Gis Monitor

Monitoring and
Evaluating
Programs and Projects
Using GIS
How to use GIS to support M&E systems for
sustainable programs and projects
Robert Catherman
Director of Safe Water Development - MEDRIX™
January 2013
Edition E.2.8
Edition E.2.8
Monitoring and Evaluating

Programs and Projects
Using GIS
How to use GIS

to support M&E systems
for sustainable programs and projects
Robert Catherman
Director of Safe Water Development
MEDRIX™
January, 2013
. Edition E.2.8
Preface
The purpose of this handbook is to provide a standardized source of information for
developing and operating a Monitoring and Evaluation System using Geographic
Information System outputs to display program and project outcomes.
This handbook includes:

 Part One: general understanding of the principles of monitoring and evaluation
(M&E) systems.
 Part Two: instructions for creating GIS maps supporting an M&E system.
 Part Three: instructions for updating data in the M&E-GIS system.
 Part Four: instructions for preparing M&E reports.
 Part Five: case study.
 Annexes: information and forms referenced in the main sections of the
handbook.
MEDRIX declares the contents of this handbook to be open-source, available without

charge. Copies of this handbook are available for downloading from the MEDRIX
website.
Users assume full responsibility for the outcomes of constructing and operating GIS-
M&E systems using these instructions.
A handbook edition number identifies the most up-to-date information. The letter before
the edition number signifies the language of the document. The first number identifies
the version; odd numbers indicate a version being drafted but not yet finalized; even
numbers indicate a published and released version. The number following the period
indicates the level of minor revision including corrections and updates. For example, the
edition number “E.2.3” indicates this is the second English version released for
publication with three levels of minor revisions. The edition number “V.2.2” indicates this
is the Vietnamese translation of the English version E.2.2.
This handbook is designed to permit you, the user, to update pictures and information to
reflect the realities in your part of the world. Feel free to substitute your own digital
pictures to make the information more relevant to readers in your region.
Your feedback about this handbook is welcome. Improving the quality of open source
documents is the responsibility of all who use the information.
Submit suggestions and recommended changes for this handbook to:

Director of Safe Water Development
MEDRIX
PO Box 178
Redmond, WA 98073 USA
office@medrix.org
. Edition E.2.8
Include the edition number of this handbook in any communications.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 License.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/ or
send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco,
California, 94105, USA.
You are free:
 to Share -- to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work

 to Remix -- to make derivative works
Under the following conditions:
 Attribution. You must attribute the work to MEDRIX as the original creator and
refer users to the MEDRIX website at www.medrix.org
 Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the
resulting work only under a license identical to this one.
 For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of
this work.
Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
Disclaimer
This publication is based on the collective experience of MEDRIX in monitoring and

evaluating the software, methods and procedures described herein. While every effort
has been made to ensure the accuracy of this work, any judgments as to the suitability
of information for the reader’s purposes are the reader’s responsibility. MEDRIX does
not extend any warranties, and assumes no responsibility, for the suitability of this
information or the consequences of its use.
. Edition E.2.8
Acknowledgments
Dr. Joe Hannah, of faculty of Geography Department at University of Washington, my instructor in
GEOG 360 who taught me principles of map making and how to effectively use GIS technology as
well as shared frequent consultations over coffee during the development of this project.
Student Team A from University of Washington class GEOG 335, Service Learning Project, helped
with the idea formulation and rough drafts of the first maps: students Geoffrey Morgan, Rahima
Niyazova and Robert Sepler.
Student Team B from University of Washington class GEOG 469, Senior project, converted the
ArcGIS instructions into instructions for using QGIS open source software: students Alyssa Knight,
Duc Chi Du, Mike Ridgely, Pao Thao, and Thanh Nguyen. And thanks to Dr. Sarah Elwood and
graduate student Joe Eckert for overseeing the 2011 Senior Project work.
Staff of Preventative Medicine department of Health Services, Thua Thien – Hue province, Vietnam,
reviewed and critiqued the initial drafts and provided valuable input regarding data collection
methods. Special thanks to Dr. Tu, Vice Director, for his enthusiastic support of the idea.
Mrs. Phạm Thị Thu Hà of MEDRIX staff in Hanoi, Vietnam, who prepared and refined the data
collection forms, translating the English into Vietnamese.
Ms. Nguyễn Thị Tằm of IREB, Hue, Vietnam, provided translation help early in the project and co-
authored an article for a joint Vietnamese-Korean conference held in Hue, Vietnam when these ideas
were first aired to the general public.
Ms. Hoàng Ngọc Tường Vy, software engineer in Hue, Vietnam, who had no prior knowledge of
GIS, carefully tested the accuracy and readability of the English instructions for creating the QGIS
maps, corrected errors and made helpful suggestions for revisions.
Dr. Nguyễn Thụy Thị Hồng, while a PhD candidate at Washington State University, gave the
instructions a thorough test, corrected some errors, and made numerous insightful suggestions for
improving readability. She also began translation of the instructions from English into Vietnamese.
Mr. Dewey Calfee, reviewer extraordinaire, painstakingly followed these instructions to the letter and
uncovered omitted steps, clarified imprecise wording and rewrote the introduction, all after starting
from ground zero in learning to use GIS.
Student Team C from University of Washington class of 2012 GEOG 469, Senior project,
investigated the capabilities and limitations of converting from desktop-based GIS software to on-
line cloud-based GIS software - students Thong Nguyen and Thảo Vũ. Thanks to Dr. Timothy
Nyerges for overseeing the Senior Project work.
Ms. Thảo Vũ, BA from UW in 2012, who worked as a summer intern at MEDRIX and completed the
mapping case study included in Chapter 17.
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The
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................... 1
Part 1: General Principles of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems ................ 2
Chapter 2: About Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Systems ........................................ 3
Chapter 3: Integrating M&E and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)........................ 5
Chapter 4: Deciding if M&E-GIS is Appropriate for Your Situation .................................. 7
Chapter 5: Developing an M&E-GIS System for your Situation ...................................... 9
Part 2: Creating Maps Supporting Monitoring and Evaluation Systems ....... 13
Chapter 6: Selecting GIS Software .......................................................................... 14
Chapter 7: Locating GIS Maps ................................................................................ 16
Chapter 8: Creating a Reference Map ...................................................................... 17
Chapter 9: Defining the Data Requirements and Key Indicators .................................. 19
Chapter 10: Defining the Data Collection Process ...................................................... 21
Chapter 11: Designing and Creating the Data Input Table .......................................... 25
Chapter 12: Creating the Thematic Map ................................................................... 29
Part 3: Updating Data in the M&E-GIS System ...................................... 31
Chapter 13: Getting Periodic Reports from the Field ................................................. 32
Chapter 14: Training the Data Input Staff ................................................................ 33
Part 4: Preparing Monitoring and Evaluation Reports ............................... 34
Chapter 15: Updating Data for the Map ................................................................... 35
Chapter 16: Preparing the Working Project Reporting Maps ........................................ 36
Chapter 17: Case Study of M&E for a Medical Education Project ................................. 37
Chapter 18: Future Topic ....................................................................................... 42
Part 5: Case Study ............................................................................. 43
Chapter 19: Case Study......................................................................................... 44
Annex A: Taking a Test Drive ............................................................... 80
Annex B: References .......................................................................... 83
Annex C: Intermediate Outcome Measurement ..................................... 84

1
Chapter 1:
Introduction
Maps are familiar to most of us – maps are like good friends that help us find our way and orient
us to our surroundings. On maps, we can easily see that “this is here and that is there” and we
can gain a sense of the distance and direction between “here and there”.
In this handbook, we will challenge you to take a slightly different view of maps. We will be
asking maps to help us think – think about items that have a spatial component as one of their
many attributes. Specifically, we want to think about how we can monitor and evaluate the
activities of a specific project so we can document positive outcomes, increase sustainability and
develop effective solutions to problems we discover. For example, we want to think about
finding some effective methods of keeping the water treatment systems in some rural schools in
good working order, repairing the systems that are broken and planning preventative
maintenance to complete in the future. In this handbook, we will examine some ways we can use
maps to define, measure and display project outcomes.
To reach our destination,

we’ll explore the
technical topic of
Monitoring and
Evaluation (M&E)
methods that are used
worldwide in many
development projects.
And we’ll use the
technical tools of
Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) to help us
reach our goals.
This handbook is not

intended to be a
comprehensive text on
either M&E or GIS.
Excellent sources of information and instruction on both topics are referenced in each section of
this handbook. The intent of this handbook is to provide a step-by-step guide to developing a
combined M&E-GIS system and to emphasis some key points that apply to reaching this goal.
Some of the key points come from lessons learned from experience with this methodology and
some points come from taking advantage of specific features of M&E and GIS that support the
goal we are working toward.
Let’s begin our journey.
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Part 1:
General Principles of
Monitoring and
Evaluation Systems
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Chapter 2:
About Monitoring and
Evaluation (M&E) Systems
This chapter includes:
 A brief explanation of M&E
 References for learning more about M&E
What is Monitoring and Evaluation?

