The Inter-American Foundation created the Grassroots Development Framework (GDF) to measure the results and impact of projects the Foundation supports. Results are of critical importance. They can inform decisions, signal challenges, confirm achievements and indicate topics for further research. The GDF was created by applying what had been learned from more than 4,000 projects financed by the Foundation.

The GDF is useful to both the grantee and the donor. It provides the means to establish project objectives and report achievements, strengths and deficiencies. The GDF is a tool to measure the impact and the results of a project. Since the pilot testing and application of the GDF in various countries in the region, several development assistance institutions have, in consultation with the Inter-American Foundation, adapted the GDF to their own activities.