Improve Group at a burn care center in Managua, Nicaragua for Physicians for Peace
Conducting multi-country research in an environment of respect

The Situation

Practicing a model of “Teach one. Heal many,” Physicians for Peace (PFP) trains, supports and empowers healthcare professionals working with the world’s underserved populations. The Improve Group was engaged by PFP to:

  • Evaluate the processes, outcomes and return on investment of three PFP core programs (Walking Free, Burn Program and Resource Mothers).
  • Develop an evaluation system that could be sustained after the project.
  • Prepare PFP to engage more thoughtfully with peers, funders and the global development community through its insights and data.

The Solution                                                                                                

Our multilingual staff made site visits to Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines, to engage PFP stakeholders: doctors, nurses, therapists, community leaders, patients and mothers. Through a mixed-method approach, including interviews, observations, clinic data, surveys, and our proprietary IG Image Grouping© sessions, our team:

  • Built positive relationships with healthcare providers and patients through use of appropriate language and methods.
  • Analyzed extensive data to determine outcomes, costs, the leveraging of resources, opportunities to strengthen programs, and attribution of impact.
  • Developed efficient, useful evaluation strategies that PFP readily internalized.

The Results

Our final report contained actionable recommendations used by PFP leaders to:

  • Strengthen and expand its programs and inform a long-term evaluation strategy.
  • Allocate resources and determine methodologies to enhance its activities
  • Build new partnerships thanks to user-friendly findings shared in multiple formats (infographic, presentation and report).

An additional benefit came through the use of our IG Image Grouping© sessions, which allow participants to visually reflect their experience through a collage of relevant, familiar images. Valuable for bridging literacy levels and collecting unique stories, this tool gathers vital information to advance PFP’s mission-driven work.

“The Improve Group was able to provide actionable recommendations that assisted PFP by suggesting resource allocations and methodologies to enhance our programs. They exceeded our expectations throughout the process due to their efficient and useful approaches.” - Ron Sconyers, Brigadier General, (USAF Ret.), PFP President & CEO