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a powerful management tool that can be used to improve
the way governments and organizations achieve results. Just as governments and organizations
need financial, human resource, and audit systems, they also need good performance feedback
systems.
Monitoring is the process of data collection and measurement of progress toward program
objectives.
Evaluation is the periodic assessment of changes in desired outcomes that can be attributable
to a program’s interventions.
Recent history of M&E

Recent years have seen an evolution in the field of monitoring and evaluation. The changes have
involving a movement away from traditional implementation-based approaches and toward new
results-based approaches. Governments and organizations may successfully implement programs
or policies but have they actually produced the intended results? Have government and
organizations delivered on promises made to their stakeholders? For example, it is not enough to
simply implement health programs and assume that successful implementation is equivalent to
actual improvements in public health. It is important to examine if outcomes and impacts were
achieved. The introduction of a results-based M&E system takes decision makers one step
further in assessing if and how goals are being achieved over time. These systems help to answer
the all-important “so what” questions and respond to stakeholder’s growing demands for results.
How does M&E work?

M&E is important tool targeting two key elements to any development project – effectiveness
and sustainability. In the ideal situation, M&E should span the life cycle of the project providing
a continuing stream of data and feedback. In the initial stages of the project, M&E can aid in
developing and clarifying the goals and objectives. Once the project reaches operational status,
M&E can promote greater transparency and accountability within organizations. Feedback from
M&E during project execution means adjustments can be made to improve the prospect of
sustaining successful outcomes. And, finally, using M&E techniques means that determining a
project’s success or failure does not have to wait until project completion and final reporting.
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Some ideas for creating an effective M&E system

There is no consensus on how many steps are necessary to build an effective M&E system.
Kusek and Rist, in Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System, 2004
describe a step-by-step approach that has been used in a number of developing countries in the
design and construct of M&E systems.
Step One: Conducting a Readiness Assessment

Step Two: Agreeing on Outcomes to Monitor and Evaluate
Step Three: Developing Key Indicators to Monitor Outcomes
Step Four: Gathering Baseline Data on Indicators.
Step Five: Planning for Improvements—Setting Realistic Targets
Step Six: Monitoring for Results
Step Seven: Evaluative Information to Support Decision-making
Step Eight: Analyzing and Reporting Findings
Step Nine: Using the Findings
Step Ten: Sustaining the M&E System Within the Organization
GIS - A missing but useful tool

Step Eight of this ten-step approach addresses “reporting findings” and suggests the use of
“visual presentations—charts, graphs, and maps”. Examples of charts and graphs are included;
and although maps are mentioned, no examples of using maps to report M&E findings are
included.
This author’s experience is that using maps to present M&E results is one of the most effect
methods of communicating outcomes in a way that is easily understood by many people from
various backgrounds. The purpose of this article is to address some ways to use GIS maps for
effective communication in support of the M&E process.
Summary
The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) management tool can improve the prospects of achieving
desired outcomes for any project. Adding a GIS-based map output for the M&E results can
improve the communications of results to management, stakeholders and end-users.
Useful sources of information about M&E

1. Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System, Kusek and Rist, The
World Bank, 2004 (available in numerous languages online for free download)
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Chapter 3:
Integrating M&E and
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
 A description of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
 How M&E and GIS can work together
Why use maps to communicate a message?

Maps are a compact and elegant method of communicating information. With, a well-designed
map, a reader should be able to quickly interpret the displayed information without assistance.
Today, the most efficient and effective method of producing maps that communicate your
message is with a computer-based Geographic Information System.
What is GIS?
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate,
analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data. In the simplest terms,
GIS is the merging of cartography, statistical analysis, and database technology.
History of M&E-GIS development

Maps have been used in monitoring and evaluation systems long before computers and technical
names for processes were developed. One of the early adapters in 1854 was Dr John Snow who
depicted a cholera outbreak in London using points plotted on a map to represent the locations of
individual deaths from cholera. His study of the distribution of cholera deaths led Dr Snow to
propose that the source of the disease was a contaminated water pump, the Broad Street Pump,
whose handle he had removed in an effort to curtail the spread of the cholera outbreak.
See Figure 2 for an example of the type of map Snow used in the 1850s.
While the basic elements of topography and theme existed previously in cartography, the John
Snow map was unique, using cartographic methods not only to depict but also to analyze clusters
of geographically-dependent phenomena. Dr. Snow’s use of a map to display the data he had
collected is similar to the method we are proposing in this handbook.
The best book on the story of Dr. Snow is named The Ghost Map.
The author of the book, Steven Johnson, has prepared an excellent video summarizing the
message of his book. This video is posted on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9NHWhivbAU.
At this time, you should watch this video.
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Figure 2. E. W.
Gilbert's version
(1958) of John
Snow's 1855
map of the
cholera
outbreak
showing the
clusters of
cholera cases in
the London
epidemic of
1854
Recent history of GIS

In the past several decades, most map making has moved from hand drawn maps to maps
produced by computers using specialty software and taking advantage of connected printers for
output.
How can M&E and GIS work together?

M&E and GIS have a fundamental difference: M&E is temporally focused – measuring changes
and outcomes occurring over time and GIS is spatially oriented – identifying where the outcomes
are occurring. Our challenge is to merge these two different views into one tool that will display
useful information in support of a successful outcome for the project. How we accomplish this
depends heavily on selecting appropriate, meaningful data for monitoring the project.
Summary
At this juncture, a good understanding of M&E is critical before deciding to proceed further.
GIS can be learned “on the way” if you decide to move forward. The following chapters will
help you build your knowledge and skills and offer guidance in developing an M&E-GIS system.
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Chapter 4:
Deciding if M&E-GIS is
Appropriate for Your Situation

 Define your purpose
 Evaluate your current situation
 “Test drive” the GIS solution this books suggests
 Make a final evaluation and decide to proceed or stop
Define your purpose:

After reading the introduction information in the previous chapters, it is now time to begin
thinking if using an M&E-GIS approach to monitoring and evaluation is appropriate for your
situation.
At this point, you should write a four or five sentence description of your project and your goals
for monitoring and evaluation. What benefits will your organization receive that will be a good
return on your investment of time and effort?
Preliminary evaluation questions to ask

1. Does the project to be monitored and evaluated have discrete geographic points or areas
where activities and outcomes are measured? In other words, does your project have a
spatial orientation?
2. Has an M&E system already been developed for this project? If yes, then does the data
already collected have spatial parameters (coordinates) attached to each sampled data
point? If not, would it be possible to determine the location of each data collection point?
3. Is there support within your organization and user community for a map-based
monitoring and evaluation reporting system?
4. Is the use of GIS new to your organization
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then consider taking a test drive of the M&E-
GIS method used in this book before you decide to continue.
Take a test drive

Now is a good time for you to try a quick “test drive” of a GIS application to get a feel for the
difficulty level, power of the software, amount of effort required and the usefulness of what you
can produce. Annex A contains detail instructions for you to follow that will give you some
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hands-on experience with GIS. Follow the instructions in Annex A now, then return to this point
in the handbook.
Questions to ask yourself after your test drive
1. Does this GIS application fit within the existing capabilities of your organization? Too
complex? Too time-consuming?
2. When you compare the purpose statement you wrote earlier with your experience with
the “test drive”, did you envision some ways an M&E-GIS system would be useful in
monitoring and evaluation the outcomes of your project?
3. Does this look like something your organization is already doing?
4. Will presenting information using map-based outputs add value to your project?
To learn more about GIS

You may feel like a need to learn more about GIS before going further. If this is the case, you
can download a GIS tutorial from the internet or read an introduction to GIS book and learn
more about this topic. A good place to begin to locate available resources is use an on-line
search.
Summary
You have reached an important point in evaluating this proposed M&E-GIS system solution –
the point where you decide to proceed or to stop.
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Chapter 5:
Developing an M&E-GIS
System for your Situation

 Making project decisions for your unique situation
 Choosing a model or format that will best fit your situation
At this point, you should have an elementary understanding of the principles of monitoring and
evaluation. As stated earlier, this handbook is not designed to be a tutorial on M&E – excellent
tutorials are available on the internet in a variety of languages. In addition, you should now have
some basic familiarity with GIS. Again, this handbook is not designed to be a GIS tutorial – such
tutorials are prepared for the different computer-based GIS systems, e.g., ESRI, QGIS, MapInfo,
etc.
You will need a method for documenting the decisions you make related to this project and the
data you decide to collect and analyze. The following form is useful for remembering all the
questions to ask and recording your agreements on the answers before you launch into your
project. Each chapter that follows will contribute to your M&E - GIS project design.
Now is a good time to fill in the first two sections of the form -- from the Project Name through
Intended Audiences and Language blocks. The remaining blocks will be filled in as your work
through the remainder of this handbook - we’ll remind you along the way to preserve your
answers, research and decisions at each step of the way.
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Form 1: M&E - GIS Project Data
Project name: Organization Name: Your name:
Project due date: Key contacts: Key stakeholders:
Project description:
Benefits to organization:
Intended audience(s) and languages:
GIS software used: (6)
Map file sources: (7)
Key indicators: (9)
Data sources, responsible persons and frequency of collection: (9,10)
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Project name:
Describe the outcome maps expected What question does this map answer?
including size of area covered: (12)
Comments:
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Developing an M&E system must involve cooperation between stakeholders in the project. Keep
in mind the M&E-GIS methodology and advocate for features that will be needed to create a
successful M&E-GIS system. Advocate for collecting spatial data such as location coordinates as
an important attribute of the data collection task.
Have some examples of what M&E-GIS outputs that might be appropriate for your situation. Do
some work ahead so you’ll have some examples.
One model to use in developing your own M&E-GIS system follows a “past, present, future”
format.
The M&E-GIS system package is a series of three maps:

