Scribd
Upload
23 views5 pages

ME Topic 1

Uploaded by

Benson Gutu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
23 views5 pages

ME Topic 1

Uploaded by

Benson Gutu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

TOPIC ONE

BASIC CONCEPTS OF MEDIA MONITORING AND EVALUATION


Introduction

Monitoring is the systematic process of collecting, analyzing and using information to track a
programme’s progress toward reaching its objectives and to guide management decisions.
Monitoring usually focuses on processes, such as when and where activities occur, who delivers
them and how many people or entities they reach. Monitoring is conducted after a programme
has begun and continues throughout the programme implementation period. Monitoring is
sometimes referred to as process, performance or formative evaluation

Definition of monitoring and evaluation


Monitoring is the routine process of data collection and measurement of progress
toward program objectives.

 Monitoring involves counting what we are doing.

 Monitoring involves routinely looking at the quality of our services.

 Monitoring is the routine collection and analysis of information to track progress against
set plans and check compliance to established standards. It helps identify trends and
patterns, adapt strategies and inform decisions for project/programme management.

Evaluation is the use of social research methods to systematically investigate a


program’s effectiveness.
•Evaluation requires study design
•Evaluation sometimes requires a control or comparison group
•Evaluation involves measurements over time
Evaluation involves special studies

There are three main domains of information required in a monitoring system:


1. Inputs—Resources going into conducting and carrying out the project or program.
These could include staff, finance, materials, and time.
2. Process—set of activities in which program resources (human and financial) are used
to achieve the results expected from the program (e.g., number of workshops or number
of training sessions).
3. Outputs—Immediate results obtained by the program through the execution of
activities (e.g., number of commodities distributed, number of staff trained, number of
people reached, or number of people. Monitoring addresses the following questions:
1. To what extent are planned activities actually realized? Are we making progress
toward achieving our objectives?
2. What services are provided, to whom, when, how often, for how long, and in what?
context?
3. How well are the services provided?
4. What is the quality of the services provided?
5. What is the cost per unit service?
Monitoring also assesses the extent to which a program or project:
1. Is undertaken consistently with each design or implementation plan
2. Is directed toward the specified target group

Evaluation is the use of social research methods to systematically investigate a


program’s effectiveness.
Evaluation is used for the following:
1. To assess the changes in the target group (e.g., changes in risk behaviour)
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.
3. 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 addresses the following questions:


1. What outcomes are observed?
2. What do the outcomes mean?
3. Does the program make a difference?

Monitoring
Monitoring can be defined as the ongoing process by which stakeholders obtain regular
feedback on the progress being made towards achieving their goals and objectives.
Contrary to many definitions that treat monitoring as merely reviewing progress made
in implementing actions or activities, the definition used in this Handbook focuses on
reviewing progress against achieving goals.

In other words, monitoring in this Handbook is not only concerned with asking “Are
we taking the actions we said we would take?” but also “Are we making progress on
achieving the results that we said we wanted to achieve?” The difference between these
two approaches is extremely important.

In the more limited approach, monitoring may focus on tracking projects and the use of
the agency’s resources. In the broader approach, monitoring also involves tracking
strategies and actions being taken by partners and non-partners, and figuring out what
new strategies and actions need to be taken to ensure progress towards the most
important results.

Evaluation is a rigorous and independent assessment of either completed or ongoing


activities to determine the extent to which they are achieving stated objectives and
contributing to decision making. Evaluations, like monitoring, can apply to many
things, including an activity, project, programme, strategy, policy, topic, theme, sector
or organization.

The key distinction between the two is that evaluations are done independently to
provide managers and staff with an objective assessment of whether or not they are on
track.
They are also more rigorous in their procedures, design and methodology, and
generally involve more extensive analysis. However, the aims of both monitoring and
evaluation are very similar: to provide information that can help inform decisions,
improve performance and achieve planned results.

Need for monitoring and evaluation

 M and e is important to project managers and the stakeholders because they need to
know the extent to which their projects are meeting the set objectives and attaining their
desired objectives.
 It promotes greater transparency, accountability, and accountability in terms of use of
project resources, which is particularly required by the funders or developments
partners.
 Information generated through Monitoring & Evaluation provides project staff with a
clear basis for decision-making
 From the information collected through Monitoring &Evaluation future planning and
development is improved when guided by lessons learned from project experience of
the project
 M and e allows the project manager to maintain control of the project by providing
him/her with information on the project status at all times
 M& E can strengthen project design ,enrich quality of project interventions and enhance
learning
 Knowledge of Monitoring &Evaluation helps project staff to improve on their ability to
effectively monitor and evaluate the progress of projects
 Monitoring &Evaluation also enables project staff to strengthen performance of their
projects thus increasing the impact of project results to beneficiaries.

 With basic orientation and training in monitoring and evaluation, project staff can
implement appropriate techniques to carry out a functional evaluation of their projects.
 Project staff with knowledge in monitoring and evaluation can be in good position to
evaluate external evaluators’ capacity to evaluate their projects. Project evaluations
carried out by inexperienced persons might be time consuming, costly and could
generate impractical or irrelevant information.

You might also like