Monitoring and Evaluation of programmes and projects
Monitoring and Evaluation of programmes and projects
15–26 November 2021
The course is available in English
Introduction to the course
Development programmes and projects are implemented in a Results-Based Management (RBM) accountability framework. Such programmes and projects need to demonstrate achievement of measurable positive and sustainable changes to a current undesirable situation which usually is context and country specific and therefore unique. Hence the design of development programmes and projects is preceded by extensive participatory planning in order to set achievable and realistic outcomes and outputs for its implementation stage. Systematically monitoring and evaluating projects against indicators and targets that are set in the design and planning phases enable managers to increase the chances that they succeed in producing the expected results and sustainable changes. Projects are implemented in a constantly evolving environment which means for managers uncertainty and need for adaptation. Monitoring the project progress and its changing environment is critical to ensure that projects once started will always proceed in the right direction. Collecting and analysing data on project progress and its environment is indispensable in order to report accurate information to decision-makers thereby improving the likelihood that appropriate decisions and corrective actions are taken when needed to maintain the project on track. The uniqueness of each project's context and strategy makes them experiential and requires from managers an on-going learning effort. In this respect, evaluating projects helps managers to identify gaps, success stories and lessons learnt that could improve the way future interventions are designed and implemented. Development projects are commonly financed through public funds. Thus, donors and managers are accountable to tax-payers and beneficiaries. Assessing "value for money" of development assistance is a function that monitoring and evaluation systems should incorporate. Evaluating projects relevance, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability is necessary to maximise learning, to improve project management processes and to demonstrate to partners, value for money. Today, managers implementing development projects and programmes must understand these realities and requirements of monitoring and evaluation and be equipped with the management tools and techniques necessary to establish and operate an effective project monitoring and evaluation system. This training aims at providing skills to managers to face these challenges.
Who attends this course?
This workshop targets monitoring and evaluation specialists, project coordinators, programme managers, independent evaluators, donor staff appraising and evaluating projects and programmes, non-government organization officials involved in monitoring and evaluating projects and programmes. The workshop is designed to cover realities of a variety of sectors and addresses managers of both, 'hard' and 'soft' projects. Participants should be fluent in English.
Learning Objectives
The main objective of the training is to impart the technical and managerial skills and training
competencies needed for effective monitoring and evaluation of development projects and programmes.
Competencies addressed
Participants who successfully complete the training can expect to improve or enhance their knowledge and skills to perform the following monitoring and evaluation related actions:
- Develop fundamental knowledge of M&E’s theories and approaches
- Use management and soft skills to engage stakeholders in M&E
- Assemble existing information produced by M&E systems to complete the initial situation
- assessment and evaluate the M&E capacity and readiness in order to define the scope of the
- programme or project M&E function
- Contribute to programme and project design, M&E system conception and conduct evaluability
- Assessment
- Plan for an operational monitoring and evaluation system: identify purposes, intended users and
- define data management plan and allocate resources
- Prepare for effective M&E by reviewing (or conducting) the baseline study, updating the M&E
- plan and by developing a complete risk register
- Activate and run the M&E system: collect, triangulate, process and analyse programme or
- project data and prepare progress reports
- Coordinate adjustments and corrective actions to work plan(s) and budget(s)
- Manage and conduct the different project evaluations and reviews
- Develop a communication plan to disseminate lessons learned, recommendations and emerging
- practices from evaluation reports
- Close the M&E system and identify related lessons learned within the implementation phase
- completion report.
Training methodology
The workshop is conducted using a highly participatory training delivery methodology through a combination of interactive presentations by subject-matter specialists, group discussions, quizzes, case studies and group works for applying skills to design and run a project monitoring and evaluation system.
Training content
The workshop will cover the following topics;
- Fundamentals paradigms, theories, concepts and definitions underpinning monitoring and evaluation
- Technical competencies and soft skills to perform monitoring and evaluation related activities
- Organizational readiness for results-based management and for monitoring and evaluation
- Linkages and differences between monitoring, reporting, control, audit, research and evaluation
- Design stage as a critical predecessor for effective monitoring and evaluation
- Programme and project evaluability
- Monitoring and evaluation planning processes
- Setting the baseline
- Defining and/or validating performance indicators
- Monitoring techniques
- Risk management
- Data collection methods: survey, interviews, observation, document review, etc.
- Data processing, analysis, use and storage
- Types and methods of reporting
- Evaluation concepts, purposes, objectives and techniques
- Utilization-focused approach to evaluation
- Evaluation management: engaging the stakeholders in the evaluation and selecting and managing the evaluator
- Evaluation of advocacy activities and capacity building interventions
- Impact evaluation using quantitative methods (e.g. experimental and quasi-experimental designs) and qualitative approaches (e.g. Most Significant Change and contribution analysis)
- Conducting evaluations
