NSTP-CWTS 02

(National Service Training

Program – Civic Welfare
Training Service)
Course Material No. 6

A. Jimenez
L. Carlos, P. Espiritu, L. Icasiano,
G. Mallen, A. Manguiat, C. Rollan,
O. Tutor, A. Yedra
Course Instructors
2 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

Monitoring &
Evaluation 6
LEARNING OUTCOMES

The job during the project implementation phase is not limited

LESSON OUTLINE to executing it but also monitoring how the targets are being
reached. In addition, the project must be evaluated after. As if
• Definition of these were not enough, you must consider both this as early as
M&E the planning stage. It seems like a tedious job. Thus, this module
Unit helps you to attain the following:
• CoreOutline
Objectives
of M&E • Define monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
• Identify the importance of M&E in project planning and
• Importance of implementation
M&E • Gain strategies in creating an M&E plan, including tools to use

• Creating an M&E
Plan RESOURCES NEEDED

• Tools and For this lesson, you would need the following resources:
Techniques for
M&E • Teacher-prepared materials
• Links to videos and/or websites identified
• Bases for throughout this material
Student • Office 365 applications (e.g. Teams) CRITICAL THINKING
Evaluation As you go along this course material,
I encourage you to ask yourself this question:

How important is it to monitor and evaluate a

project during and after its implementation?
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pretest
3
Pretest
Community Project M&E
Benefits You and Me
When implementing a project, you must take
4
Activity:
note of things that will allow you to assess the
Box Your Ideas
success of your project. These are called
indicators. On the space provided before each
indicator listed below, write QL if you think it is 5 Definition of M&E
qualitative and QT if it is quantitative.
Core Objectives of M&E
_____ 1. number of active participants
8
_____ 2. level of satisfaction
Importance of M&E
_____ 3. total time spent 9
_____ 4. packages timely delivered
Creating an M&E Plan
_____ 5. community project engagement 10
_____ 6. operational cost
Tools for M&E
_____ 7. perceived success rate 14
_____ 8. project achievement rate Basis for NSTP Student
16 Evaluation

18 Posttest

Lesson Summary
19
Key Terms
References
20 Answer Key
4
Community NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

Project M&E
white-paper-dolls-circle_23-2148144467

Benefits You
and Me
Key Point
Monitoring and evaluation
will help the different
participants and
stakeholders in the project.
It helps the implementers to
correctly align the project
targets, strategies, and
achieved deliverables. This,
in turn, takes the Monitoring and evaluation (collectively M&E) are two peas in a
community closer towards pod. They cover the project both from operational and strategic
having their needs. standpoints. Having a clear M&E in your project design is a great
help towards achieving the set objectives. In short, towards progress.

Box Your Ideas

What are the things that you must consider to clearly monitor and
evaluate the progress of a project and gauge its success? It Write your
answer in the boxes provided below.
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 5

Definition of M&E Monitoring. This is the

systematic process of
collecting, analyzing, and
using information to track
Any project or activity will have its set of goals or objectives. The a project’s progress
toward reaching its
implementers of the said project would do what they would have to achieve objective. It usually
these objectives. However, simply completing the project does not focuses on processes,
such as when and where
automatically mean success or achievement of the objectives and knowing activities occur, who
the impact of the activity to the community. You would need to collect data delivers them and how
many people or entities
and assess measurable outputs from it. This is precisely what monitoring they reach.
and evaluation (otherwise referred to as M&E) is in a project.
Evaluation. This is the
M&E tends to go together as partners. However, when dealt separately, systematic assessment of
an activity, project,
monitoring and evaluation talks about two closely related processes that
strategy, policy, topic,
covers two distinct sets of activities. theme, sector, operational
area, or institution’s
Monitoring refers to the regular and systematic collection and processing performance. Evaluation
focuses on expected and
of project data points (UN Women, 2010). The regularity depends on the
achieved
length of the activity and the plan as determined by the concerned accomplishments,

stakeholders. It starts after a project start and continues as long as the project examining the results
chain (inputs, activities,
is running. This is done to ensure objectives are met during specific intervals outputs, outcomes, and
in the project and have insight into the success and impact of the activity impacts), processes,
contextual factors, and
(Grassroots Collective, 2018). It also helps the implementers to re-calibrate causality to understand
their activity plan if it is deemed necessary to achieve its goals. achievements or the lack
of achievements.
On the other hand, we have evaluation. It is basically the same as
Definitions adapted from
monitoring in terms of reflecting upon and analyzing collected data. Gage & Dunn, 2009;
However, they happen at specified times during the interventions and after Frankel & Gage, 2007

the project is completed to thoroughly assess the project’s achieved goals and
impact. The table on the text page further provides differences between the
two.
6 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

Collectively, they are anything you do to measure your project’s success

and output completion. Incorporating M&E into the project plan gives
implementers an edge to assess and re-assess progress and achievement even
before the project ends; with this, the plan could already be adjusted to
ensure the objectives will be made.

