Monitoring and Evaluation presentaion to be used

Global Innovative Leadership Module
www.eleaderstochange.com
Monitoring And Evaluation
Toolkit
2015-2-TR01-KA205-022935

TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. MONITORING
A.1. What Is Monitoring?
A.2. Common Types of Monitoring
B. EVALUATION
B.1. What Is Evaluation?
C. MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) METHODS
C.1. Why Is M&E Important?
C.2. Comparing Monitoring And Evaluation
C.3. M&E Methods
Method 1: Questionnaires and Surveys
Method 2: Focus Groups
Method 3: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats (SWOT)
Method 4: Dreams Realised or Visioning
Method 5: Drama And Roleplays
Method 6: (Sketch) Mapping
Method 7: M&E Wheel (or “Spider Web”)
D. RESOURCES

MONITORING AND EVALUATION TOOLKIT
A. MONITORING
A.1. What Is Monitoring?
Monitoring is the routine collection and analysis of information to track progress against set
plans and check compliance with established standards. It helps identify trends and patterns,
adapts strategies and informs decisions for project/program management.
A.2. Common Types Of Monitoring
Results monitoring tracks effects and impacts. This is where monitoring merges with an
evaluation todetermine if the project/program is on target towards its intended results
(outputs, outcomes, impact) and whether there may be any unintended impact (positive or
negative).
Process (activity) monitoring tracks the use of inputs and resources, the progress of activities
and the delivery of outputs. It examines how activities are delivered – the efficiency in time
and resources. It is often conducted in conjunction with compliance monitoring and feeds into
the evaluation of impact.
Compliance monitoring ensures compliance with donor regulations and expected results,
grant and contract requirements, local governmental regulations and laws, and ethical
standards.

Context (situation) monitoring tracks the setting in which the project/programme operates,
especially as it affects identified risks and assumptions, but also any unexpected
considerations that may arise.
It includes the field as well as the larger political, institutional, funding, and policy context that
affect the project/programme.
Beneficiary monitoring tracks beneficiary perceptions of a project/programme. It includes
beneficiary satisfaction or complaints with the project/programme, including their
participation, treatment, access to resources and their overall experience of change.
Financial monitoring accounts for costs by input and activity within predefined categories of
expenditure. It is often conducted in conjunction with compliance and process monitoring.
Organizational monitoring tracks the sustainability, institutional development and capacity
building in the project/programme and with its partners. It is often done in conjunction with
the monitoring processes of the larger, implementing organization.
B. EVALUATION
B.1. What is evaluation?
Evaluations involve identifying and reflecting upon the effects of what has been done, and
judging their worth. Their findings allow project/programme managers, beneficiaries,
partners, donors and other project/programme stakeholders to learn from the experience and
improve future interventions.

C. MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) METHODS
C.1. Why is M&E important?
A well-functioning M&E system is a critical part of good project/programme management and
accountability. Timely and reliable M&E provides information to:
Support project/programme implementation with accurate, evidencebased reporting that
informs management and decision-making to guide and improve project/programme
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 and with any other donor
requirements.
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.
C.2. Comparing monitoring and evaluation
The main difference between monitoring and evaluation is their timing and focus of
assessment. Monitoring is ongoing and tends to focus on what is happening. On the other
hand, evaluations are conducted at specific points in time to assess how well it happened and

what difference it made. Monitoring data is typically used by managers for ongoing
project/programme implementation, tracking outputs, budgets, compliance with procedures,
etc. Evaluations may also inform implementation (e.g. a midterm evaluation), but they are less
frequent and examine larger changes (outcomes) that require more methodological rigour in
analysis, such as the impact and relevance of an intervention.
Recognizing their differences, it is also important to remember that both monitoring and
evaluation are integrally linked; monitoring typically provides data for evaluation, and
elements of evaluation (assessment) occur when monitoring. For example, monitoring may
tell us that 200 community facilitators were trained (what happened), but it may also include
post-training tests (assessments) on how well they were trained. Evaluation may use this
monitoring information to assess any difference the training made towards the overall
objective or change the training was trying to produce, e.g. increase condom use, and whether
this was relevant in the reduction of HIV transmission.
C.3. M&E methods
Method 1: Questionnaires and Surveys
Purpose:
To gain data from a large number of people in a structured way according to specific
questions, often in ways that allow for statistical analysis. From an M&E perspective,
questionnaires and surveys form the basis of many monitoring and evaluation studies as they
allow for focused data collection about specific performance questions or indicators from a
sample.
How to:
1. Agree on the purpose and information needs of the questions.
2. Decide whether the information needs require a questionnaire or survey format. The
terms questionnaire an d survey are often used in terchangeably but can be distinguished
as follows:
 A questionnaire is a form with questions used to gather information from respondents.
 A survey is a more general term that might involve a long questionnaire or even one or
two simple questions to be answered. It includes surveys where researchers make their
own observations, face to face or through telephone interviews or large-scale direct mail
efforts.
Questionnaires and surveys can range from being very simple to quite complex. These can
follow a very specific and structured set of closed questions (yes/no or multiple choice

