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Monitoring and evaluation
Providing support to a capacity development process is a purposeful intervention aimed at bringing about change. Through monitoring, practitioners assess from time to time whether the intervention is still on course towards achieving the envisioned results or whether adjustments are required. An evaluation at the end of an intervention assesses the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the intervention.
Within the aided development sector, the logical framework is the most commonly used tool for planning, as well as monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Although the methodology of a logical framework has its merits, it is often not well applied and mainly used as a checklist for the purpose of accountability. Monitoring is reduced to checking whether activities have been completed as planned. The logical framework (in practice not in theory) does not encourage stakeholders to critically reflect from time to time on the quality of the previous steps or the validity of analytical insights and assumptions at the beginning of every project. This however may not be so much a problem of the “logframe” method as such but the way it is linked to contractual agreements between donor and recipient. The bureaucratic implications of proposing a change in a logical framework are often discouraging. As a result practitioners are not stimulated to learn and to develop an eye for the unpredictable dynamics in a complex environment that makes the road to planned outcomes (and even the planned outcomes themselves) very uncertain. Therefore the logical framework is seen to induce linear thinking.
The resources on page all explore ways to overcome the limitations associated with the logical framework approach to ensure that M&E processes serve to facilitate learning and innovation.
Featured Article
Learning to evaluate capacity development: The making of 'Facilitating resourcefulness'
This article is a supplement to Issue 43 of
Capacity.org. It takes a look behind the scenes of an extensive evaluation of 26 case
studies covering the support to capacity development of seven Dutch Development Partners under the
coordination and partial responsibility of the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of
the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign affairs. The evaluation aimed to draw lessons on how to improve
the effectiveness of future capacity development interventions.
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- analytical frameworks
- casestudies
Recent Articles
How to write Terms of Reference for an evaluation
23 January 2012
Developing
an accurate and well-specified terms of reference (ToR) is a critical step in managing a
high-quality evaluation. The evaluation ToR document serves as the basis for a contractual
arrangement with one or more evaluators and sets the parameters against which the success of the
assignment can be measured. This practical guide from the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group
sets out a few basic principles and guidelines to help in the development of an effective
evaluation.
Empowerment: A journey not a destination
19 January 2012
The DFID-funded
Pathways of Women’s Empowerment
Programme launched a synthesis report based on the findings and recommendations from five years
of research in London on 13th January. The report, entitled 'Empowerment: A Journey not a
Destination' draws on the collective works of 60 academic-activists in 12 countries on four
continents. With six companion policy papers and case studies, the publication shares the latest
learning and analysis on what works to enhance women’s empowerment in different parts of the
world.
CAPACITY → RESULTS
30 November 2011
This
new publication from the Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD) features case stories on
capacity development and development results. The collection showcases how endogenous investments
in capacity development have led, over time, to produce short, medium and long-term sustainable
results.
Learning to evaluate capacity development: The making of 'Facilitating resourcefulness'
30 November 2011
This article is a supplement to Issue 43 of
Capacity.org. It takes a look behind the scenes of an extensive evaluation of 26 case
studies covering the support to capacity development of seven Dutch Development Partners under the
coordination and partial responsibility of the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of
the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign affairs. The evaluation aimed to draw lessons on how to improve
the effectiveness of future capacity development interventions.
3ie launches online database on systematic reviews
16 November 2011
The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) has launched an online database of systematic reviews. This database provides policymakers and practitioners with easy access to systematic reviews that examine evidence on the effects of social and economic development interventions in low- and middle-income countries. It currently has over 100 reviews for many sectors, including agriculture, education, nutrition and health.
MoreHumanitarian action in drought-related emergencies
11 November 2011
The Action Learning Network on
Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP) has published a Lessons Paper that
identifies seventeen key lessons for humanitarian agencies responding to droughts, on topics such
as: early warning, targeting, working with government, food aid, water interventions and nutrition.
It builds on the 2007 ALNAP/ProVention paper Slow-onset Disasters: Drought and food and livelihoods
insecurity and a review of over 100 evaluative documents produced by humanitarian agencies in the
period 2007-2011.
Other Topics
Essential Readings
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David Watson (2010) "Combining the ‘Best of Two Worlds’ in Monitoring and Evaluation of Capacity Development" in: Ubels, J., N. Acquaye-Baddoo and A. Fowler (eds) Capacity Development in Practice, Earthscan, pp. 239-249
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Nigel Simister with Rachel Smith (2010) Monitoring and Evaluating Capacity Building: Is it really that difficult? INTRAC Praxis Paper 3
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Engel, P., N. Keijzer, and T. Land (2007) A balanced approach to monitoring and evaluating capacity and performance: A proposal for a framework, ECDPM Discussion Paper No. 58E
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David Watson (2006) Monitoring and Evaluation of Capacity and Capacity Development, ECDPM Discussion Paper 58B
More Web Resources
Featured Community
MandE News: Resources on M&E communities of practice
Launched by Rick Davies, an independent M&E consultant, in 1997, MandE NEWS is both an information service and community resource on monitoring and evaluation practice. The portal contains a comprehensive database of M&E tools and methods, training and job opportunities, and the latest news and events in this area.
The web portal supports facilitates several mailing lists on M&E issues, especially as they relate to international development aid. It also contains a helpful overview of numerous specialized e-groups and learning communities, including country-specific groups active in all regions of the world.
For a full overview of email lists (egroups), and information on how to join, or start a group, please click here.
Related Blogs
Bringing the invisible into perspective: ECDPM call for reflection and materials on the 5Cs framework
In December 2011, the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) published a read more »
Consider the organizational life cycle when evaluating the effectiveness of capacity-development support
In August 2011, the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published a report titled ‘ read more »
Supporting domestic accountability: why quick fixes won't work
In an interesting review... read more »
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