Monitoring and Evaluation

Partcipatory Monitoring and Evaluation, Like It?

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Getting the understanding right from the start

Monitoring and Evaluation has indeed been used as a powerful management tool by many organizations to assess actual change against stated objectives. However, these days because of the need for stakeholders involvement in the project cycle, many stakeholders particularly the beneficiaries, government line ministries, non-government organizations and civil society organizations are starting to realize the need to get involved in the Monitoring and Evaluation process. Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation folks is all about making the stakeholders participate in the whole project cycle. But let us dig a little deeper and try to understand what Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation really is.

Definition of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation

The working definition for Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation is defined as the involvement of key stakeholders (primary beneficiaries, civil society organizations, right based organizations, non-governmental organizations and governments) in Monitoring and Evaluating project and programme activities. Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation involves the use of participatory techniques within a conventional Monitoring and Evaluation setting and this has resulted in stakeholders being empowered to take drastic action, improve in public accountability and improve their information provision for strategic planning at different levels. Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation can therefore provide more comprehensive information on efficiency, relevance, sustainability, impact and effectiveness of working in progress. By learning from mistakes it can lead to timely corrective action. By highlighting the successes of peoples efforts it can lead to increased motivation. The systematic and conventional and continual exchange of information can also strengthen working relationships. As the effectiveness of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation is based on sharing information, it requires careful identification of those who should share information and what information is worth sharing.

Differences in the principles of conventional and participatory Monitoring and Evaluation

What really are the differences in participatory Monitoring and Evaluation as compared to conventional Monitoring and Evaluation if you come to think of it? There are basically three differences namely;

1) Beginning of the process; In conventional Monitoring and Evaluation the donor begins the process of applying Monitoring and Evaluation in the implementing partners but with Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation both the donor and the project stakeholders begin the process.

2) Accountability; Conventional Monitoring and Evaluation primarily focuses on being accountable to the donor while in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation, the accountability issue is not only applied to the donor but also to other stakeholders as well.

3) Mode of reporting; In Conventional Monitoring and Evaluation reporting is done primarily for the donor but in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation reporting is for both the donor and implementing organization. The implementing organization uses the reports to build their own capacity and draw lessons.

There are alot of benefits of implementing participatory approaches such as organizational strengthening, information provision at different levels and better understanding of the realities and therefore more realistic and appropriate plans. Great stuff right?

The timing of Evaluations

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 21:24:00 +0000

Three types of Evaluations

When it comes to timing of conducting evaluations there are basically three types of Evaluations that any project or programme may undergo. These three evaluations are namely (1) The Mid-term evaluation (2) End of Programme Evaluation and (3) Post-Programme Evaluation. All of them are very important and highly useful but that doesn't necessarily mean you should do all of them. Before we actually learn when to decide when to do what, you must understand that every project or programme must undergo an Evaluation. But before we get into the neatty gritties lets understand the three types of Evaluations in detail.

Post, Mid-term and End of Programme Evaluation

1) Mid-Term Evaluation; This is an evaluation conducted midway through the programme or project implementation. so if your project or programme is 4 years then your mid-term evaluation will be conducted after two years. If your programme is 5 years then your mid term evaluation will be conducted after two and a half years. The main aim of this kind of evaluation is to draw lessons on the project or programmes implementation so that corrective action may be taken for the remaining years. Things that are looked into include the projects or programmes strengths or weaknesses and other constraints that may be affecting the project or programmes implementation.

2) End of Programme Evaluation; This kind of evaluation is conducted right at the end of the projects or programmes completion. This is the kind of evaluation that is conducted most of the times apart from the fact that organizations would like to draw lessons, the main aim of undertaking this kind of evaluation is to assess the achievements against goals and objectives, assessment of how resources are used as well as understanding some other challenges that may have occurred during implementation. This evaluation also aims to measure the performance by measuring the programmes or projects effectiveness or efficiency.

3) Post-Programme Evaluation; This kind of evaluation is conducted after the phase out of the programme in order to assess the long term impacts of the project. Doing this kind of evaluation can help determine the sustainability of the programme or project and help duplicate better efforts in other target groups or areas.

Deciding which one to do

You must realize that conducting an end or programme/ project evaluation is a must do for any programme or project out there. The reasons are obvious....But then when do you decide to conduct a mid-term evaluation and Post-Programme evaluation.? A mid term evaluation can be conducted especially if there are funds allocated to this activity. The whole idea is to further improve the implementation so that the final result at the end of the life span is good. So basically at planning, if you see a need to have it there then have it. But there may be cases when it wasn't budgeted for but you still think it is necessary to have one especially when you observe that the implementation is going as planned, what can you do? Many have learn't to source for funds from elsewhere which ofcourse is really tricky. So in a nut shell when do you do a Mid term evaluation?

If you feel that the programme or project is not moving as planned
If you feel you can do better as a project or programme
If you want more answers on your project or programme
If your want to draw lessons and take corrective action

What about a Post-Programme Evaluation? getting to know the long term implication of your developmental intervention can be really beneficial especially when you would like to duplicate such efforts where you see there is definitely sustainability seen after the phase out. If you want that, then Post-Programme Evaluation may be the answer.

Great stuff right?

Preparing yourself for a Monitoring and Evaluation presentation

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 19:46:00 +0000

Learning the Art of presentation is Key!

A Monitoring and Evaluation person is not just a person who is able to collect, analyze and write a good report, but he/she is somebody who really packages himself in a very positive way. Yes you guessed it right, a Monitoring and Evaluation person should be good at presenting himself at the place of work and at an important workshop. Lets look at these things in detail and see what this really means, you better believe it.

Presentation in the Work Environment

If you are a Monitoring and Evaluation specialist working for any organization in this planet you must realize that you are a very, very important. You see sometimes people may brush aside the need to report results but these days everybody is demanding information, positive good information. There is no one better than you to collect that information. But how should you really package yourself when you are in the work environment.

1) Work Hard; Its obvious....TRUE. But you see working hard doesn't mean exhausting all your energy to the point you can't even have a good nights sleep but all it means is that you should be on top of your game. Make sure you report on time, make sure you are always there to answer technical Monitoring and Evaluation questions and make sure you look smart and think smart....GOT IT!!

2) Be Confident; Confidence begins in the mind and every step you make up and down the hallway at work will show to everyone whether you have what it takes to get the job done. When you feel confident you will automatically do a splendid job in your Monitoring and Evaluation responsibility. Take this advice seriously folks.

Presentation at workshops

When your boss tells you that you are to prepare a presentation on the progress of the project or programme you have to realize that he believes in you absolutely.....OKAY MAYBE THAT'S AN EXAGGERATION. But the point is this, you are the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and you have an important job to do during that workshop. What is key when presenting findings during a Monitoring and Evaluation workshop?

1) Speak clearly; When speaking to the masses in the workshop make it your point to speak clearly and make sense. Don't let the audience keep guessing about what you said but learn to drive a point home and also learn to adjust your voice projection appropriately. Learn to be analytical and speak analytically.

2) PowerPoint Presentation; Prepare a good neat power point presentation that is visible to everyone. Make sure that it isn't too fancy and the words are the right font size. Allow for questions along the way and respond to question in a convincing way.

3) Do your Home-Work; It is always important to really get to understand your results and Monitoring findings properly. Some people will ask you very tricky questions just to test your intelligence and if you are not prepared you can really be embarrassed with yourself.

Great staff!

5 trying situations in the Monitoring and Evaluation field

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 19:15:00 +0000

Situations that can make Monitoring and Evaluation painfull

You know sometimes in the field of Monitoring and Evaluation, there are situations in developmental work which is such a pain!! you heard it, a big huge pain. Nothing is perfect in the developmental world but you have to admit that there are just some things that shouldn't ever be ignored. But what are basically some of the situations you may come across as you undertake Monitoring and Evaluation activities in whichever project or programmes you may come across. There are basically 5 situations that can cause a whole lot of pain as you undertake Monitoring and Evaluation activities.

5 painful experiences in Monitoring and Evaluation Work

1) Information Overload; There are developmental projects and programmes in the world that have a lot of developmental indicators present. They may obviously have a good reason for doing that but the point is, if you have over a 100 different indicators that arent so clear and that are really difficult to measure, that can cause a huge pain to Monitoring and Evaluation Staff. Why is it so painful anyway? Well collecting that information can be a pain, analyzing that information can be a pain and finally reporting that information can be a huge pain. It is always recommended to limit the number of indicators to just a few because that is more sustainable even to the Monitoring and Evaluation System.

2) Poor Communication; In the world of Monitoring and Evaluation information is key and every minute that passes by really matters. However, for Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinators sometimes it can be a huge pain if their juniors are not reporting information on time. Whats worse, if the information they really need is more to do with the project indicators. Sometimes Monitoring and Evaluation officers may also need information from the implementing partners or from field staff, when that information doesnt come in on time and they have a deadline to meet that can be really painful.