 A “current” map showing the current status of each reporting entity. e.g., school, health
clinic, well, food distribution center, etc.
 A “past” map, that illustrates the work completed since the last report
 A “future” map showing the work to be done before the next report is due, e.g., repairs,
new installations, training, etc.
This 3-stage model has many similarities to an accounting model:

 The current map is a balance sheet showing the current level of accounts at a specific
moment in time
 The past map is similar to a financial statement of revenues and expenses for activities
during the prior reporting period
 The future map is similar to a budget which is the plan for activity in the upcoming
accounting period
Persons who are familiar with standard accounting reports should find this model of an M&E-
GIS map-based reporting system easy to understand.
Other conceptual models may be a better fit for your project. The most important principle to
remember is that you are using key indicators to map outcomes that tell a story -- the map model
is only the method of displaying the outcomes. You are free to create your own model mapping
outcomes.
The next step is to create your own conceptual model and make a rough sketch of outcome maps
on paper.
Summary
By now you should be having some ideas of what your project’s outcome maps will look like.
You should have some key information on the Project Form that will start the M&E - GIS design
process that will work for your project.
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Part 2:
Creating Maps
Supporting
Monitoring and
Evaluation Systems
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Chapter 6:
Selecting GIS Software
 Locating suitable GIS software for your situation
 Learning to use GIS software
If you have reached this point in the handbook, we’ll assume you have decided to explore the
details of how to create maps to support your M&E system. Or maybe you want to focus only on
creating maps – the following will help you work toward either goal.
Geographic Information Systems
When evaluating which GIS software will work for your organization, some important factors to
consider include: cost, ease of learning, as well as capabilities of the GIS software application to
meet your needs.
Developing a useful M&E-GIS system will require the services of a knowledgeable GIS
technician. Although is it possible for many people with some information technology
experience to learn to use GIS, your time and availability requirements may require finding a
person who already has well-developed GIS skills.
Commercially available GIS software
Powerful commercially available GIS systems are available after paying a licensing fee which
can be quite expensive. The most popular GIS software in the US is ArcGIS from Esri. A down-
loadable trial version is available for evaluation.
In other regions of the world, different GIS software applications are “local favorites”. Check
with the geography department of a local college or university to see what commercial GIS
software is most commonly used in your area.
Open-source GIS software
If high licensing costs are a barrier to an organization's use of GIS software, a variety of open-
source (free) GIS software is available for download from the internet. One of the most popular,
powerful and easy-to-learn open-source GIS applications is Quantum GIS (QGIS) which
provides data viewing, editing, and analysis capabilities. QGIS can be downloaded from the
website http://www.qgis.org/
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On-line GIS software
The field of on-line GIS software is presently undergoing significant development and
advancement. At this time, the two most prominent sources of free versions of online GIS (open
systems) are both provided by commercial GIS software suppliers - probably introducing their
product with a free version with limited capabilities in hopes that users will eventually upgrade
to their fee-based versions with full capabilities. The two companies that offer free on-line GIS
capabilities are:
 Esri at http://www.arcgis.com/home/index.html and
 GeoCommons at http://www.geocommons.com/.
Expect more vendors to provide free, limited capability versions of their on-line GIS software.
The expectation of open-source versions of on-line GIS software is limited because of the cost
and support requirements of maintaining a cloud-computing environment without an income
revenue stream.
Learning how to use GIS software

Most GIS software applications have a tutorial available online that will help the GIS technician
learn to use the features of the application. Look for a tutorial online.
Summary
Choosing the right GIS software, commercial or open-source, to meet your needs is an important
first step toward developing an M&E-GIS system.
At this point, fill in your software choice on the Project Form in the box titled “GIS software
used”.
A second important step is finding a person with appropriate GIS technical skills and hopefully
some GIS experience. And it you can’t find that person, maybe you must become that person –
read on.
References:
ESRI – http://www.esri.com/
QGIS – http://www.qgis.org/
Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
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Chapter 7:
Locating GIS Maps
 Locating appropriate digital maps
After you select an appropriate GIS software application and a person to be the GIS technician,
the next step is to locate digital maps for the project area of interest to you and your organization.
One useful source of digital maps for M&E-GIS systems is the website for GADM Database of
Global Administrative Areas which can be accessed at http://www.gadm.org/ Another useful
site containing data for roads, rivers, population data, etc is http://www.diva-gis.org/gdata
GADM is a spatial database of the location of the world's administrative areas (or administrative
boundaries) for use in GIS software. The coordinate reference system is latitude/longitude and
the WGS84 datum. These maps contain up to 5 levels of administrative subdivisions.
A general understanding of concept of “administrative areas” is presented in Wikipedia at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_division
As an example, the administrative levels of the country of Vietnam are:
1 -- country
2 -- country is divided into provinces (tỉnh) or centrally-controlled municipalities (thành phố trực
thuộc trung ương), which are administratively on the same level as provinces
3 -- provinces (tỉnh) are divided into districts or counties (huyện), provincial cities (thành phố
trực thuộc tỉnh), and county-level towns (thị xã). The centrally-controlled municipalities are
subdivided into districts (quận) and counties, which are further subdivided into wards (phường).
4 -- counties (huyện) are in turn subdivided into towns (thị trấn) or communes (xã). The
centrally-controlled municipalities are subdivided into rural counties (huyện), county-level towns
or townlets (thị xã), and urban districts (quận)
5 -- urban districts (quận) are subdivided into wards (phường).
Digital maps can be downloaded from the GADM website by country.
Summary
Locate a source of digital maps that fit your purpose.
At this point, fill in your map source choices on the Project Form in the box titled “Map file
sources”
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Chapter 8:
Creating a Reference Map
 Purpose and definition of the reference map
 Tips on creating a reference map
 Sources and examples of reference maps
Purpose
The purpose of creating a reference map is to provide a starting point for displaying data related
to the main topic of your project.
A reference map orients readers to the broad-scale geography of the area of interest. The
reference map usually displays regional boundaries such as borders of countries, states, etc. In
addition, the reference map may contain roads, rivers and lakes, cities and towns.
Coverage
The size of the area covered by the reference map is defined by the area covered by the project
being monitored. Include enough area so the reader can orient to the area but not so much area
that data points will become “lost” on a map that covers too large a region.
Tips
Exercise care in selecting how many detailed features to include on the reference map. Features
should be included that will assist the user in interpreting the main topic of the map – the theme
of the map. Features that do not add to the user’s understanding should be omitted. The simpler
the map, the better; maps cluttered with too much detail can detract from the message you want
to communicate.
More details will be added to the map in Chapter 12 when we create the Thematic Map layer; at
that time we will add the unique data related to the specific project you are monitoring.
References:
The GADM website is an excellent source of digital reference maps of regional boundaries (also
called administrative areas) and was described in Chapter 7.
Detailed instructions for creating a reference map can be found in Task 2 of the case study found
in Chapter 19.
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Example: a base reference map for one province might look like this:
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Chapter 9:
Defining the
Data Requirements
and Key Indicators
 Purpose of collecting data
 Deciding where to collect data
 Deciding what data to collect
 Tips on using a GPS for GIS data collection
Purpose of collecting data

Our purpose is to define and collect individual items of data that can be displayed in map format
to create a useful information tool for project stakeholders.
These individual data items are often described as “key indicators”. One definition of a key
indicator is: “a quantitative or qualitative factor or variable that provides a simple and reliable
means to measure achievement, to reflect changes connected to an intervention, or to help assess
the performance of a development actor.” (Kusek and Rist, 2004)
Good M&E questions to ask when defining key indicators are

 how will we know success when we see it?
 are we making progress toward the desired outcomes of our project?”
Deciding where to collect data

Where you collect data depends on the scope and scale of the area covered by your project. You
may decide to sample data at every location in your project. Or, because collecting data can be
both time and cost intensive, you may decide to only sample some locations as representative of
all other locations.. The decision where to collect data is highly dependent on the parameters of
your project. First deciding where to collect data may influence your next decision, deciding
what data to collect.
Deciding what data to collect

Data is the fuel that drives this M&E-GIS project. The decision about what data to collect may
be one of the most important decisions you will make.
Two basic types of data can be used to accomplish your M&E purposes. First, primary data are
collected firsthand by you for your specific project and are usually the most useful data because
you collect this data with your project goals in mind. Another type of data is secondary data
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which originates from others who collect data for a task unrelated to your project but which can
still be of value to you.
The cardinal rule of data collection is “Only collect the amount of data you need – no more.”
Limit the number of data items to be monitored to a manageable number that will provide the
most useful information for the project and that will not require the use of excessive personnel
time and project money.
The key indicators you define for data collection are highly dependent on the nature of your
project. At this point it would be a good idea to read Chapter 3, Selecting Key Performance
Indicators to Monitor Outcomes in the book “Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and
Evaluation System”.
The goal is identify the key indicators needed to create a thematic map that will be a graphic
portrayal of the answer to a question.
Annex C, Intermediate Outcome Measurement, contains some additional useful instruction on

defining your key indicators. Take a minute and read those comments in Annex C now.
Some examples of key indicators for data collection used in the case study in Chapter 19 are:
 Was the water treatment system operating on the day the technician visited the site? Yes
or No?
 If the system was not operating, what part required repair?
 After the repair, was the system operational? Yes or No.
In addition to key indicators, we must have some spatial data for the purpose of accurately
positioning the data on a map. Each set of key indicators for one specific location must have
coordinates specifying the latitude and longitude of the location. This location data can be
obtained using a GPS, derived from a reference map or from an online resource such as Google
Earth.
At this point, fill in your data source choices and your key indicators on the Project Form in the
boxes titled “Data sources” and “Key indicators”.
Tips on using a GPS for GIS data collection

