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