Results Framework and Results Tracker Guidance
Overview
This document provides guidance on how to use the Results Framework and Results Tracker as tools to
develop and track investment results (i.e. outcomes and outputs). The content for both of these tools should
be developed collaboratively between you and your Program Officer.
The Results Framework is used to capture a snapshot of the logical relationship between the expected results
of the project (outcomes and outputs) and the foundation’s strategic goals toward which those results
contribute. It is also used to identify the key outcomes and outputs that will be monitored or evaluated
throughout the life of the project.
The Results Tracker is used to plan for how the investment results will be measured and tracked over the life
of a project. It is also used during management to document actuals and variance against targets as the
project progresses.
Table of Contents
Ensuring Macros are Enabled
Results Framework
- Adding an Outcome or Output
- Deleting an Outcome or Output
Results Tracker
- Populating the Results Tracker
- Why Isn’t My Results Tracker Populating?
- Editing Outcomes and Outputs
- Adding and Removing ‘Periods’
- Adding and Removing Rows
Tool Tips
- Copy / Paste
- Tracking Changes
- Having Multiple Workbooks Open
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Enabling Macros
Ensuring Macros are Enabled
In order to use the automated features within this workbook (systematic numbering of results, autopopulation, etc…), you must ensure that the Macros have been enabled. In most cases, you will be prompted
with a button and prompt to enable the macros after opening the workbook, per the screen shot below.
If you are not prompted with this message, or are otherwise unsure if your macros have been enabled, you
can double check the settings using the File menu. Simply go to “File” > “Options” – in the new window that
opens (image on left below), select “Trust Center” from the left hand menu and then select “Trust Center
Settings.” In the new window that opens select “Macro Settings” from the left hand menu, and then select the
option to “Enable all Macros” (image on right below)
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© 2014 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Results Framework
Adding an Outcome or Output
The following image provides an illustration of the controls that allow the user of the Results Framework to
add additional outcomes and outputs.
Adds an additional
primary outcome
Adds an additional
intermediate
outcome under the
relevant primary
outcome
Adds an additional
output under the
relevant
intermediate
outcome
Adding a new primary outcome: Adding an additional primary outcome will result in a new layer of results,
including a primary outcome, intermediate outcome, and output.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Adding an intermediate outcome: Adding an intermediate outcome will result in the creation of a new
intermediate outcome and associated output under the relevant primary outcome:
Adding an output: Adding an output will result in the creation of a new output under the relevant
intermediate outcome.
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© 2014 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Deleting an Outcome or Output
Deleting an Outcome or Output: The following image provides an illustration of the controls used to delete
outcomes and outputs.
Clicking the “x” deletes
the primary outcome
and any of its related
intermediate outcomes
and outputs
Clicking the “x” deletes
the intermediate
outcome and any of its
related outputs
Clicking the “x” deletes
only this output
Deleting a primary outcome: Deleting a primary outcome will result in the removal of the specified primary
outcome as well as the associated intermediate outcomes and outputs. The below warning will be displayed
to the user to confirm this deletion. Please note you will NOT be able to undo (ctrl+z) once complete.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Deleting an intermediate outcome: Deleting an intermediate outcome will result in the removal of the
specified intermediate outcome as well as the associated outputs. The below warning will be displayed to the
user to confirm this deletion. Please note you will NOT be able to undo (ctrl+z) once complete.
Deleting an output: If the cell contains text, clicking the “x” will result in clearing the cell, while the field will
Clicking
'Yes' will
in the intermediate
and all
of its
related
being deleted.
remain in-tact
(seeresult
screenshot
below). If theoutcome
cell is blank,
it will
delete
theoutputs
output completely
fromTake
the caution
with
this
functionality,
as
there
is
no
way
to
"undo"
it
(Ctrl
+z)
once
complete.
hierarchy. Deleting an output will result in the removal of the specified outputs, and you will NOT receive a
prompt as you would when removing primary or intermediate outcomes. Please note you will NOT be able to
undo (ctrl+z) once complete.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Results Tracker
Populating the Results Tracker
This section describes how to use the Results Framework to populate the Results Tracker, and how
subsequent revisions of the Results Framework can be used to generate updated versions of the Results
Tracker.
