In defence of an alternative methodology for evaluating network effectiveness: the case of the European Coalition for Vision (ECV)

Being - or at least being perceived to be - effective is the currency of every organization yet a standard specific definition of effectiveness remains contested, difficult to apply and measure. This article proposes an innovative methodological framework for analysing organizational effectiveness, using the case of a European-network - the European Coalition for Vision (ECV) - as a blueprint. It arranges organisational effectiveness literature into two key strands: effectiveness a) based on goal attainment - analysis of internal and public documents to assess the extent to which an organization achieves its own goals- and b) as a social construction - based on perceptions of key actors. It proposes an alternative methodology - drawing on the strengths of both strands - for evaluating the effectiveness of networks of organizations whose main purpose is advocacy. It argues for greater importance to be placed on methodology rather than theory and offers a way forward in developing methodology for understanding organizational effectiveness