questions) or they can also include open-ended questions, such as in semi-structured
interviews. Fixed-choice or fixed-response questionnaires are good for gathering data that
needs to be analysed statistically. Open-ended or free-response questions can be particularly
good for determining people’s feelings and attitudes.
3. Ensure that questioning is focused and well formulated or it will not be useful. If
necessary, call in appropriate expertise to make sure that the questions have been worded
correctly and can be analysed properly. The questions can be formulated to answer a
hypothesis that you wish to prove or disprove (e.g., “Does a woman’s level of education
affect the health of her children?”) or to find out the extent of a specific problem.
4. Agree on who should be questioned and how many people should be included in the
sample. Also decide on the most appropriate manner of questioning (a form that is mailed
or dropped off to be filled in independently, face-to-face individual interviews, etc.). If in
terviewing directly, train the interviewers so you can be sure that they understand the
purpose and have the skills to ask questions in ways that limit biases.
5. Pre-test the interview questions to ensure that they are appropriate, accurate enough and
give you the type of information you need.
6. Collect and analyse the information.
Tips on use:
Questionnaires and surveys can provide precise answers to carefully defined questions. The
ease of analysing questionnaires and surveys will vary with the number of questions and the
size of the sample. Often projects make the sample too big and ask too many questions. Then
analysis becomes tedious, takes much time and loses its usefulness if not analysed in time for
decision making. Good interviewing skills are important and come through training. If the style
is very structured and inflexible, then this may inhibit openness. Long questionnaires and
surveys are also tedious for the respondent.
Questionnaires and surveys in which answers must fit a certain set of options or format will
also fail to pick up on deviating answers and opinions. So be aware that you might be missing
out on important details and variations to the questions.
Questionnaires and surveys can be used with individuals or even used in group situations. How
ever, questions in group situations may need to focus less on private issues (e.g., not on
contraceptive practices or financial loans) and more on group opinions. Group based
questionnaires and surveys work best in groups where members are used to working together
and can trust each other, as well as the interviewer.

Example Surveys Description
Annex 1: Evaluation of the Activity This survey lets to get data from the
participants for the sessions and technical
issues of the whole mobility. They indicate
points for the elements of the sessions and
technical issues, and they also have free-
response questions that they can determine
their thoughts.
Annex 2: Evaluation of Daily Training This survey lets to get data for only the
training (as objectives, prticipation and
interaction, materials, knowledge, trainers,
time etc.). They indicate their level of
agreement and they can determine their
feelings with free-response questions.
Annex 3: Self And Peer Evaluation of Team
Work
This survey lets participants to assess the
work of themselves and their colleagues by
using the listed criteria.
Annex 4: Training Workshop Observation
Checklist
This form lets the trainer and observer
monitör and evaluate the participant during
the workshops with yes/no questions and an
free-response question.
Annex 5: Team Contract This form lets the participants distribute
their roles and responsibilities before the
training, so that they can monitor and
evaluate their colleagues during the training
in the scope of these roles.
Method 2: Focus Groups
Purpose:
To use group discussion to collect general information, clarify details or gather opinions about
an issue from a small group of selected people who represent different viewpoints. It can also
be used to build consensus. For M&E, focus groups are good for assessing opinions of change,
assessing the quality of project services or service providers, and identifying areas of
improvement.

