Monitoring and Evaluation Systems

CHECK LIST OF SUCCESS FACTORS FOR BUILDING AN ORGANISATION-WIDE MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM

•	Ensure you have enough authority and resources to get started

•	Recruit credible champions

•	Identify key stakeholders and invite their participation

•	Ensure positive messages are communicated to the organisation as a whole about what happening

•	Clarify the organisation’s key result areas – what it is seeking to achieve and by what means - in a logical way

•	Choose only a small number of indicators, aligned to the key result areas

•	Ensure the data needed for the indicators can be captured without disproportionate effort and expense

•	Balance quantitative with qualitative monitoring

•	Don’t let IT distort the shape and content of your M&E system

•	Design the system for organisational learning as well as accountability

•	Pilot it first

•	Allow time to develop but get some quick wins for credibility

•	Make sure everyone knows why they are capturing and processing the data – no data drones!

•	Regularly review the system and don’t be afraid to adapt it.

KEEP IT SIMPLE A performance framework is supposed to be a means to an end, not an end in itself. It will only be worthwhile if it contributes to better program management, better decision-making, a better contribution by the program to ultimate outcomes, and stronger accountability .... On the other hand, complexity for complexity’s sake contributes to nothing. It is a waste of time and effort!

CIDA 2006