About Parker
Duignan
Parker Duignan provides strategic advice to the public
sector.
We work in the following areas:
- Outcomes/Performance Management
Systems - design
of effective outcomes systems, coherent
outcomes specification, robust indicator systems for high level public
sector performance management.
- Evaluation - all aspects of
evaluation including evaluation
strategy, scoping and tendering, peer review, evaluation design and
evaluation training.
- Community consultation
- design of consultation projects,
peer
review of consultation design and undertaking consultation processes.
- Facilitation - facilitation of
strategic planning workshops, conferences, consultative
councils, meetings, workshops and teambuilding.
- Research - research priority
setting, grant review,
research strategy.
- Social and
community development strategy - design of
multi-strategy social programmes.
The two Principals in Parker Duignan are Dr
Paul Duignan
and Jennifer Parker. Other specialists
are involved in projects as required.
Parker Duignan also runs the Strategic
Evaluation site associated with this site. Also see the Outcomes Central set of
sites for further information on outcomes.
Outcomes/Performance
Management Systems
Outcomes
systems design - the fundamental principles of outcomes systems are not
yet widely understood and so many systems are inadequately
designed. This results in users and stakeholders who are
frustrated users and a lack of traction of outcomes systems on
performance
management. Using the principles of Outcomes Theory developed by
Dr Paul Duignan we design robust outcomes systems which are both usable
and effective.
Outcomes/performance
management systems architecture - many organisations and sectors have
multiple layers of outcomes, performance management, evaluation and
quality assurance systems layered one on top of the other. We
help organisations develop systems architecture to optimise the mix of
such systems
within a sector or organisation.
Integration
of outcomes specification, strategic intelligence, indicator
measurement, performance measurement and research and evaluation
priority setting - using Dr Paul Duignan's Systematic Outcomes
Analysis [1] approach and its user-friendly version Easy Outcomes approach we
integrate these aspects of an organisations or sector into a coherent
overall system where each aspect supports the others. We do this using DoView outcomes software.
Intervention
logic development - using Dr Paul Duignan's outcomes model guidelines,
we specialise in developing elegant outcomes models (intervention
logics) in real time using
either face to face workshops or international webconferencing.
Outcomes
theory and practice - we run workshops on outcomes theory and practice
to up-skill outcome systems designers, managers, policy analysts,
public sector administrators, researchers and evaluators in designing,
implementing and running outcomes and performance management systems.
Evaluation
Parker Duignan provides all types of theoretical methodological,
technical and practical advice in regard to
evaluation.
Evaluation strategy - overall evaluation strategy is often neglected in
the rush to commission individual programme evaluations. We use
our Easy Outcomes approach to assist organisations to develop a
comprehensive evaluation strategy for an organisation or sectors.
Within this approach we provide a process for prioritising the
level and type of evaluation projects an organisation or sector is
going to undertake. .
Evaluation scoping and tendering process - scoping an evaluation
project, tendering for an evaluation and selecting the best tender
sometimes requires specialist methodological input. It is often
difficult for a stakeholder advisory group, no matter what their
backgrounds, to develop a sufficiently deep understanding of the
intricacies of an evaluation methodology to be able to effectively
steer the evaluation to answer priority evaluation questions.
Depending on the need, Parker Duignan can be
involved in all stages of scoping, tendering and selecting the
best evaluation proposal. Working with evaluation design teams or
Independent Chairing of tender selection panels. In addition we
are often involved in ongoing evaluation advisory committees providing
methodological advice.
Evaluation peer review - peer review of large evaluation projects is an
important way of ensuring high quality, feasible evaluations. We
peer review evaluation plans and completed evaluations to ensure
quality evaluation design and methods.
Evaluation design - getting the design right at the start of an
evaluation project is usually a complex task. We can assist with
a
structured approach to designing a programme evaluation based on our
Systematic Outcomes Analysis/Easy Outcomes approach and setting up the
evaluation plan within DoView outcomes software. This starts
with defining a set of evaluation questions based on stakeholder needs
and then developing a set of feasible methods which can answer these
evaluation questions in real world settings.
