Tracking what matters - Resilience assessment in practice

In a world increasingly marked by every greater disruptions, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance must be rooted in approaches that enhance the resilience of people, systems, and institutions. Facilitated and fed by ODI Global, this joint learning series is designed to equip practitioners from SDC and its partners with the knowledge and tools to apply resilience thinking meaningfully in their work. Structured as four online sessions between mid-2025 and early 2026, the journey blends theory, applied examples, peer learning, and interactive group work. It is intended to strengthen participants’ confidence in using resilience thinking and to spark interest in a longer, more in-depth course in the future.

This third session tackles one of the most persistent and uncomfortable questions in resilience programming: can resilience really be measured—and should it be? Building on the foundations of Sessions 1 and 2, the webinar confronts the tension between accountability pressures and the reality that resilience is dynamic, contextual, and rooted in learning rather than static metrics. Over 90 minutes, we will:

• clarify the distinction between measuring, monitoring, and assessing resilience;
• examine the “measurement paradox” where what is easiest to quantify often misses what matters most;
• and explore practical tracking approaches such as leading indicators, community-defined success, tiered evidence systems, and contribution (rather than attribution) analysis.

Through a mix of conceptual input, interactive polls, and real-world group scenarios, the session equips participants with concrete ideas for designing “good enough” assessment approaches that balance rigor, relevance, and feasibility, while strengthening their confidence to engage in honest, constructive conversations with donors and partners.

read more about the learning series and view recordings of past sessions