3) Baseline Crisis; Conducting a baseline survey is really fun a process for any Monitoring and Evaluation person but then you see, it can be really painful too. How so? You know sometimes Monitoring and Evaluation people are given a project or programme document which they didn't take part in developing and then suddenly they notice how extremely difficult it is to capture certain information due to poorly formulated indicators. But that isn't even the worst part, sometimes implementing organizations don't even prioritize conducting baseline surveys at all. That can be really painfull considering that an evaluation has to be conducted at some point.

4) Reporting Findings; You know Monitoring and Evaluation sometimes can be very painful especially when you have to report poor findings. Stakeholders usually expect alot from implementation of a programme or project especially if there is huge funds allocated to it. However, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers strive at all costs to report the truth whether good or bad. Its not really the reporting that's really difficult but its the reaction that some stakeholders have on the person who collected, analysed and reported the information. It can be really painful if after reporting poor results, people begin to actually think the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer made too many errors in his analysis when in actual fact he didn't. That can be really painful.

5) Capacity; Most implementing organizations dont have enough staff to really do a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation activity. It can be really painful for a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer who has to absorb so much work load because of limited staff around.

Monitoring and Evaluation Rocks but not when its painful. Whatever the case, there is still alot to look forward to. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks!

Getting the Monitoring and Evaluation definitions right the first time

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 21:41:00 +0000

Common definitions in Monitoring and Evaluation

You may have had a lot of experience in the field of Monitoring and Evaluation but lets face it, sometimes certain terminologies just don't completely compute. Yes its true, sometimes no matter how hard you try to remember what that terminology is no matter how important it is, you simply just forget how to define it. Lets dive into a few definitions we can remind ourselves a little as we undertaken the Monitoring and Evaluation experience.

1) Activity; Activities are basically the actions that are to be taken in order to produce specific results or outputs. So think of activities as the actions that must be taken. Example of activities include the trainings of field staff in Monitoring and Evaluation, the actual Monitoring and Evaluation process e.t.c

2) Annual Work Plan; The annual work plan are the intended details of activities that are to be performed throughout the course of the year. When you prepare a workplan you are simply attempting to organize yourself in a proper and more systematic way that will allow for effective implementation of activities.

3) Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity; This is not necessarily the number of Monitoring and Evaluation officers you have in an organization. Capacity in this case refers to the ability of an organization to actually perform the Monitoring and Evaluation functions, including the skills necessary to perform them.

4) Performance; The degree to which a developmental intervention achieves its intended results. How then do you measure results in Monitoring and Evaluation? it is by use of performance indicators. Remember there are different types of indicators out there but you have to be sure of the right one. Indicators must always be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound).

5) Sustainability; This simply refers to the possibility that the intended benefits of a programme will continue on over years and years even when developmental support seizes. Why do donors especially emphasis that projects must be sustainable, isn't it obvious? At some point they would like to pull out and hope that the help rendered can produce long term results and continue on. Common even you wouldn't like your two year old baby to remain a baby forever.

6) Assumption; External factors that may affect the progress of the project whether good or bad.

7) Input; The resources that are needed in order to produce the intended outputs such as human resources, financial resources or material resources.

You will be amazed how easy it is for even the most experienced staff to forget these Monitoring and Evaluation definitions. You know what is even amazing, some people still don't know how to define Monitoring and Evaluation. However, you don't really have to know the exact definition for everything, what is important is to have a general idea of what you are dealing with. It would be interesting though to get some of your own way of defining some of these definitions above by placing your comments in the comments box below. Wanna try? Give it a shot!!!

Analysis of data, adjustments and change in Monitoring and Evaluation

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Analysis really matters....ALOT!!

If you are a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer working for a prestigeous organization out there you have to ask yourself these important questions...1) Are the Monitoring and Evaluation Findings making sense? 2) Are the Monitoring and Evaluation Findings answering the various questions which stakeholders really want to hear and 3) Are the Monitoring and Evaluation brining out the information in a constructive way? You see when you go out there to monitor activities, inputs or outputs all you are collecting is data. Data in its raw form doesn't really make sense but when you carry out a constructive analysis can you begin to bring out the information that people really want to see. Lets begin the Monitoring and Evaluation process shall we?

Definition of Data Analysis and Measuring Change

Analysis is basically the process of simplifying the data that you collected in the field into a form that people can really understand. There are many ways to perform an analysis but one way which most researchers including Monitoring and Evaluation specialists want to keep an eye on is computer software's partically designed for statistics. There are statistical packages like SPSS or STATA, however even Excel can do a very good job in bringing out the information to the audience you are communicating your Monitoring and Evaluation findings to. Analysis of qualitative data in Monitoring and Evaluation involves detailed descriptions in response to open ended questions and observations from the target group. While at the same time, analysis of quantitative data is basically similar bur can be done using simple statistics like averages, percentages, forecasts and so on and so forth.

When it comes to measuring change in Monitoring and Evaluation, you want use analysis to the best way possible. Some of the notable points you should be sure to include in communicating your Monitoring and Evaluations findings and consequently communicating the change of the programme are the following namely;

A general statistical description of your target group
A general statistical analysis of the progress made in the different indicators. When communicating the progress in the various indicators try to show how progress has been achieved over the years or quarters of the implementation. You can make good use of percentage increases or decreases compared to the baseline value.
Graphical representation of the trends in results over the years since the beginning of the implementation of the programme.

When reporting change you can do well to also explain why the change occured and how better results can be achieved in future. But lets understand how you can actually communicate these results in Monitoring and Evaluation Foras.

Monitoring and Evaluation Fora's

In Monitoring and Evaluation Foras you can make good use to communicate your findings to the various audeinces you have invited who are usually the stakeholders.Now how do you structure your presentation so that when your begin presenting your Monitoring and Evaluation findings it actually ROCKS!!!

1) Start by Presenting the Monitoring and Evaluation findings that you got from the field
2) Afterwards make a Presentation of your personal Monitoring and Evaluation experiences in the field
3) Afterwards make a Presentation of your feelings as to whether any progress has been made and if not why?
4) Finally, offer recommendations to the audiences as to how best the programme implementation can be improved.

Be sure to always welcome the audience to provide their input on the presentation and findings collected. You can make this happen, all you have to do is try. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level!

Development of Programme Indicators in Monitoring and Evaluation

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 20:04:00 +0000

Programme Indicators are the best!!!

The development of programme indicators is not really a hard thing but its just some people these days don't really know how to formulate them to the best degree possible. You see folks, Monitoring and Evaluation is irrelevent if there are no indicators in a programme or project to measure. Think of it, what would you be measuring even if you had the best Monitoring and Evaluation System in the entire world? Now that we have an understanding of everything, just what are programme indicators and why are they necessary? The thing is this, most people would get the definition right but when it comes to formulation and development that can really, really be a big problem. Lets define things further shall we.

Definition of Indicators, the Real Deal!!

There are so many different kinds of indicators but in a nut shell, an indicator is a means to measure whether there is any progress taking place in the aspects of the programme. So in view of that, there are so many indicators such as input indicators, output indicators, outcome indicators and impact indicators. Indicators simply tell you whether there is any progress or not....GOT IT!!!!! Now why are indicators so important? That will be your home-work to find out but in the meantime we need to know how to develop these indicators. Lets begin the process of actually understanding how to develop these indicators before we dive into Monitoring and Evaluating the programme...GOT IT!!

Development of Indicators

Normally indicators are selected in the planning stage, no two ways about it folks. There are basically two main ways to select indicators..take it or leave it. The first way involves prior selection of indicators and the second comes from formulation of questions. In the first methodology you already have something planned while in the second one you ask a set of questions with the hope of developing an indicator. Makes sense?

There are two main types of indicators you will always come across in a programme as you Monitor and Evaluate. These are quantitative and qualitative indicators. Indicators that you can measure directly such as in the case of numbers or statistics are called quantitative indicators while indicators that cannot be easily measured and are dependent on perception or attitude are the qualitative indicators. So lets say that you have the indicators below as an example;

A) Grape Production among farmers in America

B) Quality of Grape Produce among farmers in America

Which of these two is a quantitative indicator and which one is a qualitative indicator in your view? You guessed right (A) is a quantitative indicator and (B) is a qualitative indicator. (A) can be measured easily using kilograms of produce while quality cannot be easily measured but relies on perception. Ofcourse that can be debated sometimes right?

But when formulating indicators there is one important rule that Monitoring and Evaluation Officers and other programme staff should never, ever forget....Indicators must always be SMART. What does SMART mean, here it is below folks. Monitoring and Evaluation has never gotten this interesting.

S- Specific
M-Measurable
A-Attainable
R-Realistic
T-Time bound

If you are formulating an indicator for your developmental programme or project don't create indicators that are just going to give you headaches to measure at the end of the day. These are just a few important pointers to getting the indicators you really want for your programme. In future we will go into much detail and really get to scrutinize indicators further. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks, you better believe it.!

