Monitoring and

Evaluation of
Extension
Monitor – derived from latin word meaning “To
warn” and Evaluate stems from the word
“value”
Conceptual Framework of Monitoring
Four Principal Components:
1. An extension organization
2. A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) unit
3. An information need matrix and
4. A monitoring and evaluation cycle
Conceptual Framework of Monitoring
◦Top management receives information from the
monitoring unit and from other formal and
informal sources.
◦This influences program implementation, leads to
better program planning and ensures
sustainability of extension programs
Conceptual Framework of Monitoring
◦Ultimately, this leads to institutional
development, which has been defined as the
process of improving the ability of institutions to
make effective use of available human and
financial resources.
Approaches to Extension Monitoring
1. Traditional Administrative Approach
2. Zones of Concentration Approach
3. Methodological Approach
4. Expanded Monitoring Approach
5. Adoption rates Approaches and
6. Marketing Approach
1. Traditional Administrative
Approach
Based on routine administrative reporting, this
approach is concerned with physical and financial
achievements in a program. Its primary
weaknesses include multiplicity of reports by
program personnel and absence or neglect of
beneficiary contact. It is increasingly replace by
other approaches.
2. Zones of Concentration Approach
(1977)
This approach concentrates on:
◦ a) Visits, as the final outcome of extension efforts
◦ b) Recommendations as the content of the visit and
means towards the end yields and
◦ c) Yields, as the eventual consequences of the
development effort
3. Methodological Approach (Slade &
Feder)
Introduced in 1981, this approach builds upon the
zones of concentration approach and suggests a
monitoring-cum-evaluation survey in each
cropping season at the time of harvest with specific
performance indicators. Working manual is
characteristic feature of this approach.
 4. Expanded Monitoring Approach
Introduced in 1987, it is an expansion of the monitoring
function to cover not only physical and financial
information, but also beneficiary contact information
and projects diagnostic studies. Under this approach,
there is a greater emphasis on monitoring and less on
evaluation. Project diagnostic studies are a novel feature
of this approach
 5. Adoption Rate Approach
Josette Murphy and Tim J. Marchant suggested an
approach in 1988 which concentrates on adoption rates
as key indicators. This approach moves away from
trying to monitor agricultural results and concentrates on
directly monitoring the provision of project services.
 6. Marketing Approach
Lee (1990) has suggested an approach which is based on
market segmentation, a standard technique in marketing. Under
this approach, the need and likely demand for new technology
are first assessed, and then target market segments are predicted.
Ex. 10% of students tends to enroll to BSA, 15% are likely to
enroll when more lab farms and faculty are introduced, 40 %
tend to enroll when they perceived that most of their batch have
enrolled in BSA and 35% of the students is not likely to enroll at
all.
 Approaches to Extension
Monitoring
Traditional Administrative
Approach
Zones of Concentration Approach
Methodological Approach
Expanded Monitoring Approach
Adoption rates Approaches and
Marketing Approach
Highlights
concerned with physical and financial
achievements in a program
Visits, as the final outcome of extension
efforts
suggests a monitoring-cum-evaluation survey
to cover not only physical and financial
information, but also beneficiary contact
information and projects diagnostic studies
concentrates on adoption rates as key
indicators
the need and likely demand for new
technology are first assessed, and then target
market segments are predicted
 PRINCIPLES OF MONITORING
1. MONITORING MUST BE SIMPLE
◦ A complex or complicated monitoring system is self-
defeating. The basic task of monitoring is to simplify the
field complexity.
2. MONITORING MUST BE TIMELY
◦ Timeliness is the essence in monitoring. Management
requires input from the monitoring system so that timely
action may be taken. Also, timeliness is closely related to
the credibility of monitoring itself.
 PRINCIPLES OF MONITORING
3. MONITORING MUST BE RELEVANT
◦ It must concern itself only with parameters which are
relevant to program objectives. This also ensures that
monitoring does not generate information that is not used
or is not usable by management.
4. INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH
MONITORING SHOULD BE DEPENDABLE
◦ Management will rely on monitoring findings only of the
information is believed to be reasonably accurate
 PRINCIPLES OF MONITORING
5. MONITORING EFFORTS SHOULD BE
PARTICIPATORY
◦ Efforts should be made to ensure participation by all
concerned with extension, whether they are field level
personnel, subject matter specialists or extension clients
6. MONITORING MUST BE FEXIBLE
◦ It is iterative in nature. It also gets routinized with
passage of time. These two features should not, however,
lead to rigidity
 PRINCIPLES OF MONITORING
7. MONITORING SHOULD BE ACTION ORIENTED
◦ Monitoring often leads to action. Consequently it should follow pragmatic
approaches, keeping the requirements of extension clients uppermost in view.
Generating information for which there is no intended use should be avoided.

8. MONITORING MUST BE COST EFFECTIVE

◦ Monitoring efforts cost money and time. It is therefore, essential to make it
cost effective. While principles of simplicity timeliness, relevance and
accuracy will lead to cost effectiveness, computerization can also help to
make monitoring more cost effective by reducing staff hours in data
processing.
 PRINCIPLES OF MONITORING
9. MONITORING EFFORTS SHOULD BE TOP MANAGEMENT-
ORIENTED
◦ Monitoring units should keep in mind the requirements of top management
when designing and operating a monitoring system. Yet at the same time,
monitoring must take into account the facts that those who provide information
to the system also must benefit or the quality of the information provided will
decline

10. MONITORING UNITS REPRESENT SPECIALIZED

UNDERTAKINGS
◦ Monitoring is not merely concerned with the collection and analysis of data, but
with diagnosing problems and suggesting alternative practical solutions
 MONITORING AND ITS
STAKEHOLDERS
Four Main Stakeholders in Monitoring
1) Funding Agency
2) The implementing Agency
3) Beneficiaries
4) NGO’s
 FREQUENCY OF MONITORING
Monitoring is an ongoing, continual exercise. Recall for
collection of data should not be more than one month

MONITORING UNIT
The monitoring unit should be staffed by technical
personnel having specialized skills. The staff often
consists of extension specialists, economists, sociologists
or anthropologists, statistician etc.
MONITORING INDICATORS
Indicators are variables that help to measure changes in
given situation