MONITORING EVALUATION

Regular collection of information; an on- Seeks to understand outcomes and impacts

going project activity post-activity

Constant or near-constant Periodic (e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly)

In-depth; comparatively discussing plans and

Keeps track progress
actual achievements

Shows whether things are going to plan to Allows data points to be analyzed towards
identify and solve current problems correcting similar future projects

Routinely done by a specific member of the Usually done collectively or by external

group parties

As the Grassroots Collective (2018) puts it:

“M&E offers a tangible way to ensure that your project is

accountable, transparent, minimizes collateral damage, and actively
identifies wasteful processes and poor performance… [it] is thus
ultimately an assessment of your effectiveness, and as such should be
considered an essential facet of your design.”

Based on data available, monitoring usually answers the following

questions (iEduNote, retrieved 2021):

 How well are we doing?

 Are we doing things right?
 What differences are we making?
 Does the approach need to be modified? If so, how?
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 7

Meanwhile, evaluation is usually two-fold: formative and summative.

Formative is towards strategy or design improvement for a project that is on-
going or may later be revived. Summative is towards an overall judgment of
a completed project just to check that all bases are covered.
The questions one may answer in formative evaluation involve these
(iEduNote, retrieved 2021):

 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?

 What is the progress towards achieving the desired
outputs and outcomes?
 Are the selected indicators pertinent and specific
enough to measure the output?
 What is happening that was not anticipated?
 How are the people involved interacting?
 What are the stakeholders’ perceptions towards
the project?
 How are the funds being utilized?
 How is the external environment affecting the internal
operations of the project?
 What new ideas emerging during project implementation
can be tried out and tested?

In doing summative evaluation, the questions below are normally

involved (iEduNote, retrieved 2021):

 Did the program work?

 Were the desired outputs achieved?
 Did the program contribute towards the stated goals
and outcomes?
 Were funds used appropriately for the intended
purpose?
 Should the program’s structure be revised or retained?
 Should the program be continued, terminated,
expanded, or replicated?
 8 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

Core Objectives of M&E

Monitoring and evaluation aim to make us learn from what is being done
and how it is being done. Thus, both are grounded on the same set of
essential and common elements. These are considered as the core objectives
of M&E.

RELEVANCE EFFICIENCY EFFECTIVENESS

• Appropriateness • Appropriateness • Measure of the

of results of input and extent to which
• Alignment of output with the the project
outcomes to expenditure achieved its
needs and incurred and specific
priorities resources used objectives
• Focuses on
relationship
between
elements (e.g.
inputs,
personnel,
equipment,
cost, outputs)

ALTERNATIVE
IMPACT SUSTAINABILITY CAUSALITY
STRATEGY
•Usefulness of •Durability of •Factors (both •Any significant
the action or program results internal and results of the
strategy enacted after initial external) that program that
to solve a project affected the were unforeseen
problem or implementation program and appropriate
address a and support outcomes actions done to
situation maximize (if the
unforeseen
result was
positive) or
mitigate (if
negative) them
for a more
significant
overall impact
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 9

Importance of M&E

M&E is a very helpful part of the project

implementation. If the discussions in the
earlier sections of this module is not testament
enough, then you are highly encouraged to
read them again. Plus, there’s a graph below
that sums them up, too.

But in a nutshell, this is why you need to

have an M&E mechanism: “to assess your
success at the end of the project while keeping
track of your progress while implementing the
same”. Thus, you must already consider your
M&E strategies as early as the planning stage. Doing monitoring and evaluation could be compared to a man using binoculars. You
are trying to be highly aware of what is happening even at long range so you could
It helps you see the bigger picture of the brace yourself and prepare.

project and anticipate things that may happen

and what you could do about them.

Source: Grassroots Collective (2018). Tools for Effective Project Planning in Community Development: Monitoring & Evaluation. Retrieved
from https://www.thegrassrootscollective.org/monitoring-evaluation-nonprofit
 10 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

Creating an M&E Plan

Knowledge about the plan from cover to cover would help implementers
of a project to better monitor its progress and evaluate its success. This is
why incorporating M&E in the planning stage is highly encouraged. Doing
this helps clarify the targets and deliverables, easily allows re-calibration, and
improves the way the project will be able to deliver. Grassroots Collective
(2018) recommends a five-step process to infuse M&E in the project
planning.