When using a GPS to determine the coordinates of a location, set the GPS datum to the same
datum used by the digital maps in your GIS. One of the most commonly used datums is WGS 84.
You can determine the datum used in your digital map by using your GIS software to look in the
map’s metadata.
Set the GPS’s coordinate unit format to meet the input requirements of your GIS, e.g., QGIS
input requires that latitude and longitude be formatted as a decimal number so you must set the
GPS coordinate unit’s format to degrees and decimals of degrees.
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Chapter 10:
Defining the
Data Collection Process
 Deciding who will collect the data
 Deciding how often to collect data
 Designing the data collection forms
 Collecting the data
Deciding who will collect the data

This decision depends on your project, its management and its stakeholders. Chapter 4 of the
book “Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System” by Kusek and Rist
offers some guidance, suggestions and examples.
Deciding how often to collect the data

Again, this decision depends on your project, its management and its stakeholders And Kusek
and Rist also have some useful ideas on this topic in Chapter 4.
At this point, fill in the persons responsible for data collection and the frequency of data on the
Project Form in the box titled “Data sources”.
Designing the data collection forms

This is one of the most important steps for developing a workable M&E-GIS system. Our goals
are to insure that the data collected is reliable, accurate, valid, timely and consistent.
One method that maximizes the potential of achieving these goals is to design forms that use
checkboxes for recording the valid categories of the Key Indicators.
An example of an initial assessment data collection form is shown in Figure 3, Initial Assessment
Form. To record the Key Indicator “current source of drinking water”, the data collector only has
to check a box from the list of potential valid answers.
An example of a continuous monitoring data collection form is shown in Figure 4, Monitoring

Data Collection Form. Seven locations are being monitored. The key indicator is the “System
Operating Status” of the equipment at each location. The four rightmost columns of the form in
Figure 4 describe the four possible values of the key indicator “System Operating Status”:
 Operating OK
 Not operating
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 Operating OK after repair

 Unknown.
Notice that in Figure 4, Monitoring Data Collection Form, the text is bilingual and uses large
font sizes for readability. Because the data collector only reads and writes Vietnamese and the
data inputer only reads and writes English, confusion is avoided and accuracy is increased.
Design your own data collection forms to gather data for each of the key indicators you defined
in the previous chapter.
Collecting the data

Once the forms have been designed, ask two or three persons who will eventually be collecting
the data to test the form. Listen to their feedback and make useful changes.
Examples
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Figure 3. Initial Assessment Form

Name of site: Date: Your Name: Site Number:
Province: District Commune/Village
: : :
Health Clinic School (level) Household Other
Avg daily population_____ Est. water usage/day_______ # water stations____
GPS Coordinates (WGS84): Latitude: N or S Longitude: E or W
1. Current source for drinking water:

a. Central distribution from piped system
b. Dug well 1) concrete lined 2) unlined 3) covered 4) pad 5) pump 6) bucket
c. Drilled well 1) electric pump 2) hand pump
d. Surface water (river, stream or pond) e. Rain water
f. Bottled water (commercial)
h. Does water source ever become dry? 1) yes 2) no
i. If source is a well, what is the distance of the well from the nearest latrine? feet
j. Is city (piped) water available nearby? 1) yes 2) no How far away? feet
2. Current treatment method: (check all that are used)

a. Sand filter
b. Boiling Method: 1) electricity 2) wood or charcoal fire 3) gas burner
c. Ceramic filter
d. Chlorine
e. No treatment before use
f. Ultraviolet
g. Other (describe)
3. Storage method for drinking water: (check all that are used)
a. Cistern Type: 1) covered 2) uncovered
b. Tank Type: 1) plastic 2) metal 3) other
c. Small Container Type: 1) plastic 2) thermos 3) other
d. No Storage
4. Quality of raw source water 5. Quality of pretreated water

color odor Turbidity Bacteria
(NTU) test
(+ or -)
6. Organizations that have providing assistance with water and sanitation projects:
None
MEDRIX
Self Help
Provincial level government
Local government agency
Other
(People’s Party)
7. Perceptions:
a. Are you satisfied with this water source? 1) yes 2) no
b. Do you like the taste of this water? 1) yes 2) no
c. If you could choose any water source, what water would you choose? Why?
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Figure 4. Monitoring Data Collection Form:
BÁO CÁO TÌNH TRANG HOẠT ĐỘNG CỦA CÁC HỆ THỐNG UV TẠI HUYÊN PHÚ LỘC
M&E OPERATING STATUS UV WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM PHU LOC DISTRICT
THÁNG NĂM 2011 (Date Month 2011)
Người thực hiện: Ngày thực hiện:

Report conducted by: Date of report:
TÌNH TRẠNG HOẠT ĐỘNG - System operating status

HỆ THỐNG
HỆ THỐNG
HOẠT ĐỘNG
HOẠT ĐỘNG HỆ THỐNG
STT ĐỊA ĐIỂM LẮP ĐẶT TỐT SAU BẢO
BÌNH KHÔNG KHÔNG RÕ
NO. Location TRÌ
THƯỜNG HOẠT ĐỘNG Unknown
Operating OK
Operating Not operating
after
OK
maintenance
Trường Phổ thông cấp I và
1
cấp II Mai Gia Phường
2 Trường mầm non Tân Bình
3 Trường mầm non Lộc Bình
Trường mầm non Mai Gia
4
Phường
5 Trường mầm non sao Mai
6 Trường tiểu học số II Lộc Trì
7 Trường tiểu học số I Lộc Trì
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Chapter 11:
Designing and Creating the
Data Input Table
 Purpose
 Getting started
 Defining data items as GIS attributes
 Saving data for importing into GIS
Purpose
This is perhaps one of the most important chapters in this entire document. Consequently, it will
also be longer than most chapters to explain the steps in creating the data input table. .
In this chapter we will take the data items that you defined as key indicators in Chapter 9 and
logically format those items in a spreadsheet. The end result of this step will be a spreadsheet
table that will be input to your GIS program and reside in an attribute table inside your GIS
application.
Assumption -- you are now somewhat proficient in using the GIS software package you have
chosen for this project.
Getting Started
This process is best accomplished iteratively. First, sketch your ideas out on paper. Then create a
simple table in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or the free, open-source software
OpenOffice and import the data into your GIS to create an attribute table. Once this process is
well understood and working correctly, then complete your spreadsheet table with all the data
items (key indicators) you plan to monitor and repeat the importing step.
Defining data items as GIS attributes
Required data items

Unique record ID
Each row of data in the spreadsheet must have a unique identifier. You can assign these unique
identifiers yourself or use some system that already exists to number the locations. If you had a
corresponding data item on our initial assessment form (Chap 10), you may want to use this item
as your unique record ID. This feature may be useful for later map work. In the example shown
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below the unique record ID is the first column named “Site-No” which corresponds to the Site
Number field on the Initial Assessment Form.
Spatial Coordinates:
Create a simple spreadsheet like the following example, then save the spreadsheet in CSV file
format.
The first row must be a header row with field names (no commas allowed). The header row must
have column labels for the X and Y coordinate fields; these fields can have any name.
Note: Values for latitude are entered with no sign or a plus sign in the northern hemisphere and
are entered with a minus sign in the southern hemisphere
By definition, the Prime Meridian, which passes through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,
England, establishes the position of zero degrees longitude. If the direction of longitude is
designated as east (or E) then the longitude value is positive. If the direction of longitude is
designated as west (or W) then the longitude value is negative. If no E or W is specified, then,
positive longitude values are east of the Prime Meridian, and negative values are west of the
Prime Meridian.
Next, add two new column headers “Long-adj” and “Lat-adj” and copy the original coordinates
into these new columns. These columns will be useful later when you discover that some
locations are displayed too close together on your map or when two data points share the same
coordinates.
Now your spreadsheet should look like the one below. Save this file in CSV format then import
the CSV version of the spreadsheet into your GIS application and select the columns “Long-adj”
and “Lat-adj” for plotting.
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If you are using QGIS software, add two more columns Label-X and Label-Y to your
spreadsheet. Enter the text word “NULL” in every cell in these columns. Later, this feature will
allow you to move text labels around on your map to improve legibility. If you are not using
QGIS software, you can skip this step.
Optional one-time data items
Some data from the Initial Assessment Form will be entered only once in the spreadsheet table.
Examples of one-time entries include: location name, type of location (school, clinic, etc), and
other data items that do not change with time. Add a column for each data item you need to
track.
Location Name: One idea is to add several columns for the Location Name - a long name that
may be the technical name of the location but that will be too long to display on a map, a short
name that will display nicely on a map, and a name in a 2nd language if two languages are
commonly used in the project area.
Other Data Items: Look at the Initial Assessment Form you designed in Chapter 10 and decide
what other data items should be stored as columns in the spreadsheet for your use in the GIS
attribute file for mapping.
Optional recurring data items
Most likely the recurring data items will come from your monitoring data collection form - take
time to review that form now. Look back to Chapter 9 -- what key indicators did you define?
Create a column for each reporting event of a key indicator. The frequency of data sampling will
dictate how many columns to create. For example, if one key indicator is “Test water samples for
presence of e coli” and your testing frequency is monthly, you should add 12 columns to monitor
one year’s worth of data. An example is:
If you want to store more than one-year’s data in the spreadsheet, then include the year in name
of the data item, e.g., EC-May-12.
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Next, consider the codes that you will enter for each key indicator to designate the outcome.
Look back at the columns in the Monitoring Data Collection Form from Chapter 10. One code is
needed for each column in the form. In the example in Figure 4 of Chapter 10, four values are
possible for the key indicator OPERATING STATUS:
The easiest coding would be:

