MODERN TECHNIQUES OF MONITORING & EVALUATION FOR GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES & PROJECTS
COURSE OVERVIEW:
Motoring and Evaluation are critical tools for decision making for any programmes and project. Knowing how to use Monitoring and Evaluation information without looking at it as an audit is what makes some projects excel, while others simply do not make it. How well are government programs working? Who are they affecting? What are their effects? Could they be improved? More than ever before, politicians, advisors, policy analysts, public sector managers, funding partners, and many other interested parties need quality information on the success or otherwise of specific programs. This course offers an introduction to program Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) techniques and how they can be used to generate quality information about program performance and its enhancement. Drawing on state-of-the-art methods for evaluation research, the course gives participants the knowledge and tools needed to effectively commission and conduct program monitoring and evaluations. It also recognises the constraints that many public sector managers and analysts work under, and how those constraints limit the scale of evaluation work. Participants will also gain skills of developing user-friendly data collection tools that can be used by different programme stakeholders. Through this training, you will have an opportunity to interact with different M&E systems that you can draw critical lessons from.
Prerequisite: Project Management and any Other Management and Technical skills
Learning Level: Basic/Intermediate
Advanced Preparation: None
Training Type: Group Live
Duration: 3weeks
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this orientation workshop are threefold:
1. Firstly, basic M&E terms and concepts will be explained and discussed and the Participants will have the opportunity to apply these terms to their work, respectively.
2. Secondly, the course will provide you with knowledge and skills that you can use in managing Programmes and Projects within the public sector.
3. Finally, the workshop will relate generic M&E concepts to the public sector specifically.
COURSE OUTLINE/CONTENTS
Module 1: Introduction to monitoring and evaluation
This module explains the fundamentals, purpose and benefits of project monitoring and evaluations
- Fundamentals of Monitoring and Evaluation
- Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
- Project Planning & Management
- Monitoring & Evaluation Statistical
- Purpose and benefits of planning, monitoring and evaluation
- Implementing, monitoring or evaluating development projects.
- The project cycle
- Developing a M&E system
DEFINITIONS:
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Monitoring
- Evaluation
- Research
- Intervention
- Monitoring and Evaluation System
- Government Wide Monitoring and Evaluation System
2. Importance of the Monitoring and Evaluation
- Four Key Uses of M&E Information
- Practices that Promote Useful M&E Systems:
- Some thoughts for discussion
OVERVIEW:
Six Steps to Developing an M&E System
STEP ONE:
Specify the Intervention
- Understand the Problem and Context
- Understanding the Problem: Developing a Problem Tree
- Understanding the Context: Conducting a Situational analysis
- Develop Goals and Objectives
- Goals and Objectives
- Goals and Objectives Terminology
- Plan Activities: What we do
- Establish the Inputs: What we use to do the work
STEP TWO:
Developing Indicators
- Definition: Indicators
- Guidelines for Developing Indicators
- Hierarchy of Indicators
- Setting Priorities for Monitoring and Evaluation
- Selecting which results to monitor and evaluate
- Identifying which assumptions to monitor and evaluate
STEP THREE and FIVE:
Data Collection
- Primary and Secondary Data
- Definitions: Primary and Secondary Data
- Common Primary Data Collection Method
- Limitations and Advantages of Using Secondary Data
- Assessing Data Quality: Primary and Secondary Statistical Data
- Quantitative and Qualitative Methodologies
- Data Management
- Definition: Data Management
- Data management Scenarios
STEP FOUR:
Baseline and Performance Targets
- Baseline
- Definitions: Baseline and Benchmark
- The Importance of the Baseline
- Performance Targets
- Definitions: Performance Targets and Performance Standards
- How to develop realistic targets
Consolidation of learning
- Complete an Intervention’s Monitoring System
- How monitoring fits with other management functions
STEP SIX:
Using Monitoring Data
- Using Monitoring Data: Planning and management functions
- Using Monitoring Data: Evaluating Emerging Issues
- Types of Evaluations
- Planning an Evaluation
- Using Monitoring Data: Sharing Information with Others and Reporting
Government Wide M&E System
- The Policy Context
- System Overview
- Linking M&E with other management systems
- Defining Roles and Responsibilities
Analysing data for M&E
- Using SPSS
- Using EpiInfo
METHODOLOGY AND EVALUATION
Approach
This Course is conceived for face-to-face training, hence allowing a constructive interaction and exchange of experiences between Facilitators and Participants. The course will combine individual presentations by M&E Experts and Participants, Panel Discussions, and Group Work on selected topics. Prescribed material is made available during the course, and includes notes, articles, statutes and excerpts from textbooks. The programme uses training methods chosen to ensure effective learning, to reinforce understanding, to develop practical skills to promote critical evaluation of information. Interest is maintained throughout each session by use of a variety of formats, including:
Lively and informative presentations
Quizzes
Case studies based on real life scenarios
Throughout the course, you will learn from others in your group as they share practical experiences in their work environment. You will learn by doing and by applying what you learn to your own work environment. Thus, the training methodology is based on interactive learning. Furthermore, learners will use examples from their own organisations, thus ensuring that the learning is anchored at their workplace. This course will strive to effect actual change back at the workplace through effective and practical outcomes based training.
Language
The courses are delivered in English but should numbers justify it, separate classes will be presented in either Swahili or French and study guides and class notes are made available in English. Prescribed material is made available in the original language. Participants may participate in Swahili, French or English, and complete assignments in either of these languages.
Assessment
The course involves preparing some sort of in-class and out of class assignments which include drafting “from scratch”, drafting using forms, and redrafting. Some short assignments contribute to the work on longer, full documents. Assignments receive written evaluation and serve as the basis for class discussion as well. You are to type and double-space all written drafting assignments unless otherwise instructed. Bring two copies of each assignment to class on the date due, one to turn in and the other to keep and have available during class discussion.
Evaluation
In conformity with KIBYA’s procedures, an evaluation of the course will be carried out at the end of the Programme to determine the perceived relevance of course contents to Participants’ needs and the effectiveness of the methodology and materials employed in achieving the course’s training objectives.