Monitoring and Evaluation Dr. Fred Mugambi Mwirigi JKUAT

Introduction Monitoring and evaluation are invaluable internal management tools. If you don’t assess how well you are doing against targets and indicators, you may go on using resources to no useful end, without changing the situation you have identified as a problem at all. 4/24/2017

M&E is important if: You are setting up systems for data collection during the planning phases of a projector organization; You want to analyze data collected through the monitoring process; You are concerned about how efficiently and how effectively you are working; You reach a stage in your project, or in the life of your organization, when you think it would be useful to evaluate what impact the work is having; Key stakeholders ask for an evaluation of your organization and or work. 4/24/2017

So…. If you do not measure results, you can not tell success from failure If you can not see success, you can not reward it If you can not reward success, you are probably rewarding failure If you can not see success, you can not learn from it If you can not recognize failure, you can not correct it If you can demonstrate results, you can win shareholder support 4/24/2017

What is M&E? Monitoring The systematic collection and analysis of information as a project progresses. It is aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a project or organisation. It helps to keep the work on track, and can let management know when things are going wrong. If done properly, it is an invaluable tool for good management, and it provides a useful base for evaluation. It enables you to determine whether the resources you have available are sufficient and are being well used, whether the capacity you have is sufficient and appropriate, and whether you are doing what you planned to do 4/24/2017

What is M&E? Evaluation the comparison of actual performance impacts against the agreed strategic plans. looks at what you set out to do, at what you have accomplished, and how you accomplished it. It can be formative (taking place during the life of a project or organization, with the intention of improving the strategy or way of functioning of the project or organization). It can also be summative (drawing learnings from a completed project or an organization that is no longer functioning). 4/24/2017

Comparisons Monitoring Evaluation Clarifies program objectives Analyzes why intended results were or were not achieved Links activities and their resources to objectives Assesses specific causal contributions of activities to results Translates objectives into performance indicators and set targets Examines implementation process Routinely collects data on these indicators, compares actual results with targets Explores unintended results Reports progress to managers and alerts them to problems Provides lessons, highlights significant accomplishment or program potential, and offers recommendations for improvement 4/24/2017

What does M&E achieve? Helps you identify problems and their causes; Suggests possible solutions to problems; Raises questions about assumptions and strategy; Pushes you to reflect on where you are going and how you are getting there; Provides you with information and insight; Encourages you to act on the information and insight; Increases the likelihood that you will make a positive development difference. 4/24/2017

Why M&E? M&E enhances Efficiency Effectiveness Impact (any difference achieved?) Learning 4/24/2017

Who uses M&E? Organizational managers Stakeholders Financiers Any other interested party 4/24/2017

Types of Evaluation Self-evaluation: This involves an organization or project holding up a mirror to itself and assessing how it is doing, as a way of learning and improving practice. It takes a very self-reflective and honest organization to do this effectively, but it can be an important learning experience. 4/24/2017

Types of Evaluation contd. 2. Participatory evaluation: This is a form of internal evaluation. The intention is to involve as many people with a direct stake in the work as possible. This may mean project staff and beneficiaries working together on the evaluation. 4/24/2017

Types of Evaluation contd. 3. Rapid Participatory Appraisal: This is a qualitative way of doing evaluations. Semi-structured and carried out by an interdisciplinary team over a short time. It is used as a starting point for understanding a local situation and is a quick, cheap, useful way to gather information. Involves the use of secondary data, direct observation, semi-structured interviews, key informants, group interviews, games, diagrams, maps and calendars. It is flexible and interactive. 4/24/2017

Types of Evaluation contd. 4. External evaluation: This is an evaluation done by a carefully chosen outsider or outsider team. 4/24/2017

Types of Evaluation contd. 5. Interactive evaluation: This involves a very active interaction between an outside evaluator or evaluation team and the organization or project being evaluated. Sometimes an insider may be included in the evaluation team. 4/24/2017

Planning for the M&E Process Monitoring and evaluation should be part of your planning process. It should be among the first things that a project plans for It is very difficult to go back and set up monitoring and evaluation systems once things have begun to happen. You need to begin gathering information about performance and in relation to targets from the word go. The first information gathering should, in fact, take place when you do your needs assessment 4/24/2017

First things… Understand project/organizational goals (especially the core goal) Understand the central values (e.g. do we exist to serve the disadvantaged?) Understand who the key beneficiaries are, their interest in the project, their expectations and their power over the project process and outcomes Map out the project process against expected outcomes 4/24/2017

Key Evaluation Questions “Why” Questions – What caused the changes we are monitoring “How” Questions What was the sequence or processes that led to successful (or not) outcomes “Compliance/ Accountability Questions” Process/ Implementation Questions Did the promised activities actually take place and as they were planned? Was the implementation process followed as anticipated, and with what consequences 4/24/2017

The progression Impact Results Results Monitoring Outcome Output Activity Input Outcome Impact Results Monitoring Implementation Monitoring (Means and Strategies) Implementation Results 4/24/2017

Thank you 4/24/2017