CRC
Creative Research and Evaluation Centre Phone: 256-41-534975
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CRC Handout
Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plans
This handout is a draft template for a project M&E plan. It shows some standard pieces to be included in such a plan, gives options for additional detail, and presents the reader/user with guiding questions to facilitate the process.
Additional information about developing such plans is available may be found by consulting the short reference list included within this template.
06 January 1999
tom barton
Project Name
Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Plan
Dates of plan
When plan created
Who was responsible
Table of Contents
[Example only, based on contents of this outline handout]
Table of Contents 1
Executive summary 1
Project background 1
M&E planning 2
The M&E Information Matrix 2
The M&E Workplan Matrix 5
M&E timetable 5
References 5
Abbreviations 8
Forms – drafts and examples 8
Executive summary
[Can be quite short – just a few paragraphs for an overview of what the plan contains and what it is about]
Project background
The ______Project, which is funded by ______, is working on (relief, rehabilitation, development) in ______sectors. The preliminary work for the project, including needs assessment and project design were done in 19___. Implementation is due to start (has started) on ______and the project (the current phase of the project) will be terminating in ______.
The main goals/objectives of the project are:
Overall (or final goal) ______
Specific (or intermediate goals)
a) ______
b) ______
The principal strategies of the project include ______. The target population(s) is/are ______because ______. The project is (or will be) operational in ______districts/zones/regions in ______(country). Current regions of the project are shown on the accompanying map.
(scan and insert map here, with project areas located on it)
[if the project has a conceptual model, this is a good place to show it and give a very brief description]
M&E planning
This M&E plan was prepared during ______, and proposes activities for the period ______. During the preparation of the M&E plan, the staff of the project reached a number of critical decisions and identified essential strategies for M&E in the project. The main debates and decisions included ______. (feasibility, responsibility, frequency, indicators, etc., etc.)
[what were the key issues/decisions? who were the main participants in the planning?]
The main references used in preparing the M&E plan were:
· ______et al: ______Project Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop Report 19__
· ______et al: ______Project Document 19__
· ______et al: ______Project needs assessment, situation analysis, baseline survey report, etc. 19___
· T. Barton; How Are We Doing? Guidelines for Monitoring and Evaluation. CARE-Uganda, 1997.
The M&E Information Matrix
M&E matrix – the matrix (table) on the following page was prepared by ______, based on discussions during the project M&E workshop with the staff. In this table, the objectives and indicators shown are the same (or modified from) those in the project document. The numbering of the objectives, outputs and indicators corresponds to the numbering in the project document log frame. The reader/user of this matrix should note that the frequency of reporting might differ from the frequency of data collection.
Details to consider::
· Type of information: good to have some explanation of the indicators. However, if there are any indicators that might be difficult or confusing to incoming staff/partners later on in the project, it might be useful to include a separate table or page for further explanation or definition. To help in this effort, see supplemental indicator tables on the page just after the information matrix in this draft outline.
· Methods of data gathering: if one says ‘records review’: what records/what reports, kept where, and accessible with whose permission? Will the records review be done with a checklist? Will they be reviewed for qualitative or quantitative data? What is meant by ‘survey’?
· Who to collect: does not specify who to do data processing/analysis/or write up; nor who will do the editing and feedback.
· Frequency of reporting: Note that this matrix does not show who will be getting the reports. It only shows reporting frequency, but not who the reports will go to…]
Other essential monitoring
¨ Project risks and assumptions
¨ Project management
Questions: what will be the relevant indicators, what means of verification, who will be responsible. Note that some of this is handled in the next matrix.
2
Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Matrix for ______Project
Indicator / Type of information (short explanation of indicator) / Sources of information / Methods of data gathering / Who to collect, analyse data / Frequency of reportingFinal goal: _____
Intermediate goals (objectives – numbered) and outputs (numbered by intermediate goals)
1. Intermediate goal
1.1 Output 1 for IG 1
1.2 Output
2. Intermediate goal
2.1 Output 1 for IG 2
2.2 Output
2
Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan
Supplemental indicator tables (to be used only if needed)
Indicators – definitions, explanations, applications and considerations
Indicator / Definition / Explanation / Use/Application / Consideration /Indicator written out in words.
[Sectors for this indicator] / Definition of the indicator, and any critical concepts embedded in it. / Shows – what changes the indicator can demonstrate
Influenced by – what affects the levels or results of the indicator
Literature – any literature for comparison of findings. / What use for assessing inputs, activities, outputs, effects, impacts of the project (or assumptions, risks, context) / What factors influence this indicator, e.g., season, recall time period, etc. It is likely to take extra questions to assess accuracy, reliability, etc.?
Indicators – data requirements, tools, results
Indicator / Data Required / Possible Methods/Tools / Unit of ResultsIndicator written out in words.
