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Monitoring and Evaluation

M&E | MLE | MEAL

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, & Learning Monitoring:

..is the systematic and routine collection of information from projects and programmes for four main purposes:To learn from experiences to improve practices and activities in the future;To have internal and external accountability of the resources used and the

results obtained;To take informed decisions on the future of the initiative;To promote empowerment of beneficiaries of the initiative.Monitoring is a periodically recurring task already beginning in the planning

stage of a project or programme. Monitoring allows results, processes and experiences to be documented and used as a basis to steer decision-making and learning processes. Monitoring is checking progress against plans. The data acquired through monitoring is used for evaluation.

Evaluations:•Needs Assessments•Process Evaluation•Formative Evaluation•Interim Evaluation•Summative or Terminal, End-of-Project Evaluation•Impact Evaluation (use of counterfactuals; desire for inferences; “rigorous” social science experimental methodologies; often at national level and programmatic)

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, & Learning

Accountability & Learning:

● Who are we accountable to?

● Why?

● What do they expect?

● What can we give or show from M&E procedures?

● Why is learning important?

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, & Learning

Why is M&E

necessary?

● It provides the only consolidated source of information showcasing project progress;

● It allows actors to learn from each other’s experiences, building on expertise and knowledge;

● It often generates (written) reports that contribute to transparency and accountability, and allows for lessons to be shared more easily;

● It reveals mistakes and offers paths for learning and improvements

Why is M&E

necessary?

● It provides a basis for questioning and testing assumptions;

● It provides a means for agencies seeking to learn from their experiences and to incorporate them into policy and practice;

● It provides a way to assess the crucial link between implementers and beneficiaries on the ground and decision-makers;

● It adds to the retention and development of institutional memory;

● It provides a more robust basis for raising funds and influencing policy

What are some components of M&E systems?

M&E System Components

● PMEP (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan)

● Logical Framework Approach (Logframe)○ Activities, Output, Outcomes, Impact○ Indicators for measuring all of these

■ Performance Indicator Review Sheets

● Means of Verification (something to measure all of these)

Outputs● What specific activities produce or

create: descriptions of types, levels and audiences or targets delivered by project

● Sometimes, outputs include what others might refer to as short-term outcomes that represent a change in awareness, knowledge, or skill

● Examples?

Outcomes● Sometimes set apart in time

increments○ short-term outcomes: increased

knowledge○ intermediate-term outcomes: increased

skill, increased adherence○ long-term outcomes: increased strength,

endurance, nutrients, flexibility, relaxation, retention; decreased fat/calories

Difference between Outputs and Outcomes● Outcome: participants increase

knowledge about different types of fruits and vegetables○ indicator: # and % of participants who

correctly identify 20 different fruits and vegetables

● Output: participants are aware of different types of fruits and vegetables○ indicator: # of participants who

attended modules on fruit and vegetable identification and tasting

Impact vs. Goal●Impact: the ultimate intended change in the community○distant future; possibly beyond project cycle or funding

●Goal: the ultimate intended change for a larger audience

Indicators:Allow us to measure change over time in outputs, outcomes,

and impacts

Components of good indicators: ● VALIDITY: Does the indicator measure the

condition/result?● RELIABILITY: Will it be a consistent measure over

time?● SENSITIVITY: Will it be sensitive to changes in

conditions?● SIMPLICITY: Will collecting and analysing the

information be easy?● UTILITY: Will the information be useful for

decision-making & learning?● AFFORDABILITY: Can the project afford to collect

the information?

SMART Indicators

Quantitative Indicators•Number

•Percentage•Rate (example: birth rate—births per 1,000 population)•Ratio (example: sex ratio—number of males per number of females)

Qualitative Indicators● Compliance with…

● Quality of…● Extent of…● Level of …● Degree of...

Means of

Verification

Means of Verification (MoVs)●The source of information for the

measurement of outputs and outcomes

●Other terms might include evidence or data source

●Question you are asking:○How will we obtain this

information (for our indicators)?

MoV examples:●Attendance records●Baseline/Midline/Endline assessments

●Reports (Quarterly, Annually, Training, Financial)

●Monitoring Information System (MIS)

●Surveys, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews

DataM&E is really just:

- Planning to collect Data

- Collecting Data- Analyzing Data- Reporting on

Data

7 Dimensions of Data Quality

Accuracy PrecisionReliability IntegrityCompleteness ConfidentialityTimeliness

Study Design

Questions?

Discussion: How can you apply any of this in your work here at CKS?