1. Operating OK,
2. Not operating,
3. Operating OK after maintenance,
4. Unknown
Add a column for the valid values of this key indicator. This column will be used later to
construct Style Templates in QGIS.
Filling in the rows

Add data in rows in the spreadsheet in the same order as on the Monitoring Data Collection
Form. Compare the rows in Figure 4 in Chapter 10 to the spreadsheet that follows.
This concludes the discussion on creating the data input table for GIS mapping.
Saving data for importing into GIS

Some GIS software requires that files used for importing data be in the format CSV (comma
separated variables). If you are using non-English language text in your spreadsheet, you should
save your spreadsheet file in Unicode or Unicode-16 format to preserve characters with accent
marks or non-English characters. Most spreadsheet programs have this option for saving files.
Test your GIS software to see if this is a requirement for importing your data files.
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Chapter 12:
Creating the Thematic Map
 The purpose of the thematic map
 Importing data from spreadsheet files
 Symbols, labels, etc
 How to adjust symbol layout to solve label overlap
Maps are a compact and elegant method of communicating information. Thematic map layers are
content-specific displaying information related to the topic or theme of the map.
Purpose
The purpose of creating a thematic map is to display the data that has been defined and collected
in Chapters 10 and 11 using the reference map created in Chapter 8 as a base or platform. The
data is the “theme” that will be displayed on your completed maps.
At this point, fill in your outcome map descriptions on the Project Form in the box titled
“Outcome maps expected” And before you spend any time creating thematic maps, fill in the
box of the Project Form titled “What question does this map answer”
Importing Data from Spreadsheet Files

Importing the key indicator data you have collected using your GIS software is the next step
toward the goal of displaying M&E information on your reference map.
Detailed instructions for creating a thematic map using QGIS software can be found in Task 3 of
the case study in Chapter 19. The general strategy and work flow described in Task 3 applies to
any GIS software application.
Symbols
Once you have imported your data into GIS and displayed the data as a map layer, you must give
the person viewing your map some clues to correctly interpret the meaning of your data. Data is
displayed as symbols including points, lines, object or pictures on the map that represent real
objects on the ground.
Some tips on choosing appropriate symbols are:

 Using different shapes for symbols is preferred to using different colors. The reason is
that if your maps are copied on a black and white copy machine, shapes will be
unchanged but colors may become indistinguishable.
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 Colors may have “hidden” meanings that may vary from culture to culture - the classis
example is “red means danger, yellow means caution and green means good” which
corresponds to the colors in a traffic light. In some cultures, those colors may have other
meanings. Understand the meanings in the culture you are working in.
 Choose shapes and colors for point symbols that are culturally appropriate -- review your
choices with key stakeholder.
Labels
Symbols need labels to explain their meanings. Labeling is a function of all GIS software but
some general principles should be observed in labeling:
One problem occurs when points are so close together that their labels overlap. If you GIS
software does not solve this problem for you, there are two methods you can use to make the
labels readable.
1. Adjust latitude / longitude coordinates in your data input table defined in Chapter 11.
Experiment by changing the coordinates in the fields LAT-ADJ and LONG-ADJ. In your
GIS application, remove the data layer and re-import from the revised data file. This
method moves both the label and the point symbol. Only use this method if the points on
the map do not need to be exactly in their correct position.
2. Use the label offset feature in your GIS software to move the location of label but not
the location of point symbol. In QGIS this is accomplished by adding columns Label-X
and Label-Y (formatted as numeric with no decimal points) to the data input file. You can
see an example of this technique in Step 9 of Task 3 in Chapter 19.
Summary
Detailed instructions for creating a thematic map using QGIS software can be found in Task 3 of
the case study in Chapter 19. The general strategy and work flow described in Task 3 applies to
any GIS software application.
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Part 3:
Updating Data
in the
M&E-GIS System
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Chapter 13:
Getting Periodic Reports
from the Field
 Purpose
 Methods of data collection
Purpose
Collecting key indicator data in the field and sending that data to the GIS technician starts the
process of preparing the GIS maps that display the M&E results.
Methods of data collection

One method of starting this process is for the GIS technician to send electronically a blank report
form such as the one defined in Chapter 10 to the field person responsible for collecting the data.
This action should allow adequate time for the field worker to collect the data and return the
completed form to the GIS technician.
If it is not possible to communicate electronically with the field worker, then another method
should be worked out to gather the data. Sometimes a mobile phone call will be the most
efficient and effective method.
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Chapter 14:
Training the Data Input Staff
 Identifying who is responsible for training
 Topics for training
Purpose
Training is an important key to successful operation of the system. If data input requires a
significant amount of time, perhaps someone other than the GIS technician should be trained to
do the data entry.
Identifying who is responsible for training

The GIS technician should be responsible for training others to do the data entry in the GIS
system.
Topics for training
 Overview of the M&E-GIS reporting system and its purpose

 Importance of accuracy in data entry
 How to handle missing or invalid data
 Written instructions of step-by-step actions to enter data using the GIS software.
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Part 4:
Preparing Monitoring
and Evaluation
Reports
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Chapter 15:
Updating Data for the Map
 General procedures for data entry
Preparing accurate M&E reporting maps is a two step process:

1. Update data
2. Print maps
The person responsible for data collection may or may not be the person who was trained for
data input in the previous chapter.
It is desirable to update the data directly into the attribute table of the GIS application. Chapter
14 recommends that written instructions for this step be prepared.
Accuracy is critical if the resulting M&E report maps are to tell the true story of your project.
Quality control of data entry should be performed by a second person.
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Chapter 16:
Preparing the
Working Project Reporting Maps
 General guidelines for preparing maps
Purpose
Recall that in Chapter 5, Form 1: M&E - GIS Project Data helped define the maps that are
needed for your project. These maps were developed in Chapters 8 and 12.
Although many types of maps could be developed to serve many purposes, some commonly-
used maps include Current Status, Work Completed and Work To Do information. Detail
instructions for preparing these three maps can be found in Chapter 19.
A good final step is to ask one or two colleagues to review your maps. Another set of eyes can
often find errors that are invisible to you, the map creator. It is best to get this feedback before
your M&E maps are published .
Written instructions describing how to prepare the maps are absolutely necessary. The written
instructions are useful whenever the responsibility for preparing maps changes from one person
to another. The person familiar with the map preparation procedures may not be available to train
a new person. Another benefit of written instructions is to make sure this step is completed
quickly and accurately -- two areas that can suffer if the preparer has only his or her memory to
rely on for preparing the maps.
Distribution of the maps as reports is another critical step. If your hard work in data collection
and map preparation does not get to people who can use the information to make decisions, then
your hard work may be wasted. Distribution can be in the form of printed maps or can be done
electronically.
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Chapter 17:
Case Study of M&E
for a Medical Education Project
 Project description
 Completed Form 1: M&E - GIS Project Data
 Sample map
Project description
The not-for-profit organization MEDRIX has been sponsoring training of medical professionals
using a WHO/UNICEF-designed course titled Integrated Management of Childhood Illness
(IMCI).
Training has targeted the health care professionals in the nine districts of Thua Thien - Hue
province in central Vietnam. The nine districts vary greatly in population density of residents.
The question this project proposes to answer is this:

Is MEDRIX training health workers in proportion to the percentage of each district’s
resident population where the health professionals work?
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Form 1: M&E - GIS Project Data
Project name: Organization Name: Your name:

IMCI Training Distribution MEDRIX Thao Vu
Analysis
Project due date: Key contacts: Key stakeholders:
Aug 31, 2012 LaRelle, Ha, Bob MEDRIX, Hue Central
Hospital, Hue Medical
University, TT Hue Health
Services
Project description:
Use map display to show work locations of medical professionals trained in IMCI. Also
show district-by-district population distribution in the province.
Benefits to organization:
Insure appropriate application of training resources to maximize impact.
Intended audience(s) and languages:

All stakeholders / English
GIS software used: (6)

ArcGIS first then replicate in QGIS
Map file sources: (7)

