Total Monitoring and Evaluation System.pdf

Total Monitoring and Evaluation System, a concept of 360-degree Monitoring and
Evaluation
Md. Shariful Hoque (sharifulbd01@gmail.com)
We have heard the terminologies ‘Total Football’, ‘Total Cricket’ etc. However, we did not hear about the
discourse of total Monitoring and Evaluation System a lot. Let’s try discussing about what total
Monitoring and Evaluation System represents.
This write-up is totally experienced-based write-up. This does not reflect any organization or
groups opinions. The readers are requested here to contribute to make it enrich.
When we start talking about Monitoring and Evaluation, the issues regarding results come to us as
Output, Outcome and Impact and we monitor the indicators against these results. Output is termed as
short-term or immediate results, Outcome is termed as medium-term results, and impact is termed as
long-term results that represents sustainable changes in life/livelihood. But a total monitoring and
evaluation system does not love to be confined with in this boundary. A total monitoring system starts
from input->activity->output->outcome->impact. A total monitoring system also considers outcome at
various levels before it reaches to impact.
Let’s first clarify the concept of input->activity->output->outcome->impact.
Input: The materials, money, equipment or knowledge that goes to the targeted project participants.
Activity: Input does not go the project participants automatically. We need to implement some actions
to go it. So, activity is a means by which inputs go to the project participants.
Output: The immediate result of an activity is output. This represents either improvement in knowledge,
improvement in infrastructure, improvement in system or capacity, new policy or a policy amendment.
Outcome: Changes in practice meaning when knowledge, infrastructure, system or policy is in
practices.
However, between changes in practice and sustainable changes in life/ livelihood (impact) other results
may come. Those are also outcome termed as immediate outcome, intermediate outcome and ultimate
outcome. I will clarify this in the next sections.
Impact: Sustainable changes in the life/ livelihood. Here sustainability represents positive changes in
life/ livelihood without compromising the interest of future generation.
Let’s read the following case study first:
XYZ is a development organization working for agricultural development in northern part of Bangladesh.
XYZ provides support to its beneficiaries through rice production training applying modern techniques,
50% of cash contribution for purchasing of modern equipment and counseling on modern rice
production technology through physical field visit by the technical staff. For supporting them, XYZ
organizes training; undertake filed visits for technical assistance; formed group for cash distribution.
After receiving training, 90% of trainees have got pass mark. 80% of the participants are implementing
their learning in the field using modern equipment. As a result, the production found to be increased by
20% and income increased by 30%. At the end of year 5% of the farmers found to purchase land for

building their homestead and 60% farmers found to receive their health services paying hospital fees,
70% farmers family members living with improved nutrition status.
From the case study, we find:
Input: Knowledge on modern Rice Production Technique through training and counselling, 50% cash
contribution.
Activity: Conduct training and provide counselling services to transfer knowledge and skills on modern
rice production. Form group following project defined criteria for cash transfer and ensure their
equipment buying.
Output: 80% participants got pass mark after receiving training which indicates improvements in their
knowledge and skills. 100% groups ensured their access to modern agricultural equipment.
Outcome:
Immediate outcome (behavioral change): 80% farmers applied their training learning in their
agricultural activity. 80% farmers applied modern agricultural equipment in their agricultural activity.
Intermediate outcome: Production increased by 20%
Ultimate outcome: Income increased by 30%
Impact: 5% of the farmers found to purchase new land for building their homestead, 60% farmers found
to receive their health services paying hospital fees, and 70% farmers family members living with
improved nutrition status.
The regular monitoring and evaluation system covers mostly, output, immediate outcome and
impact where the total motoring and evaluation system covers all aspects from input to impact
including various levels of outcomes (immediate, intermediate, and ultimate outcome).
The total monitoring system also includes a process monitoring at the activity level that ensures quality
control of the implementations. Many activities are implemented against activity implementation
guideline.Total monitoring system through theprocess monitoring, motor whether the implementations
are in place following the defined guidelines or not with a belief that activity implementation following
implementation guideline for that activity ensures the quality of the implementation that does give high
level of likelihood of harvesting expected results from the implementation of the activity.
A total monitoring and evaluation system also includes context monitoring, assumption monitoring,
documenting learning and best practices to target appropriate interventions and implementation
strategy to create greater impact. This also identify scope of synergy building with other projects of the
organization or other organizations’ projects for building greater impact and avoid duplication of
resources.
Nevertheless, OECD/DAC criteria plays a vital role for 360-degree evaluation that also important
to consider in 360-degree evaluation along with the above issues explained in the above sections.

Total Monitoring and Evaluation System.pdf

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