MONITORING PROJECTS: QUALITY AND RESULTS

DAY ONE ASSESSMENT DAY TWO DESIGN DAY THREE MONITORING MORNING Intro. Training Intro. Assessment Intro. DesignIntro. Monitoring Assessment process and components Relevance of the design (activity vs. result/ quality) Monitoring an intervention Components of monitoring AFTERNOON Analyzing problems (problem tree) Designing a Log- frame Monitoring content and process in CCA Conclusion The assessment process in CCA Conclusion The project design in CCA Conclusion Training closure

Monitoring vs evaluation Is it the same thing? If no, what are the differences?similarities? What are the objectives of monitoring? Evaluation? Why is monitoring important? Why is evaluation important? What kind of informations do we need to monitor a project?

Monitoring vs evaluation What are the differences? similarities? Monitoring is a long term process / on going in order to ensure activities are taking place according to standarts and to find out weaknesses and gaps within the project Monitoring involve the team that is implementing the project Monitoring is activity based (??) Evaluation: after the end of the project (or at mid term) to find out the weaknesses and the results of the project (positive outcomes) evaluation can be used as a point of reference for futur projects (measure outputs, outcomes and impacts) Evaluation involves external people Evaluation is a one time event (happens at the end of the project) Evaluation is result based (???) measures the results through indicators What are the objectives of monitoring? Evaluation? Gather informations for evaluation Know what are the objective Help you to find the gaps and weaknesses according to the LFA Evaluation helps you figure out if you can carry out the same activities in the future and to establish weaknesses and strengths Why is monitoring important? Why is evaluation important? To know how the project is evolving Gather information for evaluation What kind of informations do we need to monitor a project? Project documents: LFA, timetable, budget, list of activities, field data Activity plans, cost breakdown, specificities of the area

The Project cycle

Defining Monitoring

SLIDE 7 Differences and Links between Monitoring and Evaluation MonitoringEvaluation A continuous processA specific activity or moment To provide information to day- to-day decision making (adjustments) To provide recommendations to strategic decision-making processes It is carried out by the project team For the project team (to adapt and improve the impacts) and the donors (to follow the progress) It is carried out by an evaluation team (internal or external to the project team) For the project team and the donors (lesson learned) The monitoring system should provide information for evaluations

Project Cycle Jan Davis and Robert Lambert, Engineering in Emergencies, p.63.

MONITORING MONITORING is the continuous, systematic and critical review of operations in order to measure their evolution and adjust them according to circumstances and project’s objectives.

SLIDE 6 Different steps of the M&E process Observe Compare Have an opinion Make recommendations Take actions

IF A MONITORING DOES NOT LEAD TO ANALYSIS AND THEN TO DECISION MAKING (ADAPTATIONS) IT ISUSELESS AIM OF MONITORING

Building a Monitoring system

BUILDING A MONITORING SYSTEM Intervention objectives BUILDING A MONITORING SYSTEM

MONITORING SYSTEM Set of tools to measure indicators. (observation, sampling, questionnaires, PRA) Where Who When / how often To whom.

The different steps of a monitoring system

LOG FRAME 1 Impacts Outcome Outputs Activities

FAILING TO PLAN IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN… YOU PLAN TO FAIL!!!

Monitoring a project

MONITORING PROCESS Data about intended achievements and baseline is compared with … Data on actual achievements to identify... Significant deviations from plan as a basis for... identification of problems and opportunities to identify... Corrective actions

Taking corrective action Collecting data Analysis Taking decisions Processing data The project Different steps of project’s monitoring..

DESIGNING MONITORING TOOLS REMEMBER !!!! USE THE TOOL ADAPTED TO THE INFORMATION AND CONTEXT DEFINE THE METHOD TO USE THE TOOL TRIANGULATE MOST RELEVANT DATA USE THE EXISTING DATA GATHER CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS GATHER OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR PROJECT

The Monitoring report

AIM OF MONITORING REPORT The purpose of monitoring reports is to provide : -updates on achievements against indicators and milestones, -guidance on the elements that should be adjusted THE MONITORING REPORT

MONITORING REPORT 1 MINIMUM STRUCTURE OF MONITORING REPORT 1.Introduction 2.Monitoring of situation (external factors) 3.Monitoring of objectives and indicators / (+ critical events) 4.Progress of activities 5.Conclusions 6.Recommendations 7.Annexes

MONITORING REPORT 2 OBJECTIVE / PROGRESS : INDICATORBASELINESTANDARDMONITORINGOBSERVATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS :

MISTAKE OF MONITORING REPORT MOST FREQUENT MISTAKES IN A MONITORING REPORT GO INTO USELESS DETAILS LACK OF ANALYSIS OF THE DATA DO NOT SHOW TRENDS AND WARNINGS LACK OF RECOMMENDATIONS NO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE TAKEN IS PERCEIVED AS A COMPULSORY USELESS TASKIS PERCEIVED AS A COMPULSORY USELESS TASK

IF A MONITORING DOES NOT LEAD TO ANALYSIS AND THEN TO DECISION MAKING (ADAPTATIONS) IT ISUSELESS AIM OF MONITORING