Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for NARS Organisations in Papua New Guinea Day 3. Session 8. Routine monitoring

Learning objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to Explain what routine monitoring is. Describe how to plan each step in the management process for routine monitoring data. Provide examples of data records and registers used in routine monitoring. Explain why standard routine monitoring formats and guidelines may need to be developed in their organisations and know how they may be developed.

Data sources and data collection methods How are we going to gather and organise the data and information needed to tell whether our intervention is working? Identify the data sources and data collection methods – means of verification Respond to manages’ and stakeholders’ information needs

Data sources and data collection methods May be categorised as: routine monitoring methods periodic data collection methods one-off collection method for special data as part of an evaluation

Routine monitoring methods methods to collect data on inputs, activities and outputs of an intervention applied continuously throughout the life of an intervention provide data and information on the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation process

Routine monitoring methods conducted mainly at the levels of project activities and projects operational levels where resources are used, the technical work is done and the outputs will be achieved possibly at program and organisational level

Routine monitoring methods collected internally mostly by the implementers of the interventions check if another group, person or unit has already collected the required data use it, but check how collected, its reliability for your needs and are you allowed to use this data

Managing routine monitoring data Management Process – the data journey (IFAD 2002): Data sourcing Data collection Data recording Data storing Data collation Data analysis Data reporting and dissemination

Managing routine monitoring data – planning the data journey Steps Key Questions to Answer Data sourcing Can we use an existing secondary data source – data collected by another entity? Do we have to source/collect the data ourselves? Data collection Which mechanisms or means will we use to collect the data? (acquire reports or documents, measuring, interviewing individuals, group discussions, observation, research). Who will do it? When? Data recording How will we write down, visualise, photograph, or take video of data or impressions? What formats will we use to record the data and information? Who will use which formats to record data? Data storing Where and how will data and information be kept (paper, library, data base, management information system)? How will we retrieve data and information? Who will have access? Who will manage the information system? Data collation Who will use which methods to group data and prepare an overview? How will we add up individual data from different sources and prepare a summary of the data? Data analysis How will we examine the data using what method to give them meaning (summarise, do statistical calculations, compare data, establish trends)? How will we synthesise the data to provide a coherent explanation or arrive at a conclusion of what happened and be able to give recommendation on what needs to be done now? Data reporting and dissemination How will we share the data and information? To whom does the data and information need to be given? When do users need the information? Which formats are we using to report? How will we disseminate the information to other locations, users, decision makers? How will users provide feedback to report writers? adapted from IFAD 2002

Managing routine monitoring data Outline of a concept note for managing routine monitoring data: Title of intervention: Type of data to be sourced/collected: Data source: Data collection: Data recording: Data storing: Data collation: Data analysis: Data reporting: Use of data: adapted from Görgens and Kusek 2009

Formats for recording routine monitoring data written video photos drawings

Formats for recording routine monitoring data Written formats: a) registers and records of activities: e.g. reports of workshops implemented, minutes of meetings held with stakeholders, register of capacity building events conducted; trials established, policy fora held; b) records of resource use and financial expenditure: e.g. records of vehicle use, travel allowances, equipment use; record of financial expenditure in the financial management system; records of staff time inputs, work diaries; and c) records and documents describing the outputs achieved: e.g. number of persons trained, capacity building material, MoUs for new partnerships established, technical reports describing new plant variety developed, policy documents; collating data from project records and registers.

Formats for recording routine monitoring data designed during the planning process for the M&E system developed in collaboration with managers outside the M&E unit, such as finance managers, human resource managers Example: Financial records provide the data and information that is needed for the organisation’s financial management system develop formats in close collaboration with the finance unit of the organisation

Examples of routine monitoring data records Milestone/output record Source: IFAD 2002 Milestone/Output Target Date Completion Date Status/Causes of Delays Notes/Recommendations

Examples of routine monitoring data records Record of capacity building (CB) delivered Source: Authors CB Event Dates Duration in days CB Event Title CB Purpose No. of participants CB Material Type Facilitator Comments M F

Examples of routine monitoring data records Register of participants in capacity building (CB) Source: Authors CB Event Dates CB Event Title Names of Participant Organisation of Participant Contact Details of Organisation Comments

Examples of routine monitoring data records Record of project activities Activity description as per planning document Planned completion date Estimated completion date Budgeted total cost Expenditure to date Approx. internal staff person days spent Approx. external TA staff person days spent Estimate of activity implementation in percent (100% = full completion no further action required) General comments and observations: highlights, constraints, learning during activity implementation Source: Authors

Examples of routine monitoring data records Quarterly project activity expenditure overview Financial period: Budget items (list the budget items in the project activity budget for which funds were budgeted this quarter) Short description of items or activities funded Expenditure Budgeted this Quarter Actual Expenditure this Quarter Variance Total Source: Authors

Standardise routine data collection methods Develop standard formats and data management processes to use in a number of interventions simultaneously to record and manage routine data. Used by all interventions at a particular level, e.g. a financial expenditure format used by all project activities. To collect similar types of data in a number of interventions, e.g. a register of workshop participants or capacity building events implemented. Not all routine monitoring processes can be standardised.

Standardise routine data collection methods ensure that comparable data and information is generated in different projects and project activities, for example: compare expenditure on specific budget items between two projects compare the staff time input between project activities promote the collection of data that is relevant facilitate the analysis of the data avoid duplication of efforts save resources make collecting routine monitoring data easier

Standardise routine data collection methods develop forms and formats to be used to record the data develop guidelines on how to manage data coordinated by M&E unit use concept note and the guiding questions presented to prepare guidelines on how to manage standard monitoring data make guidelines and formats easily accessible to managers and staff include in the overall organisational M&E plan Thank you!