Explaining Programme Goal, Outcomes, Outpus and Inputs

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 22:14:00 +0000

The Programme identification process

During the planning phase you had undergone a series of stakeholder meetings just trying to understand what really are the problems and how can these problems be solved. Ofcourse, all those days of hard work payed off because now you are actually on the verge of formulating your programme or project. As an organization with your various stakeholders within your midst, you should have by now been able to clearly identify your vision for the future and the theory of change. The theory of change basically give you a comprehensive roadmap on how your various goals and solutions will be achieved. Now, when you come up with a programme in a nut shell it should have Goal, Outcomes, Outputs and Inputs. But for a project it basically ends at the output - outcome stage really depending on your organizations priorities or design. However, lets get straight away in defining these various portions of a programme such as the Goal, Objective, Outcomes and Outputs. Remember these things actually help in Monitoring and Evaluation.

Creating the Goals, Outcomes, Outputs and Inputs

When you are in the process of defining the Goals to the inputs it is always important to be sure what the programme is designed to achieve.Lets get just a bit deeper shall we,

1) Goal; The Goal is basically what you would call the impact of your programme. The developmental change that the programme is likely to bring in the long term lets say in 5 years time. Key questions you want to be sure to ask yourself is, what developmental benefit will the target group have after 5 years of implementation?

2) Outcomes; These are basically the change that occurs as a result of the intervention. These are usually results occurring in a time frame from intermediate to mid term. Key questions that must be asked when formulating outcomes for a programme is 'what must the programme deliver in order to achieve the Goals?' All brainstorming should involve the relevent stakeholders including the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.

3) Outputs; Outputs are the direct tangible products and services that the programme will deliver as a result of the activities. When coming up with the outputs there is need to directly relate the activities to the outputs at all costs.

4) Inputs; These are basically the resources that will spearhead the various activities to be undertaken including Monitoring and Evaluation activities. It is highly recommended that inputs are adequate and are defined clearly in terms of quality and quantity.

Example of Monitoring and Evaluation activities

The Monitoring and Evaluation activities that should always be included in the programme or project are quit plenty but in a nut shell, they need to add value to the programme or project that you are implementing. When you are planning for the right kind of Monitoring and Evaluation activities to be undertaken you will have to clearly attach the adequate amount of resources to them. Lets look at some of the common Monitoring and Evaluation activities that most organizations will include in their programmes.

Monitoring and Evaluation Activities

Quarterly/Semi-Annually Data Collection
Quarterly/Semi-Annually Analysis
Semi-Annual Report Writing
Quarterly Backstopping in various areas
Quarterly Monitoring of Implementation
Development of field office Monitoring and Evaluation System
Baseline Survey
Mid-Term Evaluation of Programme
End of Programme Evaluation
Monitoring and Evaluation Trainings

Monitoring and Evaluation Inputs

Money to cater for fuel costs
Money to cater for staff daily costs in Monitoring and Evaluation in the field
Money to cater for salary of Monitoring and Evaluation staff
Stationary and computer equipment
Money to cater for consultant to conduct the Mid-term and End of Programme Evaluation
Money for Monitoring and Evaluation workshop trainings

Monitoring and Evaluation Outputs

Monitoring and Evaluation reports produced
Mid-term and End of Programme Evaluation Report produced
Fully operational Monitoring and Evaluation System in place in the field
Trained field staff in Monitoring and Evaluation.

This is all for now folks, remember to take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level. Don't be shy.

Winning a Monitoring and Evaluation Job Interview

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 21:09:00 +0000

Become a Winner

You have been called for a job interview hoping to nail a position as a Monitoring and Evaluation specialist of that prestigious organization of your dreams. You know fully well that opportunities don't always come easy and you know how important it is to really look your best right. We can almost imagine how much time and energy you have put in just to look your best and read some of your past academic materials on Monitoring and Evaluation. Congratulations! However, you should know that no matter how ready you think you are, some interviewers are just mean. You will fail the interview that took you over a week to prepare in just a few a minutes. So, what do you do to really nail the Monitoring and Evaluation Job position? Big question but few answers.

What Interviewers would like to See

When a Job interview is about to happen, interviewers already have it in their minds what kind of Monitoring and Evaluation person they are looking for except, they want to be sure they are choosing the right one. Don't disappoint them. First things first, it is always important to look your very best. The dress code for an interview should usually be a suit but depending on the region of the world you come from, you should be able to know what formal wear really is. Now, when you are called for an interview, they have already seen your C.V and so they actually know you are qualified for the Job. But what really seperates you from the rest of the others who were also called is your body language, your reasoning, your personality and other things like that. Here are some things you should do.

1) Clarity; Make sure you answer questions in a clear and confident way. Interviewers are interested in a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer who is able to communicate clearly. Why is this so important? Well when you will be called to do a powerpoint presentation on your Monitoring findings infront of a wide audience, you have to be able to communicate it in a clear but effective way. When the interviewers ask you questions, answer the question as it comes and don't include things that are not related at all to the topic. Be yourself.

2) Be Practical; Usually interviewers want to test your intelligence by giving you a practical situation. If you are called to explain your experience in the Monitoring and Evaluation field, make sure you explain things in a practical way. For instance, imagine if the interviewers asked you whether you have conducted a Baseline Survey before in your life. You are not only going to say yes, but you will briefly explain how you did it and what were your findings. It is usually interesting if you conducted a Baseline Survey for a prestigious organization.

3) Be Friendly; You have to relax during the interview and try to be friendly. You should put up a warm smile on your face occasionally and try not to be to formal and yet again too informal. Try to treat the interviewing panel like they are actually your work colleagues no matter how intimidating they may appear.

4) Display your achievements; There is absolutely no harm in displaying some of your big achievements to the interviewing panel. More especially if it is really related to the kind of programme they intend to implement over the years. Take for example, if they are recuiting a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for a gender programme they are about to implement and you were fortunate to have conducted a gender evaluation as a consultant months before the interview, why not show them your Evaluation Report.

Remember that the interview is really nothing more than an interview that allows you to really get to sell yourself. To sell your qualities, your attributes and your experience. You shouldn't fear anybody at all but just make sure that you are yourself. Monitoring and Evaluation is just soooooo interesting folks. Best wishes in your Job Interview.

Analysis of Problems and Solutions, Monitoring and Evaluation at Planning

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 18:31:00 +0000

Problems and Solutions, What are they?

Its that time again when your organization has the task of developing a 5 year programme or project. But then in as much as you know how vital it is to plan your programme or project well you should also realize that this stage is actually very critical for the Monitoring and Evaluation processes. When beginning to plan for your programme or project, you have to spend a whole lot of time understanding exactly what your problems are and what the possible solutions could be. But then lets dig deeper and understand what exactly is the problem and what exactly are the solutions.

Analysis of Problems and Solutions, Make it Work!!!

Monitoring and Evaluation depends on good planning and as programme or project coordinator you have to realize that you have to get it right from the very beginning. There is no room for mistakes because you are at the genesis phase which requires utmost seriousness and dedication.....Make it work. What is a problem? Well a problem is simply a adverse situation that requires immediate intervention. Sounds like a definition which isn't so accurate HUH? Well the truth is we all know what a problem really is, here are a few examples of problems which can really clear up the air.

High poverty levels in Country A
High illieracy levels in Continent B
High Birth Mortality levels in Region C
High levels of Injustices among the rural poor

Isnt so hard to understand when you come to think of it because these are the kind of problems you hear on the news, read on the internet and watch on the T.V. But the point is, there are people out there you have donated millions of dollars to reduce these problems and as organizations implementing activities you have to hold yourself accountable. Since we understand the problems it wouldn't be so hard to understand the solutions. A solution is simply the answer to reducing or eradicating these problems. So I guess we understand why programmes or projects become really important in the whole equation.

In the analysis of the problem and finding of solutions its a very extensive process because it involves a number of key stakeholders such as the government agencies, implementing partner organizations, taget groups and other important entities. It is important that there is gender balance in the participation of both men and women. Always include the Monitoring and Evaluation staff as well.

Conceptual and Methodological Approaches in the Planning

You definitely have to stage a workshop were you can invite all the necessary participants to brainstorm on the problems and solutions to those problems. There is a very common approach that is widely used when trying to understand the problem, and that is the problem tree. The problem tree methodology is basically a process that involves a number of people in identifying a set of problems and also taking into account the cause and effect relationship.The reason it is called a problem tree is because in its pictorial form it actually looks like one :)

Anyway, basically the fun really begins when everybody in the workshop begins to participate and collectively discover solutions to the various sets of problems. When the problem and solutions are identified then can you begin to seriously discuss about formulating your own developmental programme. This is the stage were Monitoring and Evaluation application of principles learnt from the University actually gets interesting. Lets begin the process folks!!

Monitoring and Evaluation Begins at Planning, GOT IT!!!

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 17:57:00 +0000

The Planning Phase of Programme

Monitoring and Evaluation is really about keeping track, measuring results and attributing change to your developmental interventions. You see, to make things successfully clear and easy it is highly important that the planning phase of a programme or project is done perfectly. There is absolutely no need for mistakes because if you really think deeply you will soon realize that Monitoring and Evaluation depends on a very good planning phase. Lets get into business and define the planning phase in detail. You have to believe it!!

Get it right from in the Beginning

Just what is planning and how important is it for the Monitoring and Evaluation process? Planning involves a combination of things but here's the news....You can plan a very good programme if you really get it right from the start. As earlier said, planning involves a combination of things as listed below namely;

Setting your goals, visions and objectives of a programe
Setting forward your implementation for the months or years to come
Setting the resources that will be allocated to these activities

Now in the planning phase the key is to know exactly what you want to do and exactly how your programme or project will contribute to change or developmental results..Its that simple. However in as much as the planning phase may seem like a piece of cake you have to understand that the planning phase is constantly changing due to its dynamic nature. Anything can change at anytime, but with proper brainstorming with the various stakeholders in the planning stage, you will surely find that the following questions will be answered with no problems at all. In the planning phase questions need to be answered such as 'what do we want?', 'what are the solutions to the problems identified?', 'how can we reach these goals?' these are some of the many questions which you should seriously begin to ask yourself without a slightest doubt. It is important that at the planning phase you take advantage of the Logical Framework Approach which will be discussed later in detail.

Programme Planning Process

The programme planning process basically involves 4 main interesting phases which shouldn't miss the eye of any Monitoring and Evaluation Officer who is involved in the process. Here are the processes folks;

Analysis of problems and solutions
Indepth problem analysis
Indepth Analysis of solutions
Identification of a programme or project

Now it is at these various stages that the relevant stakeholders should be fully involved but also make sure that Monitoring and Evaluation staff are fully involved in the processes as well. But then, Why are Monitoring and Evaluation Staff members so important in the first place?

Monitoring and Evaluation Staff in Planning

Monitoring and Evaluation Staff are basically so important because they add value to the planning process of the programme or project. Through their experience you will be able to develop indicators that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. It is not only in the development of indicators where the Monitoring and Evaluation staff are valuable but it is also in helping stakeholders understand the processes and challenges that may come along in collecting information. Monitoring and Evaluation staff can really make the planning process more interesting than you actually think folks. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level.

Monitoring and Evaluation + Statistical Research

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 20:21:00 +0000

Using Research Methodology in Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluation is actually research if you come to think of it. Take for instance when it comes to conducting Evaluations, what methodology do evaluators usually use to conduct these in depth assessments? Well you will find them using research designs like non-experimental and quazi research. But most times as a developmental organizations you may be doing your research but not really paying attention to the rules of research that can really make your Monitoring and Evaluation reports credible and effective. Monitoring outputs is the easy part but when an organization decides to take up the responisbility of Monitoring and Evaluating outcomes and impacts, then there may be some need for some research skills. Lets consider research skills that ROCKS!! in Research Methodolgy.

Must have Research Skills in Monitoring and Evaluation

1) Effective Sampling Skills; As an organizations attempting to measure progress on your programme or project you will have to select samples. Sampling is really the cost effective and realistic way to measure progress among a smaller target group than having to interview the over 100,000 individuals that your project may be targeting. But even when you want to bring effective sampling skills in the world of Monitoring and Evaluation you have to realize which research design is appropriate. If you are using an experimental research design you are definitely going to use random sampling (which has been known to be more credible) but if you are using a quazi research design then you will know outrghtly that this will involve non-random sampling. The point is, that the sample group is critical because this is a group that is going to be deemed representative of all the target group of the project or programme.

2) Effective analytical Skills; You want to be good at doing analysis and showing through statistical analysis that your findings are credible. Again its not about knowing in depth mathematics but you should be sure to use basic analytical approaches such as the mean, range, mode and other basics. You see what really people want to know is what progress is being made by the project or programme? If there is progress or not the question is why?

3) Effective attribution skills; One of the many pains that have given project or programme implementers a nightmare is how they can attribute change to their developmental support from their intervention. In research one way to conquer this is to have control groups. What is a control group? A control group is a group that has not been receiving any developmental support from your programme or project. The aim of setting a control group is to make a comparison with the group you are supporting in order to see whether there is any significant change. There are research/statistical approaches and methodologies that can actually tell you whether this change between the control group and intervention group has been significant.

Applying Statistical approaches in Monitoring and Evaluation

The z test and t test are very useful approaches that can be used even in Monitoring and Evaluation especially in Evaluation. The t test in particular assesses whether the difference in means of two groups is statistically significant. This is really usefull when comparing a control group with an intervention group.

But what really is the point of even using these statistically methodologies? Well you want to improve the credibility of your findings and also be able to hold your heads high as you show off your Monitoring and Evaluation findings to the whole world. This blog will soon show you how to apply these statistical methodologies in the real world because the real world is where we live in. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks.

Measuring long term change in Developmental Interventions, tricky business

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 19:10:00 +0000

Is Monitoring and Evaluation the answer???

Many times there have always been attempts to use the skills and experiences of Monitoring and Evaluation specialists who know exactly what they are doing, yes you know what that exactly means right? Big organizations have spent millions of dollars just trying to find answers to the questions that matter most in the developmental world...developmental change. But then, has Monitoring and Evaluation actually achieved the goals of measuring long term developmental change? Have they? What do you actually think? To some extent Monitoring and Evaluation has done a good job in measuring change but that hasn't gone without extensive challenges. You heard it loud and clear challenges just creep in even to the most sophisticated and killer researchers dealing in developmental work. You see one of the biggest challenges in measuring change is that it comes with a whole lot of many other problems which cannot easily be sorted out in the short term. Lets dive into this a little shall we?

Measuring change in the developmental world, you gotta believe it

It has always been extremely hard to measure change especially when it takes the form of policy change, empowerment, change of attitude and climate change. May sound like it doesn't make sense, but just read the following to see how difficult even the best Monitoring and Evaluation specialists have in really reporting change, if at all they even do report on it at all. Lets get down to business because this is the real world.

1) Policy Change; Policy is one of those things which you have to agree is just long term stuff. Besides, the truth is even if your programme is supporting implementing organizations that are lobbying to governments, how do you actually attribute that your programme is primarily responsible for a policy change when there are so many players in the equations? Not forgetting the fact that policy change is actually a long term change intervention which you can't measure only after maybe 3 - 5 years. But how does Monitoring and Evaluation actually help when it comes to Monitoring the policy component in a developmental programme or project. Hope this answer doesn't break your heart because the truth is if you are going to Monitor and Evaluate the policy component at all, you have to concentrate on Monitoring activities and outputs. There is NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT!! GOT IT!!!!!!!!!

2) Empowerment; Every programme or project is just talking about empowerment so much that you see that word in almost all programmes or projects in this world. There are times when you have to agree that actually Monitoring and Evaluating this component is damn hard...WHY?? Because empowerment is about the change in attitude and the mindset of the target group. Not forgetting again that it is long term intervention. Lets just say that your developmental programme wants to empower your target group to be self sustaining, you will only be able to get your results maybe 3 - 5 years later. Thats pretty tough right? But again, to Monitor and Evaluate Empowerment, the best is just to concentrate on activities and outputs such as trainings, workshops e.t.c There is NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT!!............................GOT IT!!!!!!!!!

3) Climate Change; Developmental programmes or projects that have this as their indicator are just way too ambitious. Think of it, what exactly can a programme or project do to bring climate change in 3 - 5 years that has taken nearly centuries to destroy? Lets be real the only way you can realistically have Monitoring and Evaluation in the whole equation is to concentrate in activities and outputs. There is NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT!!

Embracing the reality as an organization

As an organizations you know the challenges and you obviously know the risks, but then what are you going to do about it? Donor pressure is mounting to see certain indicators that you don't 100% agree with in your programmes especially knowing that Monitoring and Evaluation will be painfully difficult to report on, what are you going to do? It all begins with the planning stage of a programme or project development. It all lies with involving all the relevant stakeholders in the planning stage, it all begins by clearly unveiling the reality of setting certain indicators and really knowing what your programme or project can really achieve given the limited resources. Setting indicators isn't always easy but you can be a winner only if you know what your programme or project can realistically achieve and what you can realistically measure. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks!!

Writing a Monitoring and Evaluation Report that tells a Story

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 10:59:00 +0000

Reporting is Everything when Monitoring and Evaluating

Reporting is one of those things in Monitoring and Evaluating that you simply cannot run away from at all. In the world of Monitoring and Evaluating of programmes or projects it is highly important that the information comes out properly and in a language were your audience can really appreciate. What do people really want to see? Who are these people anyway? Lets try to understand all of this shall we.

How to Write a Report, Steps you should never forget

You will discover that report writing is actually a skill and like all reports written in research people are looking for hardcore answers. In the world of Monitoring and Evaluation that isn't anything different. You see, if you want to be really successful in writing Monitoring and Evaluation reports you have to learn to tell a story. People who read your work should be able to first understand what your report is about and how it relates to the Programme or Project.

The reporting of your findings if you come to think of it, actually begins from the planning phase of your Monitoring and Evaluation Journey. When your are planning on the kind of data you want to collect from the target group or target area you have to involve the relevant stakeholders always. Now what are the steps of writing the report, remember it all begins at the planning phase.

