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Chapter 5
Monitoring and Evaluation
Planning, Design and Implementation
Monitoring and evaluation
planning and design must be prepared as an integral part of the program/project
design. To increase the effectiveness of the M&E systems, program managers
should:
·
Establish baseline data
describing the problems to be addressed and building baseline indicators.
·
Make sure that program/project
objectives are clear, measurable and realistic.
·
Define specific program/project
targets in accordance with the objectives.
·
Agree with stakeholders on the
specific indicators to be used for monitoring and evaluating project
performance and impact.
·
Define the types and sources of
data needed and the methods of data collection and analysis required based on
the indicators.
·
Specify how the information
generated from M&E will be used.
·
Specify the format, frequency
and distribution of reports.
·
Develop a M&E
schedule.
·
Clarify roles and
responsibilities for M&E.
·
Allocate an adequate budget and
resources for M&E.
It should be noted that the
monitoring and evaluation plan should not be seen in a rigid way. The plan
should be subject to continuous review and adjustment as required, and a means
for an effective learning process.
5.1 Planning a
Monitoring System
As mentioned above, evaluation
planning and design depend on the type of information needed. The type,
quantity and quality of information should be thought of carefully before
planning M&E systems.
Project managers usually
prepare annual work plans that translate the project document into concrete
tasks. The work plans should describe in detail the delivery of inputs, the
activities to be conducted and the expected results. They should clearly
indicate schedules and the persons responsible for providing the inputs and
producing results. The work plans should be used as the basis for monitoring
the progress of program/project implementation.
As a management tool, monitoring should be
organized at each level of management. Monitoring systems should be linked to
annual plans. A first step in designing a monitoring plan is to identify who
needs what information, for what purpose, how frequently, and
in what form. To develop an effective monitoring system, the following
steps might be followed:
1. A first step towards developing a good monitoring system is to decide
what should be monitored. The careful selection of monitoring indicators
organizes and focuses the data collection process.
2. The next question would be how to gather information, i.e. to select
methods to track indicators and report on progress (observation, interviews,
stakeholder meetings, routine reporting, field visits, etc.).
3. When to gather information by whom. The monitoring plan should include
who will gather the information and how often. Project staff at various levels
will do most data collection, analysis and reporting. Staff should agree on
what the monitoring report should include.
4. Progress reports should be reviewed by project staff and major
stakeholders. Feedback should be collected by project managers on a regular
basis.
5. The monitoring plan should indicate the resources needed to carry out
project monitoring. Needed funds and staff time should be allocated to ensure
effective implementation.
There is no "perfect"
evaluation design. It is far more important to do something, rather than wait
until every last detail has been tested. However, to improve evaluation
planning and design, it is useful to consider the following questions and
issues:
a. What are the purposes
of the evaluation? Which ones are more important than others?
This step involves identifying
a manageable number of evaluation purposes and prioritizing them. The best way
to decide on the purposes of an evaluation is to ask who needs what type of
information and for what reason. When the evaluation purpose has been decided,
it must be clearly set forth in the Evaluation Terms of Reference.
b. What evaluation model
is the most appropriate for the project or program?
As mentioned earlier, there are
many evaluation models that can be considered. Each has some strengths and
weaknesses. The evaluation model that a specific project would utilize should
be selected during the project design phase. This is especially important if
the project plans to include a summative evaluation.
c. When to carry out the
evaluation. What is the timing of evaluation within the project cycle?
The timing of major evaluations
is determined by the project plan, the identification of significant problems
during the course of monitoring, donors’ request, etc.
d. What is the
scope and focus of the evaluation and questions for the evaluation to answer?
Determining the scope and focus
of an evaluation includes identifying the geographic area, type of activity and
time period that the evaluation should cover. This would clarify the types of
questions to be asked.
e. Methods of gathering
data to answer the questions.
Existing data should be
identified and its quality assessed. In the process, some questions might be
answered. Other data sources might include documents (regular reports, field
visits notes, previous evaluation reports, etc.) and data generated by research
projects (household surveys, evaluation of similar programs, etc.).
Evaluators should be selective.
Extensive data gathering is time-consuming, expensive and can result in
mountains of unnecessary information.
f. What resources are
needed for the evaluation?
In the early stages of planning
an evaluation, resources should be clearly defined. In order for evaluations to
be effective, sufficient human, financial and logistic resources should be
allocated. We should remember that the amount of available resources,
influences the scope and methods of the evaluation.
A UNICEF publication summarizes the evaluation
planning process as follows:
·
Why - The
purposes of the evaluation - who can/will use the results.
·
When - The
timing of evaluation in the program cycle.
·
What - The
scope and focus of evaluation and questions for the evaluation to answer.
·
Who - Those
responsible for managing and those responsible for carrying out the evaluation,
specifying whether the evaluation team will be internal or external or a
combination of both.
·
How - The
methods of gathering data to answer the questions.
·
Resources - The
supplies and materials, infrastructure and logistics needed for the
evaluation.
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