GADM website
Key indicators: (9)

Job title of medical worker, district where person worked
Data sources, responsible persons and frequency of collection: (9,10)

MEDRIX class completion files, LaRelle and Ha, collected at time of class graduation
Population Statistics - Vietnamese statistics website -
http://www3.thuathienhue.gov.vn/GeographyBook/Default.aspx?sel=3&id=743
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Project name:
IMCI Training Distribution Analysis
Describe the outcome maps expected: (12) What question does this map answer?
Vietnam country map orients reader to where in Vietnam was the
area of investigation
Province populations percentages by Where do health care clients live?

district
Total number of medical personnel trained Were the numbers of medical personnel
in IMCI overlaid on population density trained equitably distributed according to
map of the province the 9 districts’ density of population?
Total number of doctors trained in IMCI Were the numbers of doctors trained
overlaid on population density map of the equitably distributed according to the 9
province districts’ density of population?
Total number of nurses trained in IMCI Were the numbers of nurses trained
Total number of midwives trained in IMCI Were the numbers of midwives trained
Comments:
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Chapter 18:
Future Topic
Purpose
Summary
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Part 5:
Case Study
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Chapter 19:
Case Study
Monitoring and Evaluation Work Plan

Using Quantum GIS (QGIS)
Version 2-32
By Robert L. Catherman
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this work plan is to provide a detailed, systematic method for individuals
to monitor and evaluate the operating status of ultraviolet water treatment systems installed in
rural schools. This information is useful for project supervisors, maintenance technicians and
school administrators. The plan presented involves the creation of a series of three standardized
monitoring and evaluation maps. Each map includes the geographic location of each UV water
treatment site within a specific district. These three maps depict the (1) current operating status,
(2) repairs completed and (3) repairs needed. Uniform map templates are constructed to insure
standardization and consistent data presentation throughout the project. Finally, these
instructions describe how to update status information on a regular basis from field reports, and
to prepare and print maps for distribution to project stakeholders.
Corrections, questions and suggestions should be emailed to Robert Catherman at

robert2009vn@gmail.com
ONE-TIME SETUP ACTIONS
Task 1. SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

Time to complete: 10-20 minutes (depends on your download speed)
 Download QGIS 1.8 from website

http://www.qgis.org/wiki/Download (choose Stand Alone Installer)
 Install QGIS per instructions
 At the time these instructions were prepared, the current version of QGIS was 1.8.0
 Install Plug-ins
> Start QGIS
> Plug-ins > Manage plug-ins > Clear All >
> check the box for Add Delimited Text Label
> check the box for fTools
> OK
> File > Exit
It is possible to change the language of QGIS from English to another language such as
Vietnamese. However, since translation is the work of volunteers, the translation may be one or
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two versions behind the current version of QGIS. New commands and options that have not yet
been translated will still appear but in English.
To change to another language,

> Start QGIS
> Settings > Options > choose the Locale tab
> select an alternate language to use
> File > Exit
> Start QGIS

You should now see QGIS is the new language you selected.
Task 2. CREATE THE PROVINCE-LEVEL REFERENCE MAP

Two different types of map layers are needed for this project:
1) REFERENCE map layers that show the topology for the country,
province, district and commune levels, and
2) a THEMATIC map layer that contains the data to be analyzed and
displayed on the REFERENCE map.
In this task, the REFERENCE map layers are created and in the next task, the
THEMATIC map layer will be created.
Step 1: Locate and download administrative maps:
> On your computer create a new folder for this project named “TT-Hue-Province”
> Create a sub-folder in this new project folder named “VN-Maps”
Download source of admin maps from GADM website at http://www.gadm.org/

Choose “download the data by country”
> Country = Vietnam
> File format = Shapefile
> OK
> click on “Download” at bottom of map
> after the download finishes, copy and paste the ZIP file into a folder named
“VN-Maps” that you created
> extract the compressed ZIP files into the folder named “VN-Maps”
Step 2: Run QGIS program
>Start QGIS
>Click on File > New project
Step 3: Add layer for country

>Left click on Add Vector Layer icon
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>for dataset, browse folder “VN-Maps” to file: VNM_adm1.shp

>Open > Open
>right click on layer name > Rename > Country
Step 4: Add layer for provinces

>for dataset, browse folder “VN-Maps” to file: VNM_adm2.shp
>Open > Open
>right click on layer name > Rename > Province
Step 5: Add layer for districts

> Left click on Add Vector Layer icon
> for dataset, browse folder “VN-Maps” to file: VNM_adm3.shp
> Open > Open
> right click on layer name > Rename > District
Step 6: Add layer for communes

> Left click on Add Vector Layer icon
> for dataset, browse folder “VN-Maps” to file: VNM_adm4.shp
> Open > Open
> Right click on layer name > Rename > Commune
Step 7: Identify map projection
> Click on Setting > Project Properties > Coordinate Reference System tab
> choose WGS 84 > Apply > OK
Step 8: Save Project
> File > Save Project As > “TT-Hue-Map” in the project folder named “TT-Hue-
Province” that you created in Step 1
Step 9: (Optional) Clip layers to remove all data except data for the province of TT-Hue (this
will make the project file load and redraw much, much faster)
> Right click Province layer > Properties >

General tab > click Query Builder button > double click VARNAME_2 in Fields
box > single click on “=” > click “All” in Values box and double-click on
“Thua Thien-Hue Province” item > OK
Apply > OK
> Left click on Vector Menu > Geoprocessing Tools > Clip
> Input vector layer = Province
> Clip layer = Province
> Browse to folder named “TT-Hue-Province”
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> Output Shape file “Province-clipped” > Save > OK

> Answer “add new layer to TOC” with “Yes”
> Close
> Right click Province layer > Remove
> Right click “Province-clipped” layer > Rename > “Province”
> Input vector layer = District
> Output Shape file “District-clipped” > Save > OK
> Close
> Right click “District” layer > Remove
> Right click “District-clipped” layer > Rename > “District”
If you right click on layer “District” then left click on Open Attribute Table, you will see
several districts are included in the clipped layer that are NOT in TT-Hue province.
However, these districts are adjacent to TT-Hue province and that is how the “clip”
function works. For now, these additional districts are not causing us any problems, so
we will leave them in the Attribute Table.
> Input vector layer = Commune
> Output Shape file “Commune-clipped” > Save > OK
> Close
> Right click “Commune” layer > Remove
> Right click “Commune-clipped” layer > Rename > “Commune”
Again, if you open the Attribute Table, you will see numerous communes are included in
the clipped layer that are NOT in TT-Hue province.
> File > Save Project
The project file is now optimized to contain only data for TT-Hue province.
Step 10: Adjust layer properties
> Right click Country layer > Properties >

Style tab > click New Symbology button (Note: if “old symbology” button is
displayed, then “new” has already been selected – no action is necessary) >
click on “Change” button that has small tool icon >
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Fill Style = no brush > OK

Border Color = black > OK
Border Style = solid line > OK
Border Width = 0.5 > OK
> Right click Province layer > Properties >

Style tab > click on “Change” button that has small tool icon >
Fill Style = solid > OK
General tab > click Query Builder button > double click VARNAME_2 in Fields
‘Thua Thien-Hue’ item > OK
Apply > OK
> Right click District layer > Properties >

Style tab > click on “Change” button
Color = pale yellow > OK
> Apply > OK
> Right click Commune layer > Properties >

Style tab> click on “Change” button
> Fill Style = No Brush
Apply > OK
Step 11: Zoom to province level
> Right click the “Province” layer > zoom to layer extent
Step 12: Save project

> File > Exit
This completes the REFERENCE map for the Province of Thua Thien-Hue
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Task 3. CREATE THE DISTRICT-LEVEL THEMATIC MAP

Time to complete: 30 minutes
Step 1: Start new project for district
> In the project folder named “TT-Hue-province”, create a sub-folder for the district files,
name the new folder “PhuLoc”
> Start QGIS
> File > Open Project > “TT-Hue-Map” found in folder “TT-Hue-Province”
> Right click District layer > Properties >
Style tab > click on “Change” button
Color = pale yellow > OK
General tab > Subset > Query Builder > double click VARNAME_3 in Fields
’Phu Loc’ item > OK
> File > Save Project As > file name = “PhuLocMap” in sub-folder “PhuLoc”
Step 2: Convert XLS format project site master file to Unicode Text format file to create an
Object-ID (Excel will not do this for XLS files) (Note: for some helpful information on the most
useful format for this Excel file, read Chapter 11, Designing and Creating the Data Input Table,
in the handbook titled Monitoring and Evaluating Development Projects Using GIS.)
> Copy file PhuLocData.xls into project folder

> In Excel click on File > Open PhuLocData.xls.
> File > Save As
> In the “Save as type” box, change to “Unicode Text”
> Save > yes
> File > Exit > no
Step 3: Add project site master list as a text layer
> In QGIS
> Click on “Layer” > Add delimited Text Layer > Browse for file PhuLocData.txt >
Open
> click on “selected delimiters” and “tab” (remove “X” from all other delimiter choices)
> for “X Y Fields” > choose for X Field > “Long” > and for Y Field > “Lat”
> Select “WGS 84”
> OK
Step 4: Convert text layer to shapefile format and then remove delimited text layer
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Create Shapefile
> Right click the new text layer (PhuLocData) > select “save as” option > change
format to “ESRI shapefile” > in Save As box, browse to folder “PhuLoc” in “TT-
Hue-Province” folder > name the file “UV_Sites” > click on Save button > OK >
OK
Remove the text layer but keep the shapefile layer