How to:
1. Determine the participants (four to eight people is ideal). Depending on your purpose, you
can work with a homogenous or heterogeneous group . Alternatively, use a number of
focus groups, each one fairly homogeneous, but the groups being different from each
other. This enables interesting comparisons.
2. Present the group with a broad question (e.g., “What impact do you think a particular
intervention has had in achieving sustainable land use?”).
3. Discuss this question for the time period agreed upon before hand, one or two hours
maximum. There should be minimal in tervention by the facilitator other than to make
sure that everybody has a say. Perhaps you might need to repeat the question using
different words from time to time or to probe if something is not clear.
4. Take detailed notes of the discussion. Focus groups are best if facilitated in pairs-one
person to facilitate the discussion and the other for note-taking. You can also record the
discussion but this will have the usual problems of time-consuming transcription and
inhibiting the group.
5. One way to be sure that the information collected is reliable is to keep conducting different
focus group sessions until the data becomes repetitious.
Tips on use:
If facilitated well, this method can bring out detailed information. It generally stimulates rich
responses and also provides a valuable opportunity to observe discussions and to gaininsights
into behaviours, attitudes, language and feelings.
However, facilitation of a focus group requires considerable skill – both in moderating the
group and in adequately recording the responses. Group dynamics, due to individuals being
too shy, dominating, disruptive, etc. can hamper the discussion.
This method can be used to obtain a consensus view. How ever, a small group of people cannot
represent all views held by, for example, an organisation or community. On the other hand, if
the group is not homogeneous enough, there can be great disagreement. So think carefully
about the composition of the group.
This method can generate focused insights more quickly and generally more cheaply than
through a series of key informants or formal social surveys.

Method 3: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)
Purpose:
To identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to a project or
group, and how such an assessment will change over time. From an M&E perspective, this
method is useful when qualitatively assessing, for example, the services provided by the
project, relationships between project stake holders and the organisations of the
implementing partners, local groups an d the project team itself.
Ho w to:
1. Referring to the box, the group defines, discusses and records as many factors as possible
for each heading. Emphasise that strengths and weaknesses refer to internal aspects of
the group, project site or activity. Opportunities and threats can be looked at in terms of
internal or external factor affecting them.
Strengths Those things that are working well in a project or situation. The aspects
people are proud to talk about.
Weaknesses Those things that have not worked so well.
Opportunities Ideas on how to overcome weaknesses and build on strengths.
Threats The things that constrain or threaten the range of opportunities for
change.
2. Alternatively, different sub-groups, for example during a workshop or in a community, can
undertake a SWOT on their own. Comparing the different SWOTs can lead to a good
discussion about the differences and similarities of experiences and possibilities.
3. Based on this overview, discuss what actions are needed.
Tips on use:
SWOT is an adaptable an d flexible method, allowing for differe n t perceptions to be recorded,
an d it direc ts t he attention of t hose involved tow ards joint action.
This method is useful to encourage in put from many people, helping them think about
potential solutions and constraints, for example, as part of a strategic planning process. SWOT
can take past mistakes or weaknesses and transform them into constructive learning
processes. It can help make complex problems easier to deal with within the shortest time
possible. It is a useful starting point for group self-evaluation.

A SWOT analysis can be done as a brainstorm in a small group or workshop setting or it can
be done as an analysis and synthesis of other information.
Method 4: Dreams Realised or Visioning
Purpose:
To have a focused discussion around people’s dreams or shared visions for the future of a
project or ot her activity. From an M&E perspective, this is a good method for identifying
indicators, understanding if primary stake holders feel that t heir well-being is increasing or
not, and helping project stake holders reflect on the relevance of activities based on people’s
visions for development.
Ho w to:
1. Start by asking people to describe how they would like things to be in the future. The
meetings can be held at an individual, household, interest group , community, or
organisation level. The future time for which dreams are to be discussed will need to be
clarified before hand but a period of two to five years is long enough for dreams to be
more than simply dealing with the immediacy of survival and yet short enough to remain
realistic.
In practical terms, it consists of two basic steps: (1) personal reflection (15 minutes) and (2)
sharing in sub-groups and/or directly in plenary until a single common future is created from
the individual reflections (up to 90 minutes, depending on if there is a sub-group session first).
There is usually one guiding question that works effectively at both individual and group
levels, for example:
“ What are the characteristics of the ideal situation we wish to achieve here in 20 years time?”
Or ask them to complete the sentence:
“I know that my vision for this situation has been achieved when I see….”
It is also possible to generate a discussion by asking people to imagine they are giving a
presentation at a conference or to their community at some point in the fututre (e.g., in two
years time), describing why their project has been successful. What would they present as
the successfully achieved future? First ask them to list the stakeholders who should give their
views at this meeting. Divide them into small groups, each one representing a different stake
holder from the area where the project has been active, for instance, the government agency,
the local resource user, the village children and the funding agency. This will stimulate a more