Step 1: Review the Programme or Project Strategy

It is important when writing a Monitoring and Evaluation report to review the developmental Programme or Project strategy just so that you remind yourself on what you are about to report on. Remember that you may have collected a lot of relevant as well as irrelevant information. So try to put everything in context before you begin writing your Monitoring and Evaluation report.

Step 2: Compose your Introduction and Conclusion

The next step is to compose the introduction and conclusion of the report. This is a very useful way to ensure that you don't go off key when writing the report but stay on track in answering the key questions such as what was achieved? if it wasn't achieved...Why??? What corrective measures can be taken? The conclusion should tie in very well with the introduction. For instance if your introduction is "To Monitor the progress of the Programme or Project" then your conclusion should report on whether any progress had been made at all. Remember, recommendations are very important.

Step 3: Write the body of the Monitoring and Evaluation Report

Finally, you can begin writing the body of the Monitoring and Evaluation to suite your organization and all key stakeholders alike. Remember that a report should explain the objectives, methodology used, discussion, findings and other relevant sections. Be sure to organize your findings in a neat and proper way and communicate some of your findings by use of graphs.

Key Considerations in Monitoring and Evaluations Reports

Depending on the nature of your organization or the programme/project, you may want to consider how big the report should actually be. For instance if you are writing a report quarterly on outputs being achieved in the implementation period there is no need to make it too lengthly. On the other hand if you are writing an Evaluation report over the long years of implementation, because it is in-depth their may be need for a lot of information.

Always consider your audience when writing a report and do not assume they know everything. Be sure to include a list of acronyms in your report. Make your report very interesting by communicating key findings by using graphs which speak volumes unlike just tabulating a long irritating list of numbers. Interprete your findings in a clear and coincise way and remember to recommend the best possible way to change things for the better. You must understand that the main people you are reporting to are the stakeholders and stakeholders want to see results. The best way to make sure that what you report on is relevent, just refer to the logframe of the Programme or Project document.

There is a lot more things that go into report writing in Monitoring and Evaluation but the key questions you should be asking yourself about your report are the following;

Does it answer the 'Why' question?
Does it tie in with the Program or Project Strategy?
Is it in a language that everyone can understand clearly?
Is there room for improvement?

By following these key questions then can you begin to take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level. Make it happen!!!

Implementing partners in the Monitoring and Evaluation Systems

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 22:07:00 +0000

Implementing Partner Organizations Key Roles in M&E

In the developmental world it is very obvious that these days large international organizations work through local implementing partners. This has proven over the years to be a much more strategic mode which has seen first the development of the institutional capacities of organizations to deliver services to the target group and then bring developmental change in the long run. Programmes and projects alike need to show results and when we say results we are talking about results in the form of deliverable's like outputs, outcomes and impacts. However, you will have to agree in the Monitoring and Evaluation world collecting the data, analysing and reporting it can prove to be a challenge much less for the local partner organizations in target countries or region. But donors will hear non of it, they want to see their money being put to the best possible use in projects or programmes come what may. But first, what really is the role of implementing partner organizations in the Monitoring and Evaluation process? What challenges do they really face?...........You gotta believe this.

Monitoring and Evaluation in the Implementing Partners World

Monitoring and Evaluation is a very important thing to most organizations around the world. Unfortunately for some implementing partner organizations, they feel that Monitoring and Evaluation is just a donor agenda....Weird HUH? But you see sometimes partner organizations just aren't good enough to Monitor and Evaluate even their own programmes and projects. Lets say a donor is providing support to an organization in a target area or region, How do implementing partner organizations fit into the whole Monitoring and Evaluation System?

Usually implementing partner organizations are more concerned about how well their activities are moving towards completion. It is obvious right? implementing partner organizations will be usually concerned about collecting data to do with output deliverables. Ofcourse donors love that too, but you have to agree that they would also like to see outcomes and impacts. Partner organizations may make quarterly reports on how well they are doing in delivering certain outputs but ultimately the donor is going to wanna see results because results is everything. This is the stage were you see at the end of the programme or projects a consultant being commissioned to conduct an intensive Evaluation.

Implementing partner organizations play a crucial role especially when it comes to the provision of Monitoring and Evaluation information that Project or Programme Evaluators need during an Evaluation. There may also be times when donor organization are interested to see for themselves how field activities are doing in person. Implementing partner organizations may help facilitate field visits and consequently help facilitate the development of case-stories. If the donor is keenly interested in reporting output information, their implementing partners are usually the first to have that required info which can be utilized in future reporting. Partner Monitoring and Evaluation is crucial indeed but fulfillment of this responsibilty is not met with challenges.

Challenges faced by Implementing Partner Organizations in Monitoring and Evaluation

1) Capacity to Monitor and Evaluate; Usually it is more often than usual that Implementing Partner Organizations don't have the capacity to Monitor and Evaluate. In some cases, they don't even have a convincing Monitoring and Evaluation System in place that can really make things move forward. Because of limited staff and so many activities on their plate, they really struggle to Monitor and Evaluate their Programmes or Projects.

2) Use of Monitoring and Evaluation Information; Unfortunately some Implementing Partner Organizations haven't yet learned how to effectively use the Monitoring and Evaluation information in making informed decisions to better their implementation. That can really hurt in future years.

3) Limited professional experience in M&E; Unfortunately Monitoring and Evaluation in some implementing partner organization is quit a new concept. They just need further training and that's THAT!!!

In most cases donors may be willing to help bring Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level, but that should go with some convincing. Anyway whatever the case, Monitoring and Evaluation Rocks!!!

External Evaluation versus Internal Evaluation, Your World

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Does it Really make a difference??

Conducting an Evaluation for a programme or project is one of the best things any developmental organization can look forward to especially if there is an optimistic sense that good results were achieved. You have to admit however, that most times an Evaluation will always be a really tense moment for all programme or project staff. Whatever the case, Evaluations have a very unique purpose in the project or programme cycle which should never ever be ignored. Ever thought of conducting an Evaluation for your just ended programme or project? The answer is obvious right? But have you ever decided whether you should conduct this Evaluation internally or externally? What do these two terms really mean anyway? Is there any difference between the two? So many questions but few answers.....Lets get started shall we.

An Internal, Make it happen

So what exactly is an internal evaluation if you come to think of it? Well an internal evaluation is the process of assigning staff members in an organization to conduct an Evaluation of programmes or projects being implemented by the same organization. In short, this Evaluation is done by staff members for the organizations...Easy isn't it? But you see although it isn't objective there are benefits of choosing this approach. Mmmmmmmm????......I know what you mean, but don't be immediately put off because down here are a list of benefits.

Benefits of Internal Evaluations

Since the Evaluator is an employee you will be more than certain that he has already existing knowledge about the organization which could contribute substantially to the Evaluation. Unlike having somebody else do it and start from scratch to learn about all the systems in place, your employee would have already known about everything.
Internal Evaluations are relatively cost effective because they are done in-house

An Internal Evaluator is usually already know by fellow organizational staff thus causing less Evaluation anxiety and therefore better able to communicate findings.

An External Evaluation, Perhaps the most common

External Evaluation involves contracting an External consultant or specialist to carry out an Evaluation who is not an employee of an organization. In most cases this is usually what developmental organizations choose to go for due to various reasons. Evaluations like this are sometimes criticized for being too expensive and most times the evaluator does not understand the organization to the full. But what really is the main reason why External Evaluators are usually contracted for such a weighty task? What really is the catch HUH? What really are the benefits if you come to think of it?

Benefits of External Evaluations

These kinds of Evaluations are definitely the most objective kind of Evaluations you can ever have in the world. You know how it is right? its easier for someone outside the organization to citicise the organization than for somebody from within. When an Evaluator is objective and critical thats what makes an Evaluation an Evaluation. There is no project or programme out there that is perfect. A real Evaluator has to call a spade a spade. So no hard feelings, if you have an External Evaluator right now evaluating your programme or project his just doing his job.
External Evaluators are usually specialized in one field and have vast experience. You may have a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in your midst but may not be specialized in the field. External Evaluators usually are.
External Evaluators usually have high credibility....No explanations needed!

After having this brief understanding of the two kinds of Evaluations, you can make the final decision. Remember, both have their benefits and remember both can actually provide the information you are looking for. Remember to take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks.

10 terminologies in Monitoring and Evaluation you must always know

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Monitoring and Evaluation terminologies, Always remember

Monitoring and Evaluation is viewed by some as a piece of cake. Some say you don't need any training to be a good Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, just take a text book, read and then you are done for the day. You see, because some people tend to water down the role and value that a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer could bring into the organization you find before long, that the answers they should have had ends up missing. Why do you think some organizations always complain that their reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation system isn't satisfactory? Well that isn't hard to answer because in most cases they just don't take Monitoring and Evaluation seriously and they tend to look at having a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer as a by the way thing. If you are one of those people, it is important to realize that Monitoring and Evaluation is a must have thing in every developmental organization, much more is having a Monitoring and Evaluation specialist. In case you are still thinking about it, here are ten Monitoring and Evaluation terminologies you should always memorize.....That's right you have to Memorize these terms with all your soul. Don't say you weren't warned....GOT IT!!!!

