WHEN THE COOK TASTES THE SOUP, IT IS MONITORING

WHEN THE GUESTS TASTE THE SOUP, IT IS EVALUATION

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THESE TWO CONCEPTS

Performance information can come from two sources, thus through

monitoring and evaluation. Both of these are essential for effective
management: they are distinct but complementary.

In ordinary sense, monitoring many imply watching; observing, tracking and

documenting programme implementation in order to ensure compliance to
programme plan. In a technical sense, monitoring consist of operational and
administrative activities that track resource acquisition and allocation, cost
production or delivery of services, and immediate outcomes. Basically,
monitoring is the process of collection and analysing (organizing) and using
data or Information about actual situation and comparing it to the planned or
expected situation to provide feedback to management, staff for appropriate
action to be taken to ensure that performance is on track. (M. Patton, 1997).

In contrast, evaluation is the ordinary usage, is the process of determining

the merit worth, or value of a programme. On a technical sense, evaluation
is the process of making judgements about project based on information and
analysis relative to such issues as relevance, cost effectiveness and success
for its stakeholders. Evaluation provides information with which to make
judgements that affect stakeholders who are the people with a vested
interest. It is an assessment, as systematic and objective as possible of an
on-going or completed project/programme or policy, its design
implementation and results.

The main difference between performance monitoring and evaluation is that

monitoring is focused on the achievement of specific predetermined targets.
Evaluation takes a broader view of an intervention considering not only
progress toward stated objectives but also such questions as

1. whether the objectives were relevant and worth while in the first
place,

2. How effectively and efficiently they are being achieved

 3. What other unanticipated effects have been caused by the
intervention.

4. Whether the intervention as a package represents the most cost

effective and sustainable strategy for addressing a particular set of
identified needs.

The essential differences between monitoring and evaluation can be

examined in terms of the rational, focus, timing, indicators and who collects
the data (see Table below)

CRITERION MONITORING EVALUATION

-Provide basis for corrective action -Provide assessment of continue

Rationale relevance
-Accountability- has money well -Learning what could we do
spent? better next time?
-Was delivery according to plan -Relevance

-What were deviations -Success

Focus
-Were they justifiable Cost effectiveness
Lessons Learnt
On going or periodic through life Typically at mid-point in a
Timing cycle of project funding cycle, a year before the
end.
Impact evaluation after some
period of project completion
Indicator Often describes expected results for Often aggregates data is %,
individual cases giving on overview of many cases

Size of people Large number of people and Limited number of people

involved organisations involved involved in short term events