comprehensive idea of the vision than if they only think in terms of being a project staff
member or partner.
2. The dreams can be written down or represented with a symbol. In the discussion, the
dreams can be specified, with clear time frames for achievement.
3. Once articulated and discussed, the dreams can become the indicators that are being
monitored as they are being realised, are changing or are becoming ever more elusive.
4. The discussion is repeated every 6 to 12 months, or however often those involved think
changes are likely to have occurred. The progression or regression of the development of
the dreams/indicators needs to be properly recorded in symbols or words in these
discussions. Discussions can also include a comparison of current dreams with those
articulated during a prior monitoring event. It is essential also to discuss why these
changes occurred and to what extent they were caused by project activities or by other,
external factors.
Tips on use:
This method helps people think in terms of a longer-term vision, beyond the immediacy of
daily problems. It provides a good basis for planning as it builds on people’s own dreams.
Working from a vision helps to open up people’s minds to other ways of overcoming
problems. Focusing only on problem-solving often restricts people’s ideas as they often slip
into standard ways of solving the immediate problem in front of them, rather than imagining
a new path they can create towards realising the envisaged future.
This method requires good facilitation in order to find convergence between the variety of
dreams that may emerge from different people/groups.
Note that t he longer the time frame you choose for this visioning exercise, the more it will
become dream like or a kind of a wish-list. If a time frame of five years is used for this exercise,
then the vision is more likely to resemble an achievable output . Neither one nor the other is
better – it is important to have the long-term vision and be fairly realistic about it.
Method 5: Drama And Roleplays
Purpose:
To encourage groups of people to enact scenes from their lives concerning perceptions,
issues and problems that have emerged relating to a project in tervention, which can then be
discussed. Drama can also help a group to identify what indicators would be useful for
monitoring or evaluating and to identify changes emerging from a project intervention.

Ho w to:
1. Choose the central theme, whether it be an M&E indicator or a question or scenario that
is to be dramatised.
2. Decide who is to work together on a drama piece. If you want to compare different
perspectives, then discuss with the group how best to form sub-groups to allow these
perspectives to emerge. For example, elderly women, younger women, elderly men,
younger men, girls and boys could each present their views of the changes in the
community resulting from rehabilitation of t he local school.
3. Participants construct their own dramatic performances, in which they present their
opinions and thoughts on the topic being discussed.
4. The facilitator(s) can record the performances through written, photo grap hed and/or
video-taped documentation.
5. The group then discusses the issues emerging from the play and conclusions can be
drawn.
Tips on use:
Sometimes information can be drawn from drama or role plays in a cutting and satirical way,
revealing things that would not come out through more formal methods. This method is an
interesting way to monitor group interactions and perceptions of key problems. It can also
be used to monitor, in a very qualitative manner, changes in natural resource use, for
example, by asking those involved to include their use of resources, the quality and ease of
availability, etc. in the scene they are to enact. Drama can be a good way to start identifying
what changes might be most important to monitor using ot her methods.
Some cultures are entirely at ease with drama as a form of communication but for others, it
is uncomfortable. Do consider the cultural appropriateness of this method. Also, it is highly
qualitative and so would not be suited for precise information needs.
Method 6: (Sketch) Mapping
Purpose:
To provide a visual representation of information in a particular geographical context based
on stakeholders’ perceptions of any focus issue or in dicator that is being monitored and
evaluated:

• physical, such as available resources an d their use, key problem areas, (proposed)
innovations, where land degradation problems are and where improvements have been
noticed, or regarding a specific topic like maizetrials;
• social, ownership- or gender-differentiated use of natural resources, etc.
Ho w to:
1. Ask the individual or the group to draw the boundaries of the geographic unit being
discussed. Participants can decide how they want to represent this – on paper with writing
or using local materials such as sticks, stones or seeds. Remember that whatever material
is chosen, you will always need a paper-based copy to enable comparative analysis. If it
adds to the discussion, three-dimensional elements can be added, transforming the map
into a model that emphasises landscape-level aspects of issues.
2. On whatever medium is chosen, ask the participants to draw the outline of the local area,
for example, roads, towns, rivers and property boundaries. One way to do this, if you have
the proper resources, is to project an over head map onto a large sheet of paper and then
to trace the required information.
3. Having prepared the map, which could be as large as a wall, people can then add their
information either directly or by using sticky notes. Let them record what is most
significant to them, and then ask for more detail if so mething you are in terested in is
missing. One use of a sketch map is for social mapping of household levels of well-being.
4. Several modifications to the map may be needed before those involved are happy with
the final result. Include additional written comments such as quantities of interest, if
necessary.
5. Once a “base” map has been made, subsequent meetings can use it to make comparisons.
To be most effective, at least some of the people involved in the map production should
be involved in updating the map during the next monitoring event.
Alternatively, the same map can be used by colour-coding indicators for each new year or
monitoring event. While this option is much easier for direct comparison and analysis (as all
the data are recorded on one map), it can become messy if too many indicators and years
of data are stored on it.
Tips on use:
Remember that only those issues that have a geographic distribution are useful to analyse
with maps. Maps are useful for obtaining a better understanding of an area being studied,

and for providing information and ideas on local perspectives of, for example, resources or
access to services /facilities.
The larger the number of topics to be included, the more complex the maps will be. For this
reason, it might be better to make several maps, with one issue/indicator per map. However,
this is very time-consuming and storing such maps can pose difficulties.
Sketch maps represent how people see a p hysical area or a particular issue and its
importance, and are, therefore, not as precise or scale-accurate as formal maps. Also, people
will only show on a map what is of value to them.
Method 7: M&E Wheel (or “Spider Web”)
Purpose:
To provide a visual index that helps in assessing the issue being monitored or evaluated in
terms of its ideal, or in comparing two or more monitoring sites and how they change over
time. This method can also be used to measure how well a project is meeting anticipated
targets, or how an organisation’s capacities change, over time. From an M&E perspective, t
he spider web provides a visual mea ns of measuring changes in ratings on chosen in dicators.
Ho w to:
1. Make sure that the topic being assessed is clear. For example, the idea of “the capacity of
an organisation” must be very clear and understood by all of the participants. Have the
participants agree on which criteria to use to assess the quality of the topic. These are,
in fact, the in dicators. For t his, you can brainstorm.
2. The selected in dicators are arranged in the form of a wheel, with eac h in dicator being
one “spoke” as on a bicycle wheel. The spokes are spaced equidistant to one another. The
indicators can be represented by words or symbols.
3. Next, participants agree on how to rank each indicator – from 0 as the lowest/worst
level to 100 (or 25, 10, etc.) representing the highest/best level. It does not matter if 0 is
on the outer edge of the wheel and 100 in the centre or the other way arou n d, as long as
all the spokes on the wheel are the same.
4. Once the wheel has been made, assess each indicator. If doing this with a group , then
there will need to be consensus on the final score (or an average figure). Indicate the place
on the spoke that corresponds with the final score given. Then join all the scores, which
are marked as points on the spokes, to show what ends up looking like a spider web. A

look at t he spider web gives a quick overview of key weaknesses and key strengths. The
weaker aspects of the issue being assessed are those that have scores closest to 0.
5. Previously made wheels can be revisited at subsequent monitoring sessions in order to
com pare how the situation changes over time.
Tips on use:
The spider web can be used to help represent differe t orga nisations’ capacities by grouping
the organisations according to sector, for example, in order to assess their overall status or
training needs within that sector. How ever, it only gives an indication of perceptions and
direction of change, not precise measurements.
If the wheels are made on over head transparencies with a standardised size of wheel, the
evaluations of several organisations/project areas/etc. or of the same situation over time can
be overlaid to see very clearly how they differ or have changed.
Changes in the average opinion or points per indicator form the basis of discussinng why
such changes have occurre d. The larger the point system is, the more complex it can become
and also the more meaningless the discussion.
D. RESOURCES
Social Impact (2006). Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for Fragile State and Peacebuilding
Programs: Practical Tools for Improving Program Performance and Results.
Patton, Michael Quinn (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. Third Edition.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainable Communities by
http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/research/technologies/projects/ monitoringandevaluation

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