> Right click the text layer “PhuLocData” created in Step 3 > Remove
Add the newly created Shapefile as a QGIS map layer

> Click on “Layer” > Select “Add Vector Layer” > browse to folder “PhuLoc” in
“TT-Hue-Province” folder and click on the shapefile named “UV_Sites.shp” >
Open > Open
Note: the layers must be in the following order. If they are not in this order, rearrange by
dragging and dropping the layers names in left panel until they are in this order.
UV_Sites
Commune
District
Province
Country
Step 5: Save Project as district map
Step 6: Zoom to site level
> Right click the “UV_Sites” layer > click on “Zoom to layer extent”
Step 7: Display site names on map.
Left click once on UV_Sites layer > then click on “Layer” in Menu bar > Labeling
> Label Settings tab > click “X” in “Label this Layer” > Field with Labels = VN-Name >
Font = Arial, Bold, 8 > OK > color = black > “X” in Buffer box > Size = 1.0 mm
> Advanced tab > choose “Around point” > Label Distance = 2 mm
> Data defined settings tab > scroll down to box named “position”.
> X Coordinate > Label-X
> Y Coordinate > Label-Y
> Apply > OK
Step 8:
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Step 9: Fine-tuning the placement of the labels for the UV Sites
This technique does not move the coordinates of the site but only repositions the label.
> Right click on “UV_Sites” layer >

> Left click on the pen icon that is named “Toggle Editing”
> Left click on “Move Label” icon on Label toolbar (cursor will change to a cross)
> move cursor over label to be moved
> left click to drag label and move to new location > release left mouse button
> when finished moving labels

> right click on “UV_Sites” layer
> left click on the pen icon that is named “Toggle Editing” to turn editing off
> Save
Note: the coordinates of the “moved label” will be stored in the attribute table in columns
Label-X and Label-Y
Step 10:
Step 11: Backup your work
Make a copy of the entire project folder on a CD, DVD, thumb drive, portable hard drive
or some other media which can be moved off-site. Store this copy at some location away from
your computer in case of fire, theft, earthquake, hard drive crash, etc. After working so hard on
this project, it would be a shame to lose all your labor.
Comment: Another method of adjusting the placement of the labels for the UV Sites
If the texts of labels overlap each other, you can adjust the location of the points
representing the site locations. You can move the site locations further apart by changing
the longitude and/or latitude coordinates in the Excel file. Make your changes in the
fields LAT-ADJ and LONG-ADJ (now you know the purpose of those two fields). The
point’s correct and accurate coordinates are still preserved in the fields LAT and LONG.
When you import the Unicode text file, use the fields named LAT-ADJ and LONG-ADJ
in the X-field and Y-field in Step 3.
This technique takes a little experimentation to achieve the result of non-overlapping

points. Each time you make a change to coordinates in the Excel file, you must save the
file in Unicode Text format (step 2) then return to QGIS and press the “R” key while
holding down the CTRL key (refresh). You will see the results of your changes
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immediately. The end result of using this method is that the points are not exactly in the
correct locations but the labels are more readable.
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Task 4. CREATE LEGEND SYMBOLS AND TEXT STYLES

This section adds standard symbols and text styles for the legends that will print on the maps.
The symbols and styles set up in this section will be available in QGIS regardless of what folder
or project is active. Legend text DOES support Unicode so text can be written in the Vietnamese
language and will appear correctly on the map.
Step 1. Build symbol icon table for all codes used in project
> File > Open Project > “PhuLocMap” in folder “PhuLoc”
>left click on UV_Sites layer > Right click > Properties > Style tab > New Symbology
(this may not appear if is has already been selected in a previous step) > Choose “Single
Symbol” in box at upper left (if not already chosen) > Style Manager button > Add >
refer to Tables A, B and C below

> add the symbol for each value from the columns with heading “Symbol, Color and
Size”
> Name = from column with heading “Table# and Code” > OK
> continue to add symbols until you reach the bottom of Table C
(Note: the same symbol may be used for more than one value – you only need to add the
symbol once)
> Close > OK
Table A – Status Code-symbol Table
Table # Value Label - Vietnamese - English Symbol Color Size

and Code
T-1-0 0 Hoạt động bình thường - Operating OK Circle green 3
T-1-1 1 Không hoạt động - Not operating Pentagon red 5
T-1-2 2 Hoạt động tốt sau sửa chữa - Operating OK Triangle green 5
after repairs
T-1-3 3 Không rõ - Unknown Star black 5
T-1-4 4 Đã súc rửa để nghỉ hè - Cleaned and shut Square green 3
down for summer
T-1-5 5 Đã hoạt động lại sau hè và hoạt động tốt - Triangle Blue 3
Restarted after summer shutdown and
operating OK
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Table B – Repair Code-symbol Table

Table # Value Label - Vietnamese - English Symbol Color Size
and Code
T-2-0 0 Không cần sửa chữa - No repairs needed Circle green 3
T-2-1 1 Sửa bộ phân điện - Repair electrical Square Blue 3
connector
T-2-2 2 Thay chấn lưu - Replaced transformer Triangle Blue 5
T-2-3 3 Thay thế đèn UV - Replaced UV lamp Pentagon yellow 5
T-2-4 4 Sửa chữa rò rỉ - Repaired leak Circle black 5
T-2-5 5 Làm sạch bộ lọc cát - Fix sand filter Square green 3
T-2-6 6 Thay van - Replaced valve Star black 5
T-2-7 7 Thay vòi nước - Replaced faucet Triangle green 5
T-2-8 8 Khác - Other Circle white 5
T-2-11 11 Thay chấn lưu/ thế đèn UV - Replaced Pentagon red 5
transformer/UV lamp
T-2-12 12 Đã hoạt động lại sau hè - Restarted after Triangle Blue 3
summer shutdown
Table C – Work Needed Code-symbol Table
T-3-0 0 Không cần sửa chữa - No repairs needed Circle green 3
T-3-1 1 Thiếu linh kiên thay thế - Lack of spare Star black 5
parts
T-3-2 2 Không rõ nguyên nhân - Reason not known Triangle Blue 5
T-3-3 3 Nguyên nhân khác - Other reasons Triangle green 5
T-3-4 4 Yêu cầu hỗ trợ kỹ thuật từ tt nước - Need Square Blue 3
technical support from CERWASS
T-3-5 5 Tập huấn lại cho người sử dụng - Provide Circle white 5
more training to the users
T-3-6 6 CV Khác - Other work needed Pentagon yellow 5
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Step 2. Build Status map style table
> File > Open Project > “PhuLocMap”
> left click on UV_Sites layer > Right click > Properties > Style tab > choose
“Categorized” in box at upper left > Column box > select StatusL > click Classify button
> if previous versions are found then click “Yes” to delete previous; if no previous
versions were found, this question will not appear
> refer to Table A and look for the columns titled “Value, Label and Symbol”.
> using the data from each row in Table A, change the symbol and label on the screen
above
> On the above screen, double click on the symbol and select the symbol with the
matching name
> On the above screen, double click on the label to highlight the label text
> Copy the text from the corresponding row in Table A,
> Paste the copied text into the label on the above screen
> Press the Enter key when finished copying and pasting
> delete any unused lines in the list
> when complete, click on Save Style button > folder = ”PhuLoc”; style name =
“StatusStyle” > Save > OK
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Step 3. Build Repair map style table
“Categorized” in box at upper left > Column box > select RepairL > click Classify button
> if previous versions are found then click “Yes” to delete previous; if not previous
> refer to Table B and look for the columns titled “Value, Label and Symbol”.
> using the data from each row in Table B, change the symbol and label on the screen
above
matching name
> Copy the text from the corresponding row in Table B
> when complete, click on Save Style button > style name = “RepairStyle” > Save > OK
Step 4. Build WorkToDo map style table
“Categorized” in box at upper left > Column box > select WorkL > click Classify button
> if previous versions are found then click “Yes” to delete previous; if not previous
> refer to Table C and look for the columns titled “Value, Label and Symbol”.
> using the data from each row in Table C, change the symbol and label on the screen
above
matching name
> Copy the text from the corresponding row in Table C
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> when complete, click on Save Style button > style name = “WorkToDoStyle” > Save >
OK
> OK
Task 5. CREATE TEMPLATES FOR THE REPORTS

Step 1: Open map of district and load status style

> Right click on UV_Sites layer > Properties
> Style Tab > Load Style > “StatusStyle” > Open > OK
Step 2: Creating a new template for printing the map
Select the map layers you want to appear on the printed map. In the table of contents on
the left of the screen, uncheck layers you don’t want to print. Normally, you will have
checked the layers of UV_Sites, Province (VNM_adm2), District (VNM_adm3), and
Commune (VNM_adm4)
Position the map in the screen as you want it to appear when printed. Some labels may
need to be moved so they will not be cut off on the right side.
Composer Format:
If this is the first time you are creating a print layout