1. Identify Program Goals and Objectives

2. Define Indicators

3. Define Data Verification Methods & Timeline

4. Identify M&E Roles and Responsibilities

5. Create M&E Plan Framework

STEP 1: Identify Program Goals and Objectives. The project goals and
objectives must be clarified in your project plan and well understood by the
implementers.

STEP 2: Define Indicators. The achievement of objectives and ultimately Key Performance
Indicators. These are
success of the project is measured through assessing indicators. In strategic
values used to monitor
planning, they are technically called key performance indicators. They are and measure effectiveness
of an organization or
project.
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 11

composed of factors that must be spotted and means of measurement to help

quantify it. Usually, they are in percentage forms.

There are two major types of indicators: quantitative and qualitative.

What are quantitative

indicators?

Often referred to as objective indicators, these are the most straightforward indicators. They
involve numbers to assess quantity, time, and value. Examples of quantitative measurements are
the following:
SAMPLE QUANTI TARGETS
 time
 95% attendance among target participants
 money  average of 15-minute interview time per
 weight barangay official
 80% percentile score of tutees
 160 job security questionnaires analyzed

What are qualitative

indicators?
These indicators are not measured by numbers but are characteristics of a process or business
decision. While some tools use numerical quantifiers to deal with these qualitative information,
the measures themselves are still based on the respondents’ perceptions and not definitive
measures. Examples of such indicators are:

SAMPLE QUALI TARGETS

 opinions
 properties  9.6 out of 10 satisfaction rating
 traits  4.40 (or Very Good) rating for guest
speaker’s competence
 40% of families in the community more
hopeful after the mental health session
12 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

When trying to identify all possible indicators for your project, consider
following recalling them the SMARTER and SPICED way.

S pecific S ubjective
M easurable P articipatory
A chievable I ndirect
R ealistic C ross-checked
T ime Bound E mpowering
E njoyable D iverse
R ewarding
STEP 3: Define Data Verification Methods and Timeline. Here, you
must clearly identify the way to measure your indicators and the time and
frequency by which you would do it. When doing this, consider these
(Grassroots Collective, 2018):

• Using methods that are cost-effective

• Using methods that are readily available
• Collecting data multiple times throughout the project implementation
• Incorporating baseline measurements

STEP 4: Identify M&E Roles and

Responsibilities. The different tasks must be

clearly delineated to different members or
committees within the working group. This
maximizes human resources and encourages
empowerment and accountability.
 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 13

When assigning responsibilities, it must be ensured that (Grassroots

Collective, 2018):

• roles and tasks are specific

• data could easily be cross-checked
• member or person to be assigned with a task is skilled about it

STEP 5: Create M&E Plan Framework. All the information you have
gathered would make sense if you gather them in an M&E framework.
Ideally, each specific objective or goal of the project has its own plan. Here’s
a sample plan (Grassroots Collective, 2018).

MONITORING & EVALUATION PLAN

Project: Health & Hygiene Program in Ethiopia
Desired Initiative Providing hygiene classes and soap at school to reduce incidence of cholera
among children in a rural town in Ethiopia
Performance Number of children attending the local doctor for cholera-related symptoms
Indicators falling by >70% after 12 months and a decrease in severity of cholera-related
conditions
Definition and Unit Counting number of children presenting to local doctors with cholera-related
of Measurement symptoms and the severity of their condition
Data Source De-identified report from local doctor
Method or Tool Simple rolling counter to monitor number of patients and a clearly defined scale
of 1-10 to be completed for each patient, completed by local doctor for each
patient
Frequency of On-going, reports to be collected monthly
Collection or
Reporting
Use of Information Tracking success of providing hygiene education programs and soap over a
one-year period
Team member Project Team Leader will visit the doctor’s office on the first Monday of every
Responsible for month
Collection
14 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

Tools for M&E

The M&E system becomes more successful with the proper identification
and use of available data collection tools and techniques. What follows is a list
of such tools identified by Chaplowe (2008) and lifted directly from the
module he produced for the American Red Cross. Take note while a lot of tools
have been listed and provided already, they are still not complete considering
how M&E is an emerging and continuously evolving field.

Case Study. A detailed descriptive narrative of individuals, communities,

organizations, events, program, or time periods. They are particularly useful in
evaluating complex situations and exploring qualitative impact.

Checklist. A list of items used for validating or inspecting that

procedures/steps have been followed, or the presence of examined behaviors.

