A World of Results

WRI’s top 10 outcomes show what’s possible when we work together as a global community.

Ensuring Our Strategies Lead to Results

WRI has internal and external processes for ensuring that our strategies result in tangible results.

• Managing for Results. WRI has a strong focus on results, which we define as significant actions taken as a consequence of our activities and influence, by government agencies, corporations, policymakers, scientists, or civil society. Our results (what we often call “outcomes”) are generated through a highly focused system of clear goals and 3-5 year strategic objectives. Many are achieved in collaboration with WRI’s more than 400 partner organizations around the world.
• Annual Objective Review. We regularly review our institutional objectives and our progress toward achieving them. We accomplish this through a consistent and rigorous method of diagnosis, evaluation, recommendations, and an open forum for staff to comment.
• Quality and Excellence. Our work is reviewed by both internal and external peer experts in a systematic process. WRI’s Vice President for Science and Research ensures excellence and quality control at all phases of our research, analysis, and recommendations.
• Communications. WRI focuses on consistent influence strategies in all of its program planning, and has a professional staff to connect WRI’s work to its audiences to achieve concrete outcomes.
• WRI Board. Our active and highly diverse board of directors is substantially engaged in WRI’s strategic direction and its program planning and outcomes.

Identifying and Monitoring Outcomes

Core to our mission, outcomes help us to understand where we are having the greatest impact, as well as determine where out tactics might be improved. Outcomes help us monitor and evaluate our commitment to ourselves, to our donors, and to the environment and people we aim to serve. They are at the heart of our “Managing for Results” system, and push us to design robust strategies and hold ourselves accountable.

WRI divides its outcomes into three Tier levels, based upon the product of the significance of the outcome and the level of attribution WRI can claim for the outcome.

The level of significance of the outcome is determined by asking to what extend the outcome: is a large step toward achievement of a Project Objective or Institutional Objective; has a substantial positive impact on the people it affects; impacts a large geographical area or number of people and/or has the opportunity to scale up quickly.

The level of attribution of the outcome is determined by asking: Would the outcome have been achieved without WRI? Did WRI’s involvement positively change the nature of the outcome? Did WRI cause the outcome to be achieved more quickly?

WRI’s Top Ten Outcomes are selected in late August each year. All Tier 1 outcomes for the year are candidates for Top Ten recognition. WRI’s Management Team – comprised of program directors, vice presidents, and the president – come together to narrow the field, based on the combination of significance and attribution. The Top Ten Outcomes are showcased on WRI’s website and in a special brochure then mailed and emailed to all WRI donors. Outcomes are also featured in WRI’s annual report.

This map shows the Top 10 outcomes for 2005-2009. You can see our 2010 outcomes here.