Ten Monitoring and Evaluation Terminologies, Piece of Cake???

1) Results; When stakeholders request that they would like to see the achievement of results what exactly are they saying? Well, they are simply saying that they want to see their programme or projects objectives being met. Now what does that exactly mean...You do the Math. But incase you need just a little bit of help results in most cases refers to the three highest levels in the log-frame hierarchy outputs, outcomes and impacts.That's as simple as it get.

2) Indicators; I bet you always have to run into this term sooner or later but the funny thing is, many people still don't really understand what an indicator is. Ofcourse they may define it well but when it comes to formulating indicators, they simply fail. In Monitoring and Evaluation, an indicator is simply the means to measure change.Indicators specifies exactly what is to be measured along a scale or dimension, but does not indicate the direction of change....GOT IT!! Indicators are either input indicators, output indicators, outcome indicators or impact indicators.

3) Targets; This simply specifies the exact value that the programme or project intends to achieve at the end of the implementation period for a given indicators. So in short, if your indicator is the % of women accessing rural finance then your target could be that 50% of all women in the target group should access finance by the end of the implementation period.

4) Outcomes; There are times when you are developing a log-frame and you are not quit sure what an outcome is. Now here's the news, you are not the only one out there. Lets go easy on this one folks, an outcome is simply the changes that occurs as a result of the outputs and to the extent they contribute towards the programme purpose and desired impact. Lets say your programme is building free homes for your target group what is the possible outcome for that?

Outcome: Improved shelter for the target group

5) Outputs; These are the specific products and services that is delivered in order to contribute to the development of outcomes. Lets go back to the outcome of improved shelter for the target group. Could you guess what the outputs are? see the outputs below;

Outputs: Houses built for the community
   Community members skilled at building houses


6) Activities and Inputs; Activities basically refer to the concrete interventions or tasks that project personnel undertake that transforms inputs into outputs. Inputs on the other hand are the financial, material and human resources that are used in conjunction with activities to produce project outputs. What could be the inputs and activities for the improved shelter example? Watch and learn,

Inputs; Funds to buy the building materials
             Staff time spent in training community members on how to build a house

Activities; Training of community members on building a house

Four terminologies you will know yourself

In the world of Monitoring and Evaluation, it is important to really understand these terminologies clearly as you engage in developmental work. This article wont define them for you but assuming you are a development worker, you will agree that simply ingnoring these terms in your volculbulary is suicide. Are you READY? here they are;

1) Monitoring and Evaluation
2) Monitoring and Evaluation System
3) Baseline
4) Programme and Project

You will be totally surprised at how many times programme or project coordinators simply fail to apply these terms in the real world. This is your home-work folks and probably in future, we will actually understand these terminologies in a real life example. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level people. TA! TA!

Webased Monitoring and Evaluation, Taking M&E to the Next Level

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 19:12:00 +0000

Considering the Webased Monitoring and Evaluation

As an organization trying to make Monitoring and Evaluation actually work effectively in your implementing organizations, you have to agree that the use of computer technology can make your work relatively easier. Developmental organizations are working tirelessly to make the data collection process all the more better and effective. In the world today however, as organizations work through their different implementing partners there will always be challenges of Monitoring and Evaluation capacity within organizations and even resources. Many are using Webased Monitoring and Evaluation Systems to actually monitor the various activities that implementing partners are achieving which they can consequently pass on to stakeholders at the higher level who actually want to see results. Results everyone is key, results is what will keep your programmes or projects running and also provide an answer to all those tax papers money who demand answers. Are you ready??? Lets just understand the Monitoring and Evaluation System in detail.....Webased that is.

Webased Monitoring and Evaluation System, the answer you were looking for

As a programme or project coordinator you will always get questions about how many people are benefiting from your support to what exactly is the change you are bringing. Webased Monitoring and Evaluation system through experience are internet based system that allows for data collection, analysis and reporting of results. If your programme works through implementing partners of which you provide support to, then the implementing partner feeds data into the system through the internet. However, if your organizations is directly implementing a programme or project by itself then your various staff in areas of your operation feeds the data into the system. The Monitoring and Evaluation System has a lot of advantages because the whole idea is for information of the programme or project to be uploaded through the internet which consequently becomes viewable to all users who have the authorized access to the internet and programmes databases. What exactly are the advantages and disadvantages of a webased Monitoring and Evaluation System.

Advantages
1)Improved access from all over the world; As long as you have authorized access to the internet you wont have any problem gaining access to the programmes database and analyzing the results for your programme. Imagine how easy it would be to report your Monitoring and Evaluation findings to an audience who watch in awe as you log into your websystem and answer every question they ask...Anywhere in the world.

2)Ease of sharing information; Gone are the days when you had to send huge chunks of email databases to your stakeholders. With the webased Monitoring and Evaluation System, all you have to do is provide log in details to the person you would like to have access to anywhere from the world. It doesn't get any better than that.

3)Improved safety and storage; The safety of information is one of the key things why you can consider having a webased Monitoring and Evaluation System. Protect your information folks!

4)Improved Harmonization; Usually the implementing partner has their own set of indicators in their various projects or programmes. It is always an added advantage if the partners indicators is tailored easily to your system, that way information collection and reporting becomes a whole lot easier.

5)Reduced work load; The work load can be reduced of having to physically collect data from the implementing partner organization which in most cases can be quit challenging and expensive especially if your programme has a long list of indicators that your programme is trying to measure. It also goes the same with direct implementation.

Indicators in the Monitoring and Evaluation System

1)Outputs, Outcomes and Impacts; Webased Monitoring and Evaluation systems are a good way to collect the results you want. But you must realize that outputs are usually the concern of the implementing partners while Outcomes and Impacts are usually the concern of the donors. Regardless of that however, you must ask yourself what really do you want to measure from this system? Who really will benefit more from it, you or the implementing partner (that's if you are working through partners)? Lets look at two scenarios of careful consideration;

a) Implementation through partner organization; If you are implementing through partners you will realize that entering the information into the internet by your partners may be met with some challenges. Some partners may find it a challenge to update the system on time and as often as you want it to be so. This could be because of a variety of things but the point is, they must actually realize for themselves why the information is important and relevant to the programme. A combination of both outcome and output data could prove relevant in the system.

b) Direct implementation; Implementing a programme directly could be met with some challenges but mainly to do with the capacity to collect that information and upload it. It is highly important to have the right people on the ground who can collect the information as often and concise as possible. Since its a programme or project being implemented diectly there is no doubt that the incentive to collect it is really something straightforward.

2)Size of Indicators; The number of indicators is another factor to consider when designing the Monitoring and Evaluation System. To many indicators isn't healthy and it will always hold a strain on the whole programme. Try to select the Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators that are very relevant to the programmes objectives and that can really make the Webased system sustainable. You wouldn't want to start something that you can't finish.

Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Data Collection Tools

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:59:00 +0000

Designing the Right Data Collection Tools

Monitoring and Evaluation is one of those things you really need but sometimes tend to take for granted, you know exactly what we are talking about here right? You see when undertaking Monitoring and Evaluation at whatever level it is always important to get things right. If you are a programme or project coordinator, where does Monitoring and Evaluation truly begin? well it all begins at the planning stage. Now right after you have established your logframe and established your indicators can you have a general idea on how your data collection tools will look like. Now there is one important principle when it comes to data collection tools and data collection itself, DO NOT BE TOOOOO AMBITIOUS. Lets just see what that really means, don't say you were never warned?

Ambition vs the Reality, the Reality of Monitoring your Programmes

When creating data collection tools in Monitoring and Evaluation you will always have to relate them with your indicators of the programme or project because that is really what you want to measure and report on. However often times organizations become too ambitious in what they would like to achieve given the limited resources and capacity. You will be surprised to find how big a list of indicators that organizations plan for but because of limited resources and capacity, the whole system fails simply because it was too ambitious. When designing data collection tools it is highly important to visualize the reality and really understand what you can collect and what you cant. Here are the following scenarios you would have to make sure to design effective data collection tools.

1) Selecting the right indicators: Quit right your log-frame will contain over 20 indicators which need to be collected semi-annually or annually but as programme or project coordinator you know the reality right? There is no way given the limited capacity you have will you be able to collect all those 20. Besides the staffing is limited, you are not just overseeing one particular programme but have other pressing issues to attend to. Besides, you have no funds to make any additional recruitments....this thing happens all the time. Now instead of designing tools that capture all the 20, why not just select the indicators you can actually collect and monitor regularly. Often times we want to be too ambitious without realizing the long term results of taking such a step. The solution??? Trim those indicators down.

