Project Monitoring and Evaluation (M and E Plan) Notes
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The document provides an overview of project monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL), outlining key concepts and methods related to project assessment. It distinguishes between continuous monitoring and periodic evaluations, emphasizing their roles in improving project performance and ensuring accountability to stakeholders. Additionally, it presents guidelines for developing a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plan, highlighting the importance of learning from data to enhance program effectiveness and sustainability.
Project Monitoring and Evaluation (M and E Plan) Notes
- 1. 1 INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY & LEARNING (M.E.A.L) BASICS. 29th -30th July 2023. By: William Afani Paul, MEAL Practitioner.
- 2. 2 LEARNING OUTCOMES: 29th -30th July 2023. By: William Afani Paul, MEAL Practitioner. By the end of this masterclass, participants will be able to; 1.Define key concepts related to project monitoring and evaluation. 2.Develop a monitoring and Evaluation plan tailored to a specific project requirements. 3.Apply appropriate data collection methods and tools for monitoring and evaluating activities. 4.Utilize monitoring and evaluation findings to enhance project performance and impact.
- 3. 3 Monitoring defined: o Monitoring is the regular collection and analysis of information to assist timely decision-making, ensure accountability and provide the basis for evaluation and learning. o It is a continuing function that uses methodical collection of data to provide management and the main stakeholders of an ongoing project or programme with early indications of progress and achievement of project/program objectives. o It uses the systematic collection of data on specified indicators to inform management and the main stakeholders of an ongoing operation of the extent of progress and achievement of results in the use of allocated funds. 29th -30th July 2023. By: William Afani Paul, MEAL Practitioner.
- 4. 4 Monitoring Cont’d o Monitoring also involves giving feedback about the progress of the project to the donors, implementers and beneficiaries of the project. The feedback enables the gathered information to be used in making decisions for improving project performance. o From the definitions 3 key issues come out. Monitoring is: An ongoing, systematic and continuous process; Requires the collection and analysis of information to assist in decision making A tool that indicates the performance of a project/program 29th -30th July 2023. By: William Afani Paul, MEAL Practitioner.
- 5. 5 WHAT SHOULD BE MONITORED? Monitoring happens in three domains that are critical to programming. The three domains of monitoring are: • Inputs, • Process and • Output. Monitoring of inputs helps to ensure that work continues according to schedule; personnel are available to undertake the specific assignment; resource are made available, used or consumed and costs are within planned limits; and the required information is available.
- 6. 6 What should be Monitored? Cont’d • Monitoring of process helps to ensure that the expected functions, initiatives activities and tasks are performed in accordance with set norms and plans and that project personnel are meeting the set work standards. • Monitoring of outputs helps to ensure that services are delivered as planned, decisions are timely and appropriate; records are reliable and reports are issued; conflicts are resolved; and beneficiaries of the service are satisfied.
- 7. 7 METHODS USED IN PROJECT MONITORING • Reports – Written or verbal reports concerning particular aspects of work, any special problems or difficulties encountered. • Visits – Very important as they add the human touch and ensure first hand information and boost staff morale • Checklist – It ensures all relevant aspects of the work have been enquired into. Checklists ensure that there has been no oversight because of other pressing problems.
- 8. 8 METHODS USED IN PROJECT MONITORING • Meetings –Important to review and alter targets and future planning. Where a project involves communities, meetings help to monitor impact on communities concerned. The proceedings in meetings can give an indication on the performance and track of project. • Complaints –General complaints are good indicators that there is something wrong, which must be followed up and addressed.