Evaluation training - comprehensive evaluation training is the
best way to build evaluation capability. We can undertake quality
evaluation training appropriate at all organisational levels -
programme staff, programme management, researchers and policy analysts
and senior management.
Community Consultation
Community consultation is now routinely used across the whole of the
public sector. It is important that the right type of
consultation process is put in place for a particular purpose.
Parker Duignan has done recent theoretical work on a model of types of
consultation process. If you are interested in ensuring effective
consultation you can draw on Parker Duignan's experience in this area
by involving us in your consultation design.
Of particular current interest is the trend towards the use of explicit
dialogue processes within consultation, if you are interested in
integrating such processes within a wider consultation then involve us
in your project. We have developed a particular methodology for
such processes called the Rich Dialogue Process.
Roles for Parker Duignan working with an agency could include peer
review of consultation design, undertaking consultation processes (e.g.
facilitating consultation councils), advice on dialogue process design,
advice on evaluating consultation processes.
Facilitation
An independent chair or facilitator allows senior managers to
concentrate on meeting content rather than also having to
focus on
meeting process. Parker Duignan undertakes this role in regard
to high level public
sector consultation councils.
Consultation workshops and conferences need to have focused
facilitation to achieve their objectives. If you are wanting a
carefully designed workshop or conference process with the effort,
expertise and experience put into clearly specifying outcomes and
planning an appropriate process to deliver on them, then you may want
to involve Parker Duignan.
Early and effective strategic planning will maximise organisational
success. We run strategic planning workshops for large and small
public
and private sector organisations. We draw on our strategic
evaluation
expertise to ensure that organisational objectives are clearly defined
and strategies developed for achieving them. Click here for quotes from
clients and workshop participants.
Roles for Parker Duignan include design, facilitation, Independent
Chairing of conferences, workshops, consultation, seminars and meetings
of all types with all types of participants.
Research strategy
We are specialists in defining research strategies and priorities.
Social and other research complex with evolving quantitative and
qualitative methodologies. Parker Duignan has had extensive
experience in whole range of social science research methods.
Roles for Parker Duignan include: research grant panels
participation; research peer review; sector stakeholder
consultations to develop overall sets
of research priorities; development of overall research
strategy; facilitated research strategy workshops to assist
groups of academics
to define their comparative advantage and identify synergies between
disparate research groups within an institution.
Social and
Community Development Strategy
The design and implementation of social and community programmes is a
complex area for which there is now a large body of best
practice. As the use of such strategies becomes more central to
social policy, it is important to make sure that these initiatives are
well designed and implemented.
Agencies implementing these programmes can use Parker Duignan's
experience and implementation models in this area to avoid common
pit-falls and maximise opportunities for success.
Parker Duignan Principals
Dr Paul Duignan
Extensive experience in outcomes systems design, strategic planning,
facilitation, evaluation strategy, evaluation planning, evaluation
design, selecting evaluation tenders, and running evaluation
training. As the New Zealand 2005 Fulbright Senior Scholar Paul
worked at
the Urban Institute in Washington developing his Outcomes Theory.
Part time Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social and Health
Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SHORE) Massey University,
Auckland. Initiated and taught Masters papers in programme
evaluation at the University of Auckland and at Massey University
Auckland. Undertakes a wide range
of projects for public sector organisations in New Zealand, consulted
internationally on evaluation design for IMF. Previously worked
for Navigate, a Wellington organisational development consultancy.
Jennifer Parker
Experience in communications, community consultation, stakeholder
relationships, strategic planning and project management.
Facilitator. Mediator. Expert trainer and
training programme developer in range of topics including
communications and customer / client relations. Background in the
youth, government and community sectors. Formerly a Senior
Communications Advisor within central government and community
programme co-ordinator. Jennifer's
qualifications include a Certificate in Adult Teaching, Bachelor of
Arts in Political Science and Graduate Diploma in Business Studies
(Dispute Resolution). She is also an Associate of the
Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand and a restorative
justice facilitator.
[1] Systematic Outcomes Analysis was formally also known as the
Research, Evaluation, Monitoring Programme Logic approach (REM(Logic)),
the Outcomes Is It Working Approach and the OIIWA approach.
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