2) The organization structures in place: Developing data collection tools should closely relate with the current structures for data collection that you already have in place. Structures are very important in data collection. Now if your programme or project is targetting over 70,000 beneficieries, it is impossible for you to collect information from all these beneficiaries realistically speaking. Ofcouse sampling may be a possible solution but lets face it, there is still need for structures and people in place that will collect this information. These people could be field staff or volunteers. So the key question is, how will information finally get to you? who will collect it and how often? When designing the data collection tools it should always be tailored to address the different levels of information capturing, analysis and reporting. Sounds confusing huh? don't worry this could just be the beginning.

Process of Designing Data Collection Tools

The process of designing data collection tools is really straightforward if you come to think of it. Really the process is wonderfully simple. The principle in designing monitoring and evaluation data collection tools is that it should always be participatory.

1) Review the programme or project document; Before designing the data collection tools make sure to review the programme or project document understanding in full detail what the indicators are. When you are able to understand the indicators then can you visualise how this data will be collected. In most cases, the programme or project document will contain the Monitoring matrix which could be highly useful for you.

2) Create the data collection tools: Make sure to create the data collection tools and share it with stakeholders and the actual staff who will be involved in the data collection process. By doing this, you will be making the process more participatory and allowing for further comments from the users. To improve the usage of the data collection tools in Monitoring and Evaluation, you can trial test the data collection tools on the target group.

3) Tailor the tools to the structures in place: Make sure to tailor the data collection tools to the structure of information flow in the programme or project. By doing this can you make sure that the data collection process from grassroot is highly and effectively done with very few challenges.

Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks!

Gender integration of Indicators in Monitoring and Evaluation

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:11:00 +0000

The Gender dimension in Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluation of developmental support will always require developmental indicators that signal whether any change has been achieved. However these days there is a growing demand to see the gender dimension integrated within programmes or projects at whatever level. Ofcourse you know what Gender really means here right? The world as we know it today is growing in concern for women and the vulnerable. Lets face it, women are usually discriminated, abused and shunned opportunities especially in the least development worlds were a number of international programmes or projects are running. Because of the growing concern for women, many programmes or projects are being tailored to empower the woman even if such interventions were not initially designed for such a cause.So as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer you will soon discover how challenging it can be sometimes. However, Monitoring and Evaluation is for a perfectly great cause. Lets briefly understand what Monitoring and Evaluation of the Gender dimension really is?

Understanding the Gender indicators as you Monitor and Evaluate

The word gender is used to denote the different roles that both women and men play as they interact in society. You will have to agree though that most times when people hear of the word gender the first thing that comes in their mind is the woman. Now when it comes to monitoring and evaluation of gender its really the same principle you would apply to any other indicator except that as all specific indicators you have to grasp the whole idea in a broader sense. Questions you have to ask yourself is what is the programme or project trying to achieve? How will this information be collected and analysed? How will it be reported? Ofcourse all that information is available in the Monitoring and Evaluation Matrix but sometimes you need to dig deeper. For instance take a look at this example below and see why it can be hard sometimes to really Monitor and Evaluate gender.

Objective: "Empower the woman to better take care of herself and her family"

If you look at this statement you will soon realize that Monitoring and Evaluating this is really a challenge because how do you measure it? For instance, the word empowerment could mean economic empowerment, social empowerment or political empowerment. It is generally a challenge to measure the state of mind of a human being. For instance lets say your programme or project is trying to empower the woman through training's. How do you really capture whether they have become more knowledgeable within the shortest possible time? Measuring empowerment of a woman in this case is a complex time consuming process which will require an in depth study.

Most programmes or projects have usually faced a challenge in Monitoring and Evaluating the gender dimension because of its complexities. However, that is not to say that it shouldn't even be included in programmes or projects. There is just earnest need to clearly understand the gender dimension and plan for the programme or project well. Speaking of planning, lets see how planning to integrate gender into your programme can really be done.

Participation of key stakeholders is Key!!!

The intention to integrate gender in a programme which originally had no intention to promote gender mainstreaming is a very welcomed move. If you are a programme or project coordinator you should congratulate yourself because the gender agenda is important. Now where do you start? It is important to involve all important key stakeholders in the planning phase. If you have an opportunity to contract a gender specialist or someone within those lines that is also a welcomed move. During the planning phase ask yourself these questions 1) Why are you integrating gender into the programme or project? and 2) How should it be integrated?

Imagine you have a programme that is trying to achieve an increase in incomes in your target group through business development activities. How do you integrate the gender dimension? Well first of all you have to understand what challenges hinder women to enter business development and then try to address them. If you are going to promote training's, those training's must be tailored to address your participants effectively.

Now, when it comes to Monitoring and Evaluating indicators such as income levels ensure you are collecting your information that can be gender dis-aggregated. This will enable you to compare which sex is making more or less income than the other. If women are making less income, you want to know why. After you understand why, then can you take corrective action to empower the woman. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks.

Harmonization of Developmental Indicators, Why not?

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:21:00 +0000

Aligning your programme Indicators with others, Good or Bad?

You got to admit that the world as we know it today demands a lot of reliable information especially when it comes to developmental work. You see, as has been mentioned a couple of times stakeholders want to see results. We are not just talking about any kind of results but good reliable results that can be verified. Now, in the world of developmental work there are many players such as the government, civil society and other agencies all running similar programmes. In Africa for instance, most of the programmes and projects that are run are purely trying to uplift the lives of the poor. But that's where the fun part begins because since all these are sort of working towards the same direction, that also means that there developmental indicators are also the same to some extent. This could be a good thing but before we even explain Harmonization, what exactly are we talking about?

Harmonization in the world of Monitoring and Evaluation

Lets say that the government of your country has an already in place Monitoring and Evaluation System with a couple of different developmental indicators that they want to measure at the end of the day, then all of a sudden they approach all non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with an idea. They say they want your indicators from your programmes to be aligned to their programmes or projects. So in effect what you will Monitoring and Evaluating will also at some stage be Monitored and Evaluated by the government themselves. So why does harmonization become so important especially if you are collaborating with the government...Here is a brief list;

1) This allows civil society to Monitor and Evaluate relevant indicators that allows for the possibility to generate data/information that are consistent.

2)Allows for the possibility to compare results and impacts from different programmes or projects within the region thus allowing for experience sharing

3) Allows for improved collaboration between different actors in the developmental support rendered to a region and thus exchange in Monitoring and Evaluation data.

4) Cost reduction in Monitoring and Evaluation and thus strengthened capacity in Monitoring and Evaluation knowledge

Is that something or what?

Being part of the Harmonization process, Make it happen

Basically initiating the process of harmonizing indicators could be one thing, but also attempting to harmonize systems and structures between organizations could be another. In theory the idea is just totally, totally great but in practice the whole harmonization process might fail because every programme or project has its own agenda. In some cases there might even be a conflict of interest.

However, even if that is so you can still be part of the process. It is always good to plan effectively with other stakeholders and try to anticipate the challenges and opportunities of taking such a bold step. It has always been mentioned that Monitoring and Evaluation Officers should always be present for such kind of meeting to really put their input in such matters (and not just the programme coordinators). At the end of the day a memorandum of understanding should be prepared which will clearly outline what will be achieved from this harmonization process. Agreeing with each other and working towards the right direction will truly make the harmonization process a success. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level folks!!

Monitoring and Evaluation Job Specfications, things you should know

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:57:00 +0000

The Monitoring and Evaluation Officers Job

Alright, here is the picture for you...You are a coordinator of a programme or project who is just dieing to recruit a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for your organization. You have never really done it before but you know deep inside how important it is to have a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for your programme or project. Where do you begin? Well for starters you are to be commended as programme or project coordinator for thinking about recruiting a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer because the truth is every organization needs one WHY??? Well you don't need a rocket scientist to tell you that reporting results is a must. Especially if you have donors always asking you each and every day what your project or programme has achieved. A Monitoring and Evaluation Officer is the best move. However, the kind of Monitoring and Evaluation Officer you need isn't just anybody right. You need somebody who will deliver the kind of work that your organization is just dieing to have. You need the best you can get, the best you had dreamed of and the best you will ever have....GOT IT!! Now lets begin to describe the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of your dreams, don't say you weren't warned.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer that Rocks!!!

Remember the time in your life when you wanted something so bad that you would do anything to get it and when you found it you just breathed a sigh of relief of having found that one thing you wanted so bad. That's how you should actually feel when you find the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of your dreams. Here are a few qualities that a Monitoring and Evaluation must have;

1) Analytical; The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer should be analytical and know how to read between the lines. Remember not everything out there is in black and white, he needs to be able to explain results and the reason for those results.

2) Know M&E to the core; Most people think that Monitoring and Evaluation is a piece of cake and is something you can wake up one morning and read in a text book easily. You need to be able to tell whether the person you are interviewing is one of those people. Ask simple questions like what is Monitoring and Evaluation and see how he or she explains. You will be surprised at how many strange answers you will get from people who claim to know Monitoring and Evaluation.

3) Be hardworking; This doesn't have to be explained in detail because it is obvious that you need someone who is dedicated to the job

Now let's briefly understand what this Monitoring and Evaluation Officer is expected to do when he or she is recruited for your programme or project.

Job Specifications for the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

1) Monitoring the Programme; All Monitoring and Evaluation Officers are expected to Monitor the programme or project that an organization is implementing.

2) Create Monitoring Tools; All Monitoring and Evaluation Officers should be expected to develop data collection tools and instruments. If those instruments are already in place, they are expected to review and update the tools. There is no two ways about it.

3) Assist in development of future programmes; All Monitoring and Evaluation Officers are expected to provide input in developing programme documents, logframes and whatever comes into the programme planning phase.

Be sure that when the Monitoring and Evaluation has these qualities then you are atleast assured of having a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer that Rocks. Take Monitoring and Evaluation to a whole different level.

Project Monitoring Data Collection Methods

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 22:08:00 +0000

Data collection methods that should speak volumes

Monitoring and Evaluation becomes very interesting especially when you have an opportunity to collect data using methods of data collection which have been widely acclaimed. In Monitoring of your various programmes or projects, collecting data is a must because without data or information what information will you be able to communicate to your various stakeholders? There is always need to collect the right kind of data using the right kind of data collection methods. Lets talk about the data collection methods which are easy to use when conducting your Project Monitoring namely 1) Interviews 2) Focus Group Discussions and 3) Observation

Putting your Data Collection Methods to Work

1. Interviews; Undertaking interviews is significantly an interesting venture. One thing that can make Project Monitoring a success is if you prepare a well thought out questionnaire that captures both Quantitative and Qualitative data. A detailed understanding will be done concerning both Quantitative and Qualitative data later but for now the point is, When you have an effective questionnaire that captures all the relevant indicators found in your log-frame you wont have problems reporting your findings to various stakeholders. How do you conduct an effective interview that speaks volumes? Well make sure that your interviews are clearly understood by your respondents, also ensure that the interviews are brief so as not to tire your respondent out. But more importantly, your interviews should capture the indicators that your programme wants to see change. Don't ask questions that have completely no relation to your work as a programme or project. In Project Monitoring make sure to actually know what it is you are Monitoring whether its the Outcomes, Outputs, activities or anything else.

2. Observation; Significantly this could be an effective way to collect data. All it requires as a person performing Monitoring and Evaluation is to simply see or view how things are performing in as far as programme or project implementation is concerned. A good observer requires that someone has a good eye to see whether their is actually progress or not. Observation should explain why certain things are working and why others aren't just through seeing what is happening. Good observers make good Monitoring and Evaluation personnel because they don't always need to collect numerical figures to properly understand the programme implementation processes.

3. Focus Group Discussions; Discussions with a group of beneficiaries is totally, totally cool because it not only allows you as a person responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation to interact with your beneficiaries but also gives you a first hand understanding of what their views on certain matters in the project implementation are and what may be the challenges they are facing. Interacting with your beneficiaries gives you first hand information which is very important for a person responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation. So how is it conducted? That's totally easy, all you do is call a group of programme beneficiaries of maybe between 20 - 30 participants and just ask a few questions. Project Monitoring has never been any better.

Project Monitoring that Works for you

If you are Monitoring your Project and then decide which will be the best data collection method to use, Use the one which you are comfortable with and which is appropriate for the Monitoring. For example, if you are doing a quarterly Project Monitoring activity, Observations or Focus Group Discussions can be a good option but ofcourse it doesn't really depend on the frequency but also the context. Sometimes you may have all the necessary data you need to write a report, but as a way of verifying such data you may just wish to conduct an observation or a focus group discussion. However, don't you ever restrict yourself to just one if you intend to enhance your quality of your Monitoring and Evaluation process.

All the Best!!!!

Impact Assessment, Measuring the Impact of your Programme or Project

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:11:00 +0000

Impact Assessment, understanding the reality!

Measuring the impact of developmental support for Poverty Reduction in countries that are struggling to improve the livelihoods of its peoples can indeed be a challenge at times. Monitoring and Evaluation over the years has tried to answer these questions as to the impact and the change of livelihoods of the beneficiaries. In most instances it has been a major challenge to actually attribute the impact to your developmental support especially when there have a wide range of players also doing the same. In trying to reduce poverty for people in the world, millions of funds have been channeled purely to this aim but in Monitoring and Evaluating the effects of such an intervention has proven difficult throughout the years basically sometimes due to number of challenging factors. But inview of the preceeding, its important to realize what an impact assessment is and why it can be a challenge to measure impact. An example will be drawn from the reduction of poverty in an area of implementation you are based in.

Working to tell a story with Impact Assessments

An Impact Assessment is basically an in depth research or survey that aims to understand, reflect, measure and draw conclusions on the long term developmental changes produced as a result of a developmental action. When you have a programme that has the intention of reducing the poverty levels in an area the real issue of the Impact Assessment should be measuring if that actually happened. Whether it was success or not you want to understand why? What worked and what didn't work. In the view of poverty, there are a lot of players when it comes to poverty reduction such interventions from the local government, interventions from the developmental organizations, change in mindset of the programme beneficiaries and political climate. However all these have to be explained clearly in order to completely satisfy the information needs of all the users.That brings us back to the point of how do you attribute your organization developmental support to poverty reduction in an area when there are so many factors as mentioned above such as political climate, local government support and other support from other organizations, the Impact Assessment should adequately cover all that. Lessons drawn from Impact Assessments should strengthen the Monitoring and Evaluation component of every organization in the world.

Measuring Programme Success or Failure with an Impact Assessment

It is notably or significantly important to be able to understand how vital it is to see your programme succeed in all respects. But what exactly is success or failure? In the case of poverty reduction, you must understand that there are a whole lot of factors that can lead to poverty reduction or poverty increase but as implementers of a programme the question is, what do you as implementers have control of and what don't you have control of. Poverty may not even change significantly over the years but does it really mean the programme has really failed? When doing an Impact Assessment it will definitely be hard to measure success or failure of a programme, but when drawing conclusions especially with impacts like poverty reduction you as a person responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation have to look at things holistically understanding all the factors contributing to change. In short, don't beat yourself so hard if your developmental programme may not really see an improvement in the change of well-fare especially if you were actually delivering the inputs. Therefore what is the point her? Impact Assessment should accurately capture the success or failure considering all the factors involved that contributes to change.

Understanding Focus Group discussions in Monitoring and Evaluation

noreply@blogger.com (AM) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:28:00 +0000

Starting a Focus Group discussion and getting the right results

If you have been doing monitoring and evaluation for a significantly long period of time you will agree that collecting data can be very frustrating sometimes in research. Think of it, you have to collect data either from primary or secondary sources but then you realize you still haven't gotten the answers you were looking for. Ofcourse when doing your monitoring and evaluation you may have collected a mouth full of figures, but those figures alone don't explain the 'why' question. When doing the monitoring and evaluation activity you will soon realize that having a focus group discussion can be a really rewarding experience because you get all the participants involved and are able to dig deeper as to why a certain situation is like this or that. But then, what exactly is a focus group discussion?

Focus Group discussion, a qualitative way to find answers

A focus group discussion is simply a discussion with a diverse number of people who are assembled to answer your questions. When doing a monitoring and evaluation activity, you may collect all the data that needs collecting and yes you may feel that everything has gone according to plan. But deep inside as the monitoring and evaluation person you soon realize that there is still something more you need. You want answers to some of your significantly challenging questions. You want to know the why????? For instance in a programme or project which wants to see income levels become high within a certain area of implementation, your target group farmers have been seeing low productivity of crops and thus low incomes. As the person responsible for monitoring and evaluation you may have an idea what led to that situation during the programme or project period, you may even perhaps feel it was the poor rainfall patterns. But the thing is , your participants may have something different. In a project or programme they may have to tell you exactly what the problem was. That's the interesting part because when you go into the field to conduct your monitoring and evaluation you will soon realize the genuine reasons they will give you is completely different from what you concluded. Now when conducting a monitoring and evaluation focus group discussion you may want to take note of the following pointers;

Making the Focus Group discussion a grand success

As a person responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation there are a few things in the focus group discussion which you shouldn't dare forget unless you have an absolutely good reason for it;

1) When Monitoring and Evaluating in a focus group discussion always get your participants involved in the discussion. All your participants in the meeting should learn to participate whether male or female. Everyone should get involved in the focus group discussion.

2) When Monitoring and Evaluating in a focus group discussion always sense when something isn't right. There are times when participants in focus group discussions may not want to speak because of the presence of certain individuals who shouldn't really be there. For example, in some cultures women are not allowed to speak when their husbands are around. In other instances, there might be the presence of a government official who is really influencing the way participants should respond to your questions. You have to find a better way to handle those scenarios in focus group discussions.

3) When Monitoring and Evaluating in a focus group discussion always have a set of questions you are going to ask. Make sure to always prepare and don't leave things to chance or else that would be really nasty and disorganized.

In conclusion, you can have a really successful focus group discussion and thus be able to get the right information at the right time, in the right place and in the right mood. Make your monitoring and evaluation a success.