Closed-ended (structured) interview. A technique for interviewing that

uses carefully organized questions that only allow a limited range of answers,
such as “yes/no,” or expressed by a rating/number on a scale. Replies can
easily be numerically coded for statistical analysis.

Community interviews/meeting. A form of public meeting open to all

community members. Interaction is between the participants and the
interviewer, who presides over the meeting and asks questions following a
prepared interview guide.

Direct observation. A record of what observers see and hear at a specified

site, using a detailed observation form. Observation may be of physical
surroundings, activities, or processes. Observation is a good technique for
collecting data on behavior patterns and physical conditions.

Focus Group Discussion. Focused discussion with a small group (usually 8

to 12 people) of participants to record attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs
pertinent to the issues being examined. A moderator introduces the topic and
uses a prepared interview guide to lead the discussion and elicit discussion,
opinions, and reactions.
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 15

Key Informant Interview. An interview with a person having special

information about a particular topic. These interviews are generally conducted
in an open-ended or semi-structured fashion.

Laboratory testing. Precise measurement of specific objective phenomenon,

for example, infant weight or water quality test.

Mini-survey. Data collected from interviews with 25 to 50 individuals,

usually selected using non-probability sampling techniques. Structured
questionnaires with a limited number of closed-ended questions are used to
generate quantitative data that can be collected and analyzed quickly.

Most Significant Change (MSC). A participatory monitoring technique

based on stories about important or significant changes, rather than indicators.
They give a rich picture of the impact of development work and provide the
basis for dialogue over key objectives and the value of development programs.

Open-ended (semi-structured) interview. A technique for questioning

that allows the interviewer to probe and follow up topics of interest in depth
(rather than just “yes/no” questions).

Participant observation. A technique first used by anthropologists; it

requires the researcher to spend considerable time with the group being studied
(days) and to interact with them as a participant in their community. This
method gathers insights that might otherwise be overlooked, but is time-
consuming.

Participatory Rapid (or rural) Appraisal (PRA). This uses community

engagement techniques to understand community views on a particular issue. It
is usually done quickly and intensively – over a 2 to 3-week period. Methods
include interviews, focus groups, and community mapping.

Questionnaire. A data collection instrument containing a set of questions

organized in a systematic way, as well as a set of instructions to the
enumerator/interviewer about how to ask the questions (typically used in a
survey).

Rapid Appraisal (or assessment). A quick cost-effective technique to

gather data systematically for decision making, using qualitative and
16 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

quantitative methods, such as site visits, observations, and sample surveys.

This technique shares many of the characteristics of participatory appraisal
(such as triangulation and multidisciplinary teams) and recognizes that
indigenous knowledge is a critical consideration for decision-making.

Self-administered survey. Written surveys completed by the respondent,

either in a group setting or in a separate location. Respondents must be literate
(for example, it can be used to survey teacher opinions).

Statistical data review. A review of population censuses, research studies,

and other sources of statistical data.

Survey. Systematic collection of information from a defined population,

usually by means of interviews or questionnaires administered to a sample of
units in the population (e.g., person, beneficiaries, and adults).

Visual techniques. Participants develop maps, diagrams, calendars,

timelines, and other visual displays to examine the study topics. Participants
can be prompted to construct visual responses to questions posed by the
interviewers, for example, by constructing a map of their local area. This
technique is especially effective where verbal methods can be problematic due
to low literate or mixed language target populations, or in situations where the
desired information is not easily expressed in either words or numbers.

Written document review. A review of documents (secondary data) such

as project records and reports, administrative databases, training materials,
correspondence, legislation, and policy documents.

Bases for Student Evaluation

A quick segue!

This module contains the materials that will allow the student implementers
to gauge the needs of the community and the best strategies to address them
and monitor that they are being achieved. But how about the ways by which
they will be gauged in this service-learning task? Here is a quick guide of
things you will expect to do.
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 17

Final Report. This contains all the vital documents and narratives you had
throughout the duration of the project—from planning to evaluation.

Individual Reports. These are individual progress and involvement of each

member of the group written in bullet and narrative forms. It includes
problems encountered, learning experiences, and recommendations. It is
submitted on a regular basis (e.g. weekly) to the leader of the working group.

Final Group Report. It is a final group compilation of the project

documentation. It involves collation of individual reports and pictures.

Oral Report. This involves oral sharing of progress reports and experiences
on preliminary planning activities such as interview with officials, observation
in the locale, or immersion in the community. A certain emphasis is given into
the problems encountered by the students and actions done to resolve them.

