10 Steps to build resulted-based M&E system

Summary

Governments and organisations face increasing internal and external pressures to demonstrate
accountability, transparency and results. Results-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
systems are a powerful public management tool to achieve these objectives. This handbook
from the World Bank presents a ten-step model that provides extensive detail on building,
maintaining and sustaining a results-based M&E system.

Results-based M&E systems can help build and foster political and financial support for policies,
programmes and projects and can help governments build a solid knowledge base. They can
also produce major changes in the way governments and organisations operate, leading to
improved performance, accountability, transparency, learning, and knowledge. Results-based
M&E systems should be considered a work in progress. Continuous attention, resources, and
political commitment are needed to ensure their viability and sustainability. Building the
cultural shift necessary to move an organisation toward a results orientation takes time,
commitment and political will.

The ten steps to building, maintaining and sustaining a results-based M&E system are outlined
below:

 A readiness assessment should be conducted to determine whether prerequisites for a

results-based M&E system are in place. It should review incentives and capacity for an
M&E system and roles, responsibilities and structures for assessing government
performance.

 Outcomes to monitor and evaluate should be agreed through a participatory process

identifying stakeholders’ concerns and formulating them as outcome statements.
Outcomes should be disaggregated and a plan developed to assess how they will be
achieved.

 Key performance indicators to monitor outcomes should be selected through a

participatory process considering stakeholder interests and specific needs. Indicators
should be clear, relevant, economical, adequate and monitorable.

 Baseline data on indicators should be established as a guide by which to monitor future

performance. Important issues when setting baselines and gathering data on
indicators include the sources, collection, analysis, reporting and use of data.

 Performance targets should be selected to identify expected and desired project,

programme or policy results. Factors to consider include baselines, available
resources, time frames and political concerns. A participatory process with
stakeholders and partners is key.
 Monitoring for results includes both implementation and results monitoring as well as
forming partnerships to attain shared outcomes. Monitoring systems need ownership,
management, maintenance and credibility. Data collection needs reliability, validity
and timeliness.

 Evaluation provides information on strategy, operations and learning. Different types of

evaluation answer different questions. Features of quality evaluations include
impartiality, usefulness, technical adequacy, stakeholder involvement, value for
money and feedback.

 Reports on the findings of M&E systems can be used to gain support and explore and
investigate. Reports should consider the requirements of the target audience and
present data clearly.

 Findings of results-based M&E systems can also be used to improve performance and
demonstrate accountability and transparency. Benefits of using findings include
continuous feedback and organisational and institutional knowledge and learning.

 Good results-based M&E systems must be used in order to be sustainable. Critical

components of sustaining M&E systems include demand, clear roles and
responsibilities, trustworthy and credible information, accountability, capacity and
incentives.