- 9. TYPES OF MONITORING 1. Impact monitoring: • A measure of changes which show whether the conditions of the target group and its environment have changed in a significant way as a result of the programme intervention. 2. Physical progress monitoring: • A very common practice of monitoring focusing on continuous review and surveillance of activities and results of a programme. In particular overseeing the planned verses the actual performance, collecting relevant information and the rescheduling of activities and resources. 3. Financial monitoring: • Monitoring actual expenditure patterns against planned budgets and implementation schedules. 4. Assumption monitoring: • This is a very rare activity but extremely crucial where the programme may be collaborating with agencies which are not directly answerable to its management. It involves assessment of the conditions that might exist if the programme is to succeed but which are not under the direct control of the programme. 9
- 10. 10 EVALUATION
- 11. 11 • Evaluation is the process of gathering information to inform judgments about a project’s achievements and value. • It is an assessment at one point in time that concentrates specifically on whether the objectives of the programme have been achieved and what impact has been made. • It is a process for determining, as systematically and objectively as possible, the relevance, effectiveness and impact of activities in the light of their objectives Evaluation defined
- 12. 12 • Evaluation is the process of gathering information to inform judgments about a project’s achievements and value. • Evaluations can be conducted to determine whether a project has met (is meeting) its goals. • Evaluation might assess project progress in the work plan, the establishment of systems, implementation of activities, production of intended outputs, achievement of outcome goals, cost-efficiency, effectiveness, impact and/or sustainability. • Findings from evaluations allow project teams and stakeholders to learn from from experience to improve future activities and intervention strategies. • While monitoring is an ongoing activity, evaluations occur periodically, typically at mid-term and at the end of the project. Evaluation defined Cont’d
- 13. 13 Evaluation is used for the following: 1. To assess the changes in the target group (e.g., changes in risk behavior) 2. To assess the extent to which objectives have been met. It is the process of determining the effectiveness of a program or a project. • To track the outcomes and impacts of programs or projects at the larger population level, as opposed to the program or project level: • Outcomes—Short-term or intermediate results obtained by the program through the execution of activities • Impact—Long-term effects (e.g., changes in health status). This can be through special studies with wide district, regional, or national coverage. EVALUATION
- 14. 14 1. Formative Evaluation: This type of evaluation is conducted during the development and implementation of a program or project. It aims to provide feedback and information to guide program improvement. 2. Summative Evaluation: Summative evaluation is conducted at the end of a program or project to assess its overall effectiveness and impact. It involves making judgments about whether the goals and objectives were met. 3. Process Evaluation: Process evaluation focuses on assessing the type, quantity, and quality of program activities or services. It determines whether a program is delivered as intended to the targeted recipients. 4. Outcome Evaluation: Outcome evaluation assesses the outcomes and impacts of a program or project. It aims to determine the extent to which desired outcomes were achieved. TYPES OF EVALUATION
- 15. 15 5. Impact Evaluation: Impact evaluation examines the long-term effects and broader impacts of a program or project. It seeks to understand the overall social, economic, and environmental changes that result from the intervention. 6. Performance Evaluation: Performance evaluation assesses the performance and effectiveness of individuals, organizations, or systems. It focuses on measuring and evaluating specific performance indicators and targets. 7. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Cost-benefit analysis evaluates the costs incurred and benefits gained from a program or project. It compares the costs and benefits to determine the overall value and feasibility of the intervention. TYPES OF EVALUATION CONT’D
- 16. 16 Difference between Monitoring and Evaluation. Monitoring Evaluation Monitoring is a continuous process that tracks the progress of a project or program in real-time. Evaluation is a periodic assessment of the success effectiveness of a project or program. It focuses on collecting data, monitoring progress, tracking key performance indicators. It involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation data to draw conclusions about the program's It is an operational-level activity performed by supervisors. It is a business-level activity performed by managers It is observational in nature, focusing on scrutinizing activities and progress. It is judgmental, making inferences about the and effectiveness of the project or program. It is a short-term process. It is conducted periodically to measure success objectives. It informs about the current status of the program. It determines whether a program was successful or It helps track progress and identify areas for improvement in real-time. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the outcomes.
- 18. 18 ACCOUNTABILITY DEFINED. Accountability: Is the process of being answerable for actions and decisions, both to internal stakeholders (such as donors, partners, and beneficiaries) and external stakeholders (such as governments, communities, and the public). Accountability involves transparency, responsibility, and the ability to demonstrate results and impact.
- 19. 19 COMPONENTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 1.Sharing Information : This helps the community to get the required information that helps them to complain and provide feedback. The content of the information includes; • Background of the Organization. • Vision. • Mission. • Values. • What the Organization is doing.
- 20. 20 COMPONENTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY CONT’D 2. Project Information. Do you know what project is working at your location? o What is the project objectives? o What is the project life period? o What is the project budget? o Does the projects works in collaboration with other organization/partner? o Who are the Intended beneficiaries? o Do you know the beneficiary selection criteria? o Do you how we engage the community in the project implementation, monitoring and evaluation? o Do you know your entitlements?
- 21. 21 COMPONENTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY CONT’D 2. Participation: Accountability involves giving beneficiaries and stakeholders the power to hold organizations to account in ways that influence project/organization's .This means involving stakeholders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs to ensure that their needs and perspectives are taken into account.