General
The checkboxes in the Results Framework are used to identify outcomes or outputs that the PO and grantee
have agreed would be reported on over the course of the investment. All boxes are “checked” by default, so
uncheck the box for any outcomes or outputs that are not going to be reported on over the life of the
investment.
Generating a Results Tracker from the Results Framework
The Results Framework is used as the primary tool to capture outcomes and outputs in the investment
development phase, and all results checked for reporting need to be transferred to and tracked within the
Results Tracker. To simplify the transfer process, the Results Framework provides a utility to transfer results
from the Results Framework to the Results Tracker. Clicking the "Populate Results Tracker" button will
automatically generate a new worksheet of the Results Tracker populated with all outcomes and outputs that
were checked for reporting.
(Continued below)
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Clicking the button generates a new tab titled "Results Tracker - Current", which contains a Results Tracker
that is populated with the most up to date outcomes and outputs indicated for reporting from the Results
Framework.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
The Results Tracker will display the results in the same hierarchical structure that was used in the Results
Framework:
Why isn’t my Results Tracker Populating?
There are several reasons that the Results Tracker may not automatically populate from the Results
Framework when using the “Populate Results Tracker” functionality.
The primary reason is that the “Check ID Box if For Reporting” boxes are not checked:
Only the outcomes and outputs with checked boxes will be transferred to the Results Tracker after using the
“Populate Results Tracker” functionality.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Editing Outcomes and Outputs
In the event that the outcomes and outputs require revision, make the changes in the Results Tracker –
Current tab, and use the “Update Results Framework” button below the table.This button will update the
"Results Framework” tab reflecting any edits to exisiting or newly added outputs and outcomes, while keeping
all the associated data (baselines, indicators, comments, etc…) intact. Note that when updating from the
Results Tracker – Current tab, the “Results Tracker – Previous” tab will generate a copy of the current.
Should you choose to update from the Results Framework, your Results Tracker will then be retained in the
“previous” tab.
Note that when adding outcomes or outputs, it is important to ensure that the numbering hierarcy for the ID’s
is accurate before updating the Framework, otherwise the function will not work properly. Should this error
occur however, you can correct the ID field with the proper numbering, and again click on the “Update Results
Framework” button to update.
Why are the buttons not working?
The most common reasons the buttons do not work is because macros were not enabled when the workbook
was first opened, or they have since become disabled due to unanticipated errors. In these cases, you can
use the “Restore Macros” button located in the “Before you Begin tab” of the workbook:
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© 2014 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Adding and Removing Periods
This section explains the 'period' field, and how to add and remove periods from the Results Tracker.
General
The "period" field in the Results Tracker is not pre-defined. The start and end dates of a period are to be
agreed upon between the grantee and Program Officer based on the timleine of the investment. By default,
the Results Tracker is pre-configured with a single period, and a section to capture the cumulative results of
the investment:
Adding a Period
To add a period to the Results Tracker, simply click the "Add Another Period" button (depicted in the above
graphic). Clicking the button adds another period to the table as illustrated below:
Deleting a Period
Deleting a period simply requires that the user click the "Delete Period" hyperlink located to the top right of
that particular period as depicted in the illustration below.
Clicking the “Delete Period” button deletes the associated period and all information that has been populated
for that particular period.
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© 2014 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Adding and Removing Rows
By default, the Results Tracker will only provide enough rows to populate with outcomes and outputs you
selected for reporting, based on the hierarchy established in the Results Framework. You may find as you
are refining the content that you will need to add new rows at various points in the Results Tracker table. This
may be to include more than one indicator for an outcome, or to add in a new output or outcome that you’ve
added to the Results Framework. (When adding only one or two outputs/outcomes to the RF, it may be easier
to update the RT by adding a row rather than using the macro button, to avoid having to re-populate your
indicators, data sources, etc...)
