Summary of Study Session 15    

In Study Session 15, you have learned that:

1. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities are a key management component of interventions and programmes. Monitoring is systematic and continuous assessment. Evaluation is an assessment of the value of a programme and the extent to which its objectives have been achieved.
2. Baseline data should be collected at the start of a programme so that it can be compared with data collected later.
3. M&E is intended to track progress, measure impact, increase accountability, inform decision making, encourage investment and build capacity.
4. The main features of monitoring activities are collecting data, analysing information and acting on that information.
5. Effective monitoring needs careful identification and definition of an appropriate number of measureable indicators.
6. Evaluation is a cyclical process that should be regularly reviewed and repeated. It can be undertaken with respect to processes, outcomes or impacts.
7. There are several tools for data collection for monitoring including surveys, observation, interviews, community discussions and focus groups.