- 22. 22 COMPONENTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY CONT’D 3. COMPLAINT, FEEDBACKS AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS (CFRM). A functional CFRM systems can be established to get complaints and feedbacks from the community. Some of the mechanism for receiving feedbacks and complaints from the community includes; 1. Focus group discussions 2. Community conservations and dialogues 3. Face to face meetings 4. Help desks 5. Community reference groups (name may vary) 6. Review meetings 7. Suggestion Boxes 8. Mobile Hotlines 9. Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) 10. Registration Books
- 23. 23 LEARNING Learning is an ongoing process of reflection and adaptation aimed at improving program design, implementation, and outcomes based on feedback and evidence. It involves using the results obtained through monitoring and evaluation to inform decision-making and promote continuous improvement.
- 24. 24 IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING IN MONITORING AND EVALUATION Continuous Learning: Learning is an approach that focuses on continuous learning, which involves reflecting on and intentionally using information generated from M&E to improve a project's performance. Program Improvement: Learning also focuses on program improvement. It involves a participatory approach that encourages innovation to achieve better results and contribute to scaling up of projects. M&E facilitates learning from past successes and challenges encountered during implementation. Evidence-based Decision Making: M&E systems contribute to providing evidence for mid-term and completion results assessments, as well as beneficiary-level impact analysis. M&E considerations at the design stage help to focus on results that matter. Capacity Development: M&E processes can be among the most effective ways to foster learning for sustainable capacity development. M&E processes that foster learning can help to identify capacity gaps and develop strategies to address them.
- 25. 25 IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY & LEARNING 1. Evidence-based decision-making: By collecting and analyzing data on program activities and outcomes, organizations can make informed decisions about program design, implementation, and resource allocation. 2. Program improvement: Through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, organizations can identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments to their programs to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the communities they serve. 3. Accountability: MEAL ensures that organizations are accountable to their stakeholders, including funders, program participants, and the communities they serve, by providing evidence of program impact and transparency in program management.
- 26. 26 IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY & LEARNING 4. Learning and adaptation: By reflecting on program results, organizations can learn from their experiences, identify best practices, and make changes to their programs based on feedback and evidence. 5. Sustainability: MEAL helps organizations to design and implement programs that are sustainable over the long term, by identifying factors that contribute to program success and sustainability, and addressing challenges that may impede program effectiveness.
- 27. 27 M&E PLAN
- 28. 28 What is an M&E Plan? Preparation of an M&E plan is an exercise to internalize the logframe, identify internal indicators, and to set a reference document for the entire project/program objectives and results. States the indicators States the definition per indicator to improve reliability. Ideally, the definition of an indicator does not change during the project, however if it is changed due to changing context, both versions should be calcualted and tracked. Identifies the key words and provides explanations Establishes the baseline value per indicator States the target values State the means of verification per indicator Identifies the source of data collection Identifies the focal people for data collection procedures Determines the frequency of data collection In addition to being detailed representation of the log frame, an M&E plan should also include accountability related activities, along with a tentative learning and information sharing plan at the end.
- 29. 29 Level of Results (Statem ents) Indicato rs Definitio n of the Indicato r Baseline Value Target Value Data Source & Collection Means of Verificat ion Frequency Focal Person Goal Objective 1 Result 1 Result 2 Objective 2 Result 1 Result 2 Standard M&E Plan Template.
- 30. 30 Standard M&E Plan Template Level of Results (Statements) Indicators Definition Baseline Value Target Data Source & Collection Means of Verification Frequency Focal Person Goal: Contribute to an increased protection and resilience of refugee and host community children and youth Specific objective: Children, youth, and families have improved access to basic child protection, education, and livelihoods opportunities, minimizing their need to resort to negative coping strategies. % of vulnerable households report an improvement in their Coping Strategy Index Coping Strategies Index? 80% Baseline/End -line surveys; Complaint forms; Beneficiary follow up interviews Baseline & Endline; Systemicall y; End-of- project MEAL Team R1 – Children and adolescents (age 5-17) benefit from child-friendly psychosocial support and learning activities. # of boys/girls have access to safe spaces with psychosocial support and learning activities Access: completion of sessions? N/A 600 Registration and attendance database. Per activity /daily MEAL Officer % of supported children and adolescents demonstrate positive wellbeing and development Numerator & denominato r N/A 60 Resilience/we ll-being surveys. Periodic /upon completion
- 31. Questions???? 31