What We Do
LFA builds capacity for learning throughstrategy, evaluation, and research
What We Do
LFA builds capacity for learning throughstrategy, evaluation, and research
Our CORE SERVICES
Our services are rigorous and practical – equally grounded in data and
in community realities – to catalyze meaningful change.
Our core services – strategy development, evaluation, and research – work in concert. With reliable data on community needs, as well as up-to-date information on best practices and what works, funders, policymakers, and practitioners are equipped to make effective decisions about strategy that will lead to the greatest possible impact.
OUR APPROACH
In our approach to working with all organizations, we are committed to...
Building Capacity, Not Dependence: Core to our approach is building evaluation, strategic, and reflective capacity to collect and learn from information on an ongoing basis.
Providing Big-Picture Thinking: We view organization efforts holistically and in context, considering how decisions in one area affect another and fit within a broader landscape of stakeholders.
Promoting Data-Driven Decision-Making: We help our clients identify the right questions to ask, and then collect and analyze internal and external data so that the answers inform strategic decisions and organizational learning.
Combining Rigorous Methods with Community Connection: The combination of LFA’s technical expertise and community-based experience ensures that we deliver relevant, actionable recommendations based on high-quality information.
Facilitating a Collaborative and Consultative Process: LFA engages deeply with clients. We collaborate as partners, facilitating processes to draw on all stakeholders’ strengths, while also providing guidance based on our extensive experience.
Being Accessible and Responsive: Our highest quality services are accessible to the full spectrum of social sector organizations, from grassroots community-based efforts to large-scale national and international initiatives.
Practicing Cultural Humility: Successful and meaningful evaluation projects are only possible when we are acutely aware of the forces that have shaped our own worldviews, and mindfully ensure that those with different worldviews from our own can influence and shape evaluation questions, process, findings, and recommendations. We are committed to cultural humility and responsiveness in our work and relationships, honoring the experience, expertise and humanity of every individual we encounter.
Learning for Action: Information is only as valuable as it is timely and useful. We provide results promptly, and in accessible formats so that the information is clear. We then provide thoughtful and participatory facilitation to help organizations make meaning of the information so that the implications for action are even clearer.
OUR AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Our team brings subject matter expertise in a broad set of content areas,
setting us apart from similar types of consulting organizations.
Community and Economic Development, including housing and homelessness, anti-poverty programs, workforce development, and comprehensive community initiatives.
Education and Youth Development, including early childhood, K-12, higher education, and older adult education.
Health and Human Services, including public health, behavioral and mental health, reproductive health, justice system, foster care, aging services, and violence prevention.
Environment, including environmental education and stewardship.
We also bring expertise in consulting on efforts that span across content areas, including media, policy-advocacy, collective impact, and systems change.
quality of our services
At Learning for Action, we walk our talk. From the start, we have hired an outside evaluator to assess the results of our work and client satisfaction. Our effectiveness is indicated by the findings that virtually all of our clients would recommend us and hire us again. In fact, most already have.
Average Results from Our Last Six Surveys (2004 - 2015)
(n=284)
In the words of our clients...
“LFA did an amazing job getting our entire organization excited to learn how to implement a formal Monitoring and Evaluation system. Our team was comprised of big-picture, strategic thinkers but was also happy to get down in the weeds to make sure that every detail was perfect. LFA made this process enjoyable and educational for everyone and have built the capacity of our organization to take this work forward. ”
READ Global
“LFA’s evaluation has been well-planned and executed, and the team has been extremely responsive and creative in identifying alternative strategies to strengthen our approach.”
Hawaii Community Foundation
“We value the work of LFA in making our organization more effective and influential in the policy arena.”
Public Policy Institute of California
“Their commitment to cultural competence is phenomenal. Their flexibility and creativity are unmatched.”
Homeless Children's Network
“LFA didn’t produce just another evaluation report gathering dust but one that addressed key questions about the impact of our programs.”
Save the Bay