Final Evaluation. This includes a presentation that contain:

 Brief summary of all activities that are part of the project

 Project plan and activities included therein
 Project implementation
 Conclusion (containing insights and gained learning)
 Recommendations
Project Presentation. This is a group presentation of the project proposal to
enumerate the formulated plan and provide justifications to it. It is assessed
according to the quality of the presentation, use of visual aids, time, mastery or
knowledge, and attainment of objectives.

Individual Performance. Aside from the individual reports, this is another

manifestation of individual performance and engagement in the project. This
may be ascertained through observation and a rating scale-based questionnaire
looking into four critical criteria: attendance, skills, attitude, and work
relations. This could be sourced from peers, officials of the barangay or key
stakeholders from the community, and NSTP instructor or coordinator.
 18 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

POSTTEST

It’s time to put your learning to the test

Fill in the M&E Plan template below by choosing only one of your
project’s desired initiatives or objectives and filling in the rest of the
needed information.

RUBRICS:
 Content (correctness,
completeness, being backed
Reminder:
by research) – 15 points
Share your own work to your
working group so you could  Appropriateness (accuracy of
altogether better plan your data, alignment to objectives,
community project. measurability) – 15 points

MONITORING & EVALUATION PLAN

Project

Desired Initiative

Performance
Indicators

Definition and Unit

of Measurement
Data Source

Method or Tool

Frequency of
Collection or
Reporting
Use of Information

Team member
Responsible for
Collection
NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA 19

Reflect on the question provided below and craft a brief 1 to 2

sentence answer. Be ready to share your answer in class.

How important is it to
monitor and evaluate a
project during and after its
implementation?

LESSON SUMMARY

• Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) describes the collection and assessment of

measurable outputs from project activities to gauge success and analyze impact.

• M&E is grounded on what is considered as core objectives of monitoring and

evaluation: relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability, causality,
and alternative strategy.

• M&E should be considered in the planning stage to better grasp targets and
deliverables of the project. In turn, it allows assessment of phases of the project
for real-time changes and ensured project delivery.

• A five-step process could be followed in the creation of an M&E plan:

identifying program goals and objectives, defining indicators, defining data
verification methods and timeline, identifying roles and responsibilities, and
creating the M&E plan framework.

• Great things to look out for in M&E are the key performance indicators (KPIs)
which may be quantitative or qualitative.

• There are a lot of options that project implementers could choose from as data
collection tool and technique.
20 NSTP - CWTS 02 • NU LAGUNA

KEY TERMS

Monitoring Evaluation M&E Plan

Project Planning Performance Indicators M&E Core Objectives

REFERENCES

Bustria, M.C.O. (2017). Instructional module in Civic Welfare Training Service. Wiseman’s
Books Trading, Inc.

Chaplowe, S.G. (2008). Monitoring and Evaluation Planning: Guidelines and Tools. Retrieved
from https://www.orange.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/meMonitoring-and-
Evaluation-Planning.pdf

Gasilla-Dela Cruz, S., Dela Cruz, E.G., & Mapue, P.M. (2019). National development via
National Service Training Program. Books Atbp Publishing Corp.

Grassroots Collective (2018). Tools for Effective Project Planning in Community Development:
Monitoring & Evaluation. Retrieved from
https://www.thegrassrootscollective.org/monitoring-evaluation-nonprofit

iEduNote (retrieved 2021). Monitoring and Evaluation. Retrieved from

https://www.iedunote.com/monitoring-and-evaluation

iEduNote (retrieved 2021). Core Objectives of Monitoring and Evaluation. Retrieved from
https://www.iedunote.com/core-objectives-of-monitoring-and-evaluation

Labuguen, F.C., Vidal, C.J.E., Ramos, A.I., Moralde, R.P.E., Placer, R.B., & Rendorio, E.V.
(2018). NSTP: Understanding the National Service Training Program. Mutya Publishing
House.

McCluney, A. (2020). A Quick Guide to 11 Types of KPIs. Retrieved from

https://www.brightgauge.com/blog/quick-guide-to-11-types-of-
kpis#:~:text=Qualitative%20indicators%20are%20not%20measured,be%20an%20emplo
yee%20satisfaction%20survey.

World Health Organization (retrieved 2021). Category 6: Monitoring and evaluation. Retrieved
from https://www.who.int/hiv/topics/vct/sw_toolkit/monitoring_and_evaluation/en/

ANSWER KEY

PRETEST 1. QT 3. QT 5. QL 7. QL
2. QL 4. QT 6. QT 8. QT