> File > New Print Composer > General tab > Orientation = landscape
Narrow the panel on the right

> drag the panel border to the right
> View > Zoom Full
> add map by clicking on “Layout” > Add Map > then drag a box to fill the white
space by positioning the pointer in the upper left corner of the white space,
holding down the left button on the mouse, and moving the mouse pointer to the
lower right corner of the white box, then releasing the mouse button
> IMPORTANT NOTE: the map must NOT extend outside the borders of the
white space. If it does, part of the map will be cut off when you print. If the map
does not appear the way you want, go back to the map to adjust the view then
return to Print Composer. Click on the Item tab and Update Preview button to see
your changes.
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> File > Save as template > folder = ”PhuLoc”; template name =
PhuLocStatusMap > Save
> Quit
Step 3: Rename Your Print Format in Print Composer
> File > Composer Manager > click on composer item with highest number > rename >
name = “PhuLocStatusMap” > OK > Show > Close
Step 4: Adding Title, Legend and other map text
To make changes to this print layout once it has been created,

> File > Print Composers > PhuLocStatusMap > Open
For the correct positioning of the following labels, refer to the sample map that follows
Step 6 of this Task.
Map Title (Vietnamese language): add title by clicking on “Layout” > Add Label >
then click in the map.
In the QGIS right panel
> Item tab, Label box > copy and paste title from Table 1 of Appendix B and
select font > Arial > Size 16, Bold, Horizontal Alignment = Left
> General options tab (bottom of frame) > Frame color = black > Outline width =
0.5 >
Position the map title box in the upper left corner of the map. Make the box large enough
to include the Map Title in English below the Map Title in Vietnamese (see example at
the end of this step)
Map Title (English language): add title by clicking on “Layout” > Add Label > then
click in the map.
> Item tab, Label box > copy and paste title from Table 1 of Appendix B and
select font > Arial > Size 12, Normal, Horizontal Alignment = Left, Vertical
Alignment = Top
> General options tab (bottom of frame) > remove “X” from box for “Show
Frame” > Outline width = 0.0 >
Drag this map title box inside the Map Title box containing the title in Vietnamese
language. If the English title disappears, click on Layout > Bring to the Front
Data Source Labels: add data source text box by clicking on “Layout” > Add Label >
then click in the map.
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> Item tab, Label box > copy and paste common data source text from Table 4 of
Appendix B and select font > Arial > normal for Vietnamese and English > Size
10 > Horizontal alignment > Right
0.5 >
Position the Data Source text box in the lower right corner of the map.
District Label: add district name by clicking on “Layout” > Add Label > then click on
the map.
> Item tab, Label box > copy and paste district name from Table 4 of Appendix A
> Arial > Bold for Vietnamese and English, Size 24 for Vietnamese and 16 for
English> Horizontal alignment > Right
Position the district label box in the upper right corner of the map
Add the District Label in English inside the District Label box following the same
method as for the Map Title box.
Date Label: add date label by clicking on “Layout” > Add Label > then click in the map.
In the right panel
> Item tab, Label box > edit date and select font > Arial > Size = 16, Bold for
Vietnamese and English > Horizontal alignment > Center
0.5 >
Position the date label box in the upper part of the map in a place where it does not cover
any site labels.
Add the Date Label in English inside the Date Label box following the same method as
for the Map Title box.
Legend: Add a legend by clicking on “Layout” > Add Vector Legend > then click
anywhere in the map space.

> click on the Item Tab > click on the sub-tab General > in Title box, replace
“Legend” with “Chú Thích – Legend” > select Title Font > Arial > Size 16, Bold
> Item tab, Legend Items sub-tab > delete Commune, District and Province
legend items by clicking once on “Commune” and clicking on the “-“ button, do
the same for District and Province > click Update button
> Adjust placement of legend box so it is readable and does not overlay any symbols.
Drag and drop the legend at the appropriate place in the map, then use arrow keys for
fine-tuning position adjustments. If the legend box initially appears extremely large or
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disproportionate, this may be corrected by > Click inside the legend box area > Items
>Item Options > Position and Size: Width = 117 and Height = 42 > Set Position.
North Arrow: add north arrow by clicking on “Layout” > Add Image > click in the map
and wait for pop up box. On the right side under item tab and choose north arrow you
prefer from icon table > click on Item Tab > at bottom of screen, click on “General
Options” > drag Opacity slider to far left > remove check mark from “show frame” box
Position the North Arrow on the map in a place where it does not cover any site labels.
Background Color: To change background color > click in map.

In the right panel
> “Item Tab” > click on “General Options” > click on “Background Color” >
choose blue to represent water (for consistency, use : Hue = 220, Sat = 75, Val =
255, Red = 180, Green = 205, Blue = 255) > OK
Miscellaneous Geographical Information Box: add an information box such as the

name of the lagoon by clicking on “Layout” > Add Label > then click in the map. In the
right panel
> Item tab, Label box > “Tam Giang Cau Hai lagoon” > Arial > Size 14, Bold >
font color = white
> General Options tab at bottom of screen > drag Opacity slider to far left > remove
check mark from “show frame” box
Step 5: Save as Template:
> File > Save as Template > folder = “PhuLoc” name = PhuLocStatusMap > Save > Yes
> File > Quit
The end result of this work is a map that should look similar to this:
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Step 7: Create template for “repairs” map

> Style Tab > Load Style > “RepairStyle” > Open > OK
> File > New Print Composer > File > Load from Template > name = PhuLocStatusMap
> Open
> File > Save as template > name = PhuLocRepairMap > Save (note the new name)

> View > Zoom Full
Change the Map Title:

> click in title box.
In the right panel
> Item tab, Label tab > copy and paste title from Table 2 of Appendix B
Delete the Legend box:

> click inside the box
> press Delete key.
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Add a new legend box following the instructions in Step 4 of this Task.
> File > Save as template > Name = PhuLocRepairMap > Save (note the new name)
> File > Quit
name = “PhuLocRepairMap” > Close

> File > Print Composers > PhuLocRepairMap > Open
Step 8: Create template for “work to do” map

> Style Tab > Load Style > “WorkToDoStyle” > Open > OK
> File > New Print Composer > File > Load from Template > Name = PhuLocStatusMap
> Open
> File > Save as template > name = PhuLocWorkToDoMap > Save (note the new
name)

> View > Zoom Full
Change the Map Title:

> click in the title box.
In the right panel
> Item tab, Label tab > copy and paste title from Table 3 of Appendix B
Delete the Legend box:

> click inside the box
> press Delete key.
Add a new legend box following the instructions in Step 4 of this Task.
> File > Save as template > name = PhuLocWorkToDoMap > Save (note the new
name)
> File > Quit
name = “PhuLocWorkToDoMap” > Close
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> File > Print Composers > PhuLocWorkToDoMap > Open
> File > Exit
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MONTHLY REPORTING
Task 6. UPDATE DATA FROM MONTHLY FIELD REPORTS

Step 1: Review monthly report received from field technicians
>Review monthly report

>Refer to codes in tables 1, 2, and 3 in Appendix A
Step 2: Update site data in QGIS attribute file from monthly report
>Start QGIS
> File >Open Project -- Master District Map named “PhuLocMap”
>Right click on “UV_Sites” layer > Open attribute table

>Left click on the pen icon named “Toggle Editing Mode” at the bottom of the screen
Match data from the report with entries in the attribute table for the correct date and field
(S=status, R=repairs completed, X= reason for non-operational status) using codes in
Appendix A > type codes in matching cells
> when finished, click on pen icon again (Toggle Editing Mode) to end editing > when
prompted, click on “save” to save your changes
> Close the attribute table
Note: if you are using QUERY BUILDER for this layer, you can not edit data in the attribute
table of this layer.
Step 4: Backup procedure: To avoid losing data in the event of a human or computer error, make
a backup copy of the updated data as follows:
> Left click on UV_Sites layer

> Right click and select “Save As”
> Format = Comma Separated Value (CSV)
> Save As file name = PhuLoc<month and year>BackupData > Save > Cancel
>Attribute data could be quickly rebuilt from this backup file using Steps 3 through 8 of
Task 3 – Create District Thematic Map
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PRINT REPORTS
The goal is to print three separate maps: one for the current operating status, one for repairs
completed last month and one for work to do in the future.
Task 7. Report #1 – Operating Status

Step 1: Open file
> File > Open Project > “PhuLocMap” > Open
Step 2: Select / categorize by Operating Status

> Style Tab > Load Style > “StatusStyle” > Open
> Categorized > Column = select month and S, for example Nov_2011_S
> OPTION: if any code value was not reported this month, you can delete the code by
selecting that code then clicking on Delete button. To know which codes were not used,
you can check which labels appear on the map or you can open the attribute table (see
Task 6) and view the codes in use in the column you are using to display data. You may
want to not delete any codes so that all codes appear in the legend; it may be informative
to your map users to know what situations DID NOT occur on this map.
> Apply > OK
Step 3: Load “Status” Template
> File > Print Composers > choose “PhuLocStatusMap”

> click on Refresh icon
Step 4: Change Date
> click inside the date box > click on the Item Tab on the right panel > change the date to
the current reporting month
Step 5: Create image of map
> File > Export as Image > choose Files of Type = jpg > name file