Adding a Row
To add a row to the Results Tracker, select any cell in the row above where you want the new one to appear,
and click the "Add New Row" button (circled in the graphic below). Clicking the button adds another row to
the table as illustrated below:
Deleting a Row
To remove a row from the Results Tracker, simply click on the “X” that is at the far left of the row you would
like to remove. Please note that once you have deleted a row, you will not be able to undo this function.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Tool Tips
This section provides some basic user tips for Microsoft Excel that can address some common
troubleshooting questions.
Going to a new line in the same cell
Unlike other MS Office products, hitting the “Enter” (or “Return”) key in Excel will move the cursor to the next
cell in the sequence, as opposed to providing you a new line within the same cell. To add a new line without
leaving the cell, hold down the “Alt” key when hitting “Enter” (or “Return”) to move down a line instead of
leaving the cell.
Copying and Pasting
To avoid disruption to formatting, you should ensure that you are only copying and pasting the actual values
between cells in excel. There are two ways that you can accomplish this:
1) Double-click the cell that you want to copy text from to activate the cursor; select and copy (ctrl+c) or
cut (ctrl+x) the text you want to move. Then, select and double-click the cell in which you would like to
paste to activate the cursor; place the cursor in the desired location and paste (ctrl+v).
2) Select the cell that you want to copy text from, and then use your mouse to copy or cut the text from
the formula bar. Then, select the cell in which you would like to paste the text, place the cursor in the
formula bar and paste. See the image below for reference.
Formula Bar
Selected Cell
Tracking Changes
The standard track changes options are not available in this workbook due to the macro architecture. Below
are two work-around options that can meet change-tracking needs.
Option 1: Enabling “Show All Comments”
a. Go to the “Review” ribbon in the excel toolbar, and ensure the “Show All Comments” button is
selected. This will ensure that all comments remain visible regardless of cursor location in the
worksheet. See images on the next page for illustration.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Option 2: Using the formula bar for strike through and red-lining
a. Select the cell that contains the text you would like to edit, place your cursor in the formula bar
and select the text you would like to strikethrough
b. Once text is selected, on your keyboard select ctrl+5 – this is a hotkey command for
strikethrough as the feature is not available on the ribbon in excel. Note that the change will
reflect in the cell, but not in the formula bar as illustrated in the right image above.
c. Once you have completed the strikethrough, make sure to hit Ctrl+5 again to turn strikethrough
off, otherwise all new text entered will appear with strikethrough.
d. Again, select the cell and place your cursor in the formula bar, change the font color for in-line
edits, and add new texts in the preferred location per the image below. Note again that the
changes will reflect in the cell, but not in the formula bar.
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Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
If your form has a high number of comments that you would like to discard after they have been addressed,
use the steps below to quickly select all comments and delete them at once.
1) Go to the sheet where you want to remove the comments, and place the cursor into any cell
throughout the workbook.
2) Hit the F5 button on your keyboard to open the “Go To” dialog box, and click on the button that says
“special” along the bottom of the “Go To” box.
3) In the list of options that appears, select “Comments” and click “OK.” The dialog box will close, and all
your comments should now be selected and visible.
4) Go to the “Review” tab in the ribbon, and select “Delete” from the comments section.
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© 2014 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Results Framework and Tracker Guidance
Working with Multiple Workbooks
Unlike other MS Office products, Excel worksheets all open as part of the same process (or “instance”), as a
result, when multiple are open and active at the same time, they create connections, which commonly results
in a disruption to the macros, and failure of the features to work. Following the steps below will show you how
to open workbooks as separate instances so that you can have multiple open when necessary.
Excel 2013
1) Open one of the files as you normally would
2) Then Right Click on the Excel Icon in the taskbar along the bottom to reveal your options
3) While holding down the ALT key, click on the Excel icon (3rd from the bottom), and continue to hold
the ALT key down.
4) You will then be prompted with a message asking if you would like to open a new instance of Excel,
where you will click “Yes”
5) Once the new workbook has opened, open a new file using the ribbon from within the new worksheet
by going to “File” > “Open” and then selecing the other workbook from where you have it saved.
Excel 2010
If you are running Excel 2010, you only need to go through steps 1 and 2 to open the separate instance –
there is no need to hold down other keys or respond to prompts.
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© 2014 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Results Framework and Tracker Guidance