Monitoring and Evaluation

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• Defining Monitoring What does the “M” in M&E stand for?
• Monitoring is a continuous function that uses the systematic
collection of data on specified indicators to provide management and
the main stakeholders of an ongoing development intervention with
indications of the extent of progress in project implementation and
progress in the use of allocated funds.
• Results-based monitoring also collects and analyzes information to
compare how well a project, program or policy is being implemented
against expected results.

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Project Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
• Results-based management (RBM):
• RBM is an approach to project/program management based on clearly
defined results, and the methodologies and tools to measure and
achieve them.
• RBM supports better performance and greater accountability by
applying a clear, logical framework to plan, manage and measure an
intervention with a focus on the results you want to achieve. By
identifying in advance the intended results of a project/program and
how we can measure their progress, we can better manage a
project/program and determine whether a difference has genuinely
been made for the people concerned.
• Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a critical part of RBM.

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• Common types of monitoring:
• Results monitoring: For example, a psychosocial project may monitor that its
community activities achieve the outputs that contribute to community resilience
and ability to recover from a disaster.
• Process (activity) monitoring: For example, a water and sanitation project may
monitor that targeted households receive septic systems according to schedule.
• Compliance monitoring: For example, a shelter project may monitor that shelters
adhere to agreed national and international safety standards in construction.
• Context (situation) monitoring: For example, a project in a conflict-prone area may
monitor potential fighting that could not only affect project success but endanger
project staff and volunteers.
• Beneficiary monitoring: For example, a cash-for work program assisting community
members after a natural disaster may monitor how they feel about the selection of
program participants, the payment of participants and the contribution the
program is making to the community (e.g. are these equitable?).
• Financial monitoring: For example, a livelihoods project implementing a series of
micro-enterprises may monitor the money awarded and repaid, and ensure
implementation is according to the budget and time frame.
• Organizational monitoring: For example, a National Society’s headquarters may use
organizational monitoring to track communication and collaboration in project
implementation among its branches and chapters.
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What is evaluation?
• The IFRC’s secretariat adopts the OECD/DAC definition of
evaluation as
• “an assessment, as systematic and objective as possible, of an
ongoing or completed project, programme or policy, its design,
implementation and results. The aim is to determine the
relevance and fulfilment of objectives, developmental
efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability. An
evaluation should provide information that is credible and
useful, enabling the incorporation of lessons learned into the
decision-making process of both recipients and donors.”

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Major evaluation types
• According to evaluation timing:
• Formative evaluations occur during project/program implementation to
improve performance and assess compliance.
• Summative evaluations occur at the end of project/program implementation
to assess effectiveness and impact.
• Midterm evaluations are formative in purpose and occur midway through
implementation.
• Final evaluations are summative in purpose and are conducted (often
externally) at the completion of project/program implementation to assess
how well the project/program achieved its intended objectives.
• Ex-post evaluations are conducted some time after implementation to assess
long-term impact and sustainability.
• According to who conducts the evaluation:
• Internal or self-evaluations
• External or independent evaluations
• Participatory evaluations
• Joint evaluations

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• According to evaluation technicality or methodology:
• Real-time evaluations (RTEs) are undertaken during project implementation to
provide immediate feedback for modifications to improve ongoing
implementation. Emphasis is on immediate lesson learning over impact
evaluation or accountability.
• Meta-evaluations are used to assess the evaluation process itself. Some key
uses of meta-evaluations include: take inventory of evaluations to inform the
selection of future evaluations; combine evaluation results; check compliance
with evaluation policy and good practices; assess how well evaluations are
disseminated and utilized for organizational learning and change, etc.
• Thematic evaluations focus on one theme, such as gender or environment,
typically across a number of projects, program or the whole organization.
• Cluster/sector evaluations focus on a set of related activities, projects or
programs, typically across sites and implemented by multiple organizations
(e.g. National Societies, the United Nations and NGOs).
• Impact evaluations focus on the effect of a project rather than on its
management and delivery.

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Why is M&E important?
• A well-functioning M&E system is a critical part of good
project/program management and accountability. Timely and
reliable M&E provides information to:
• Support project/program implementation with accurate, evidence-
based reporting that informs management and decision-making to
guide and improve project/program performance.
• Contribute to organizational learning and knowledge sharing by
reflecting upon and sharing experiences and lessons so that we can
gain the full benefit from what we do and how we do it.
• Uphold accountability and compliance by demonstrating whether
or not our work has been carried out as agreed and in compliance
with established standards (e.g. the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Fundamental Principles and Code of Conduct.
• Provide opportunities for stakeholder feedback, especially
beneficiaries, to provide input into and perceptions of our work,
modelling openness to criticism, and willingness to learn from
experiences and to adapt to changing needs.
• Promote and celebrate our work by highlighting our
accomplishments and achievements, building morale and
contributing to resource mobilization.
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Difference

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 Key steps of M&E

1. Identify the purpose and scope of the M&E system

2. Plan for data collection and management
3. Plan for data analysis
4. Plan for information reporting and utilization
5. Plan for M&E human resources and capacity building
6. Prepare the M&E budget

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