What is Monitoring & Evalution?

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.

Evaluation
...is assessing, as systematically and objectively as possible, a completed project or
programme (or a phase of an ongoing project or programme that has been completed).
Evaluations appraise data and information that inform strategic decisions, thus improving
the project or programme in the future.

Evaluations should help to draw conclusions about five main aspects of the intervention:

 relevance
 effectiveness
 efficiency
 impact
 sustainability

Information gathered in relation to these aspects during the monitoring process provides
the basis for the evaluative analysis.

Monitoring & Evaluation

M&E is an embedded concept and constitutive part of every project or programme design
(“must be”). M&E is not an imposed control instrument by the donor or an optional
accessory (“nice to have”) of any project or programme. M&E is ideally understood as
dialogue on development and its progress between all stakeholders.
In general, monitoring is integral to evaluation. During an evaluation, information from
previous monitoring processes is used to understand the ways in which the project or
programme developed and stimulated change. Monitoring focuses on the measurement of
the following aspects of an intervention:

 On quantity and quality of the implemented activities (outputs: What do we do?

How do we manage our activities?)
 On processes inherent to a project or programme (outcomes: What were the
effects /changes that occurred as a result of your intervention?)
 On processes external to an intervention (impact: Which broader, long-term effects
were triggered by the implemented activities in combination with other
environmental factors?)

The evaluation process is an analysis or interpretation of the collected data which delves
deeper into the relationships between the results of the project/programme, the effects
produced by the project/programme and the overall impact of the project/programme.

Why Monitoring and Evaluation is important?

Monitoring and Evaluation is important because:

 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;
 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.

The Monitoring/Evaluation Framework

 Clearly Define Question(s) / Objective(s)
 Build indicators
 Design Data Collection Approach
 Plan Monitoring Program
 Implement
 Check Results against Performance Criteria
 Make recommendations (feedback to management)
MONITORING “As soon as the boss decides he wants his workers to do something, he has
two problems: making them do it and monitoring what they do?.”

Monitoring & Evaluation

 Monitoring is the systematic, regular collection and occasional analysis of

information to identify and possibly measure changes over a period of time.
 Evaluation is the analysis of the effectiveness and direction of an activity and
involves making a judgment about progress and impact.
 The main differences between monitoring and evaluation are the timing and
frequency of observations and the types of questions asked. However, when
monitoring and evaluation are integrated as a project management tool, the
line between the two becomes rather blurred.

WHY to Monitor and Evaluate?

 In general, the purpose of monitoring & evaluation can be:

 To assess project results: to find out if and how objectives are being met and
are resulting in desired changes.
 To improve project management and process planning: to better adapt to
contextual and risk factors such as social and power dynamics that affect the
research process.
 To promote learning: to identify lessons of general applicability, to learn how
different approaches to participation affect outcomes, impact, and reach, to
learn what works and what does not, and to identify what contextual factors
enable or constrain the participatory research.
 To ensure accountability: to assess whether the project is effectively,
appropriately, and efficiently executed to be accountable to the key agencies
supporting the work (including, but not exclusively, the donors)

Efficiency, Effectiveness and Relevance

 Underlying reasons for monitoring and evaluating are frequently framed in

terms of:
 Efficiency refers to the amount of time and resources put into the project
relative to the outputs and outcomes. A project evaluation may be designed
to find out if there was a less expensive, more appropriate, less time-
consuming approach for reaching the same objectives. (getting more output
from minimum input – do less & accomplish more)
 Effectiveness describes whether or not the research process was useful in
reaching project goals and objectives, or resulted in positive outcomes.
 Relevance or appropriateness describes the usefulness, ethics, and flexibility
of a project within the particular context
Steps in Monitoring:

 Identifying the different units involved in planning & implementation

 Identifying items on which feedback is required.
 Developing proforma for reporting.
 Determining the periodicity of reporting.
 Fixing the responsibility of reporting at different levels.
 Processing and analyzing the reports.
 Identifying the critical / unreliable areas in implementation.
 Providing feedback to corrective measures.

Evaluation

 Evaluation has its origin in the Latin word “Valupure” which means the value
of a particular thing, idea or action. Evaluation, Thus, helps us to understand
the worth, quality, significance amount, degree or condition of any
intervention desired to tackle a social problem.

Meaning of evaluation:

 Evaluation means finding out the value of something. Evaluation simply

refers to the procedures of fact finding Evaluation consists of assessments
whether or not certain activities, treatment and interventions are in
conformity with generally accepted professional standards.
 Any information obtained by any means on either the conduct or the
outcome of interventions, treatment or of social change projects is
considered to be evaluation.
 Evaluation is designated to provide systematic, reliable and valid information
on the conduct, impact and effectiveness of the projects.
 Evaluation is essentially the study and review of past operating experience.

Purpose of Evaluation

 The purpose of evaluation is to make the best possible use of funds by the
program managers who are accountable for the worth of their programs.
 Measuring accomplishment in order to avoid weaknesses and future
mistakes.
 Observing the efficiency of the techniques and skills employed
 Scope for modification and improvement.
 Verifying whether the benefits reached the people for whom the program
was meant.
 Understanding people’s participation & reasons for the same.
 Evaluation helps to make plans for future work.
Principles of Evaluation

 The following are some of the principles, which should be kept in view in
evaluation.
 Evaluation is a continuous process (continuity).
 Evaluation should involve minimum possible costs (inexpensive).
 Evaluation should be done without prejudice to day to day work (minimum
hindrance to day to day work).
 Evaluation must be done on a co-operative basis in which the entire staff and
the board members should participate (total participation).
 As far as possible, the agency should itself evaluate its program but
occasionally outside evaluation machinery should also be made use of
(external evaluation).

Methods of Evaluation: (Tools / techniques)

 Over the years, a variety of the methodologies have been evolved by

academicians, practitioners and professionals for evaluating any program /
project. Some of the commonly used practices are given below.

 First hand Information :

One of the simplest and easiest methods of evaluation by getting first hand
information about the progress, performance, problem areas etc. of a project from a
host of staff, line officers, field personnel, other specialists and public who directly
associated with the project. Direct observation & hearing about the performance
and pitfalls further facilitate the chances of an effective evaluation.

Formal / Informal Periodic Reports.

Formal Reports.

 Evaluation is also carried out through formal and informal reports.

 Formal reports consists of
 Project Status Report
 Project Schedule chart
 Project financial status Report.
 Project Status Report:

Informal Reports:
 Informal reports such as anonymous letters, press reports, complaints by
beneficiaries & petitions sometimes reveal the true nature of the project even
though these reports are biased and contains maligned information.