Living Goods – Mid-2016 Update

Published: September 2016

We last published a review of Living Goods in November 2014. Since then, our high-level view of Living Goods has not changed significantly. On this page, we give a quick summary of what we have learned about Living Goods since November 2014.

Updates

• Living Goods told us it has been scaling up its work on the expected timeline.
• The researchers who conducted the randomized-controlled trial (RCT) of Living Goods' program have not yet published the full paper. They expect to make a working paper publicly available in the second half of 2016.
• Living Goods' scaled-up program is being evaluated in a second RCT. In addition to more extensive baseline and endline surveys, the study will include one midline survey to assess (1) key health outcomes (including mortality, and malaria and diarrhea prevalence), and (2) the frequency and quality of Living Goods/BRAC community health promoters' interactions with households.1 Living Goods has shared the research protocol and survey form with us and requested that it not be published at this time.
• Living Goods is in the process of making some changes to the way it monitors its programs. A key part of this is transitioning to using smartphones for data collection. Our impression from talking to Living Goods is that implementation of these changes is not yet at a stage where the data would resolve our main questions about its monitoring, and implementation in BRAC-run branches is at an earlier stage than at Living Goods-run branches. We have not asked Living Goods to share its current monitoring data.
• Living Goods told us that its scale-up has not yet been limited by funding. The Children's Investment Fund Foundation remains Living Goods primary funder and has committed to funding approximately 40% of the costs of the program for 2015-2019. Living Goods' 2016 fundraising target is $12.2 million. As of August, 85% of that amount had either been received or committed to by funders. Living Goods expects to receive at least $1 million of the additional $2 million in its 2016 fundraising pipeline. Living Goods expects to have funding gaps in future years.
• Its Kenya program is now operating as its Uganda program does, including selling medicines to treat common childhood diseases.
• Living Goods' founder, Chuck Slaughter, was replaced as President by Shaun Church. Mr. Slaughter will focus on advocacy and fundraising.2

Our process

Since November 2014, we have had several conversations with Living Goods and Living Goods has shared documents with us.

Conversations

• Notes from our March 23, 2015 conversation. Conversation topics included Living Goods’ expansion of its programs, funding secured, additional funding needs, new monitoring and evaluation processes, and partnership opportunities.
• Notes from our August 20, 2015 conversation. Conversation topics included updates on Living Goods' programs in Uganda and Kenya, its program monitoring strategy, and its funding goals.
• Notes from our July 7, 2016 conversation. Conversation topics included updates on Living Goods' program scale-up, monitoring methods, randomized controlled trials, budget, and room for more funding.

Documents

• 1

  "[...] will record a few basic but important health outcomes (such as mortality, birth, malaria and diarrhea prevalence); 2) they will allow estimating the level of activity of the CHP in the village and especially the frequency and quality of her interactions with the households." Unpublished research protocol.

• 2

  "To support and drive this vital effort, the board created an Advocacy Committee and appointed me [Chuck Slaughter] as chair. In this role I will work closely with Shaun to energetically advocate for Living Goods’ long-term vision with key policy makers, forums, and media. I will also provide ongoing strategic advice to Shaun and the team and will continue helping Living Goods pursue the financing needed to scale by enhancing relationships with current donors and cultivating new ones."
  https://livinggoods.org/welcome-back-shaun-church-our-new-president/ (archive)