing evidence, identifying and addressing evidence gaps, and strengthening the program’s capacity to capture systemic change using a broader, strategic perspective—often referred to as the “helicopter lens.”
The preliminary audit provided valuable insights into the practical application of the DCED Standard, highlighting both the strengths and gaps within the existing measurement system. Key lessons such as the importance of integrating qualitative insights, assessing the sustainability of interventions, and clarifying impact pathways by program workstream, were instrumental in laying the groundwork for strengthening measurement capabilities.
Accuracy – why does it matter?
This workshop was more than just another training session—it was an investment in strengthening the accuracy of the results management system. In a program like RECONOMY—operating across diverse countries, sectors, and systems, and with finite resources—accuracy in results measurement is critical. Accuracy means capturing what is truly happening on the ground.
The benefits of accuracy include:
- Maximizing impact: by pinpointing what works, we ensure our limited resources are invested in activities that deliver the greatest inclusive and sustainable change.
- Adaptive decision-making: accurate data allows the team to quickly adapt strategies, scaling up successful approaches.
- Strengthening accountability: transparent, precise measurement builds trust with the donor, partners, and other stakeholders by clearly demonstrating the results achieved.
- Fostering learning: accuracy ensures that learning is based on facts.
Precise measurement is essential to understanding what truly works in complex, regional programs like RECONOMY. When our systems are accurate, we can clearly identify which interventions are driving meaningful, sustainable change—just as importantly, which are not. This level of insight enables us to allocate limited resources more effectively, scale up the initiatives that deliver the greatest inclusive impact, and extract valuable lessons from those that fall short. Ultimately, accuracy is not just a technical detail; it is the compass guiding smarter decisions, adaptive strategies, and better outcomes for the people, businesses, and markets we serve across the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries.
Authors
Valon Xoxa
Valon Xoxa is the MRM Coordinator for the Western Balkans at RECONOMY. He has over 10 years of experience in project management and implementation with international development partners in the region. His expertise in monitoring, coordination, and integration of projects has been instrumental in successful implementation of activities related to employment via Active Labour Market Programmes in Kosovo.
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