[Sectors for this indicator] / Many indicators require more than one data point, e.g., to calculate stunting, one needs to know the child’s age, gender, and height / Preferred methods/tools, e.g., household survey questionnaire, physical measurements, etc.
Optional - Can also include optional tools for more explanation or qualitative assessment. / What will the results look like? What form/format?
2
Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan
The M&E Workplan Matrix
The first table following this section shows the M&E workplan which helps summarise data from the information matrix and shows more lines of responsibility.
[see pages 36, 41, 115 in the CARE M&E guidelines]
Queries and/or items to fill in:
– When activity occurs: review and consider carefully; may also be able to put dates to specific items like the baseline, mid-term and final evaluations. Using this column and the second last column on reporting should help in generating a GANTT chart for M&E activities (see annex section).
– Who participates: the CARE book has some ideas, but this column needs to be specific for this project
– Who leads: this column should reflect who is ultimately going to be responsible for each of the M&E activities. It might be the overall project manager, but it should come down to specific persons, if possible, not to committees.
M&E timetable
The table following the workplan matrix shows an example of a GANTT timetable for M&E activities in a three year project.
[Include discussion of any critical factors affecting decisions about what is placed where in the timetable]
References
Barton, T. (1997) How Are We Doing? Guidelines to Monitoring and Evaluation. Prepared for CARE Uganda; adopted by CARE International as the standard guidelines for all CARE offices. Is available from CARE International in English, French and Spanish
Barton, T. (1998) Program Impact Evaluation Process: Module 1 Overview. Prepared for CARE Uganda. Draft version; due for field testing in early 1999.
2
Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan
M&E workplan matrix
General andSpecific activity / Specific activity (what is assessed or being done) / When activity occurs?
(schedule) / Who participates?
(data collect, analysis) / Who leads? (who is responsible for reporting?) / When reported?
(schedule) / For whom?
(report to..)
Monitoring
· Objectives / Impacts, fundamental changes / Annual (?) / Annual
· Context, risks and assumptions / Social, political, economic, environment
Negative outcomes / Annual / Annual
· Effects / Response of target population to project outputs / Annual / Annual
· Outputs, including institutional and organisational issues / Project products achieved / Monthly / Quarterly
· Activities (physical) / Distribution and delivery
Actual versus planned / Monthly / Quarterly
· Inputs (financial) / Resources; use versus budget / Monthly / Quarterly
Evaluation
· Baseline / Indicators for impacts, effects, context, assumptions / At start-up / ASAP after study
· Annual review / Financial, physical, outputs, effects, context, assumptions / Annual / Annual
· Mid-term evaluation / Organisation structure, design
Progress – physical, financial
Achievements – Outputs, effects
Context, risks, assumptions / After 2 years / ASAP after study
· Final evaluation / As above, plus impacts, sustainability
Possibly cost-benefit / Within 6-9 months of end of project / Prior to phase out
Other
· Special studies
· Training on M&E
· Training on report writing
M&E activity time table (example by quarter for a three year project)
General andSpecific activity / Yr 1
Qtr 1 / Qtr 2 / Qtr 3 / Qtr 4 / Yr 2
Qtr 1 / Qtr 2 / Qtr 3 / Qtr 4 / Yr 3
Qtr 1 / Qtr 2 / Qtr 3 / Qtr 4
Monitoring
· Objectives
· Context, risks and assumptions
· Effects
· Outputs, including institutional and organisational issues
· Activities (physical)
· Inputs (financial)
Evaluation
· Baseline
· Annual review
· Mid-term evaluation
· Final evaluation
Other
· Special studies
· Training on M&E
· Training on report writing
Note: Objectives, context, risk, assumptions, and effects would all be part of the mid-term and final evaluations as well as the annual monitoring/review.
2
Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan
Abbreviations
ABA
CDE
ETC
GoX Government of X______
MoH Ministry of Health
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
Forms – drafts and examples
[I am still gathering useful examples that work for this section]
Assessment of effects (e.g., as a monitoring form, or a checklist in evaluation analysis)
IndicatorBaseline value ª / Current value § / Amount of change (#) / Percent change (%)
Explanatory notes:
ª Baseline done ______(date)
§ Current survey done ______(date)
Amount of change = Current – Baseline (this allows either positive or negative results)
Percent change = Current – Baseline
Baseline
Assessment of activities
Quarterly physical activities accomplishment report
Item no. / Major components and activities / Unit of measure / This quarter / Fiscal year to date / RemarksPlan / Accomplishment in this quarter / % / Annual plan / Accomplishment up to end of this report / %
Assessment of risks and negative outcomes
Problems encountered
Levels of problems/concerns / Problems encountered / Solutions recommended / Decisions made (what, when) / Actions taken(what, when)
Community Level
Project level (including partners)
Policy and higher level (including donor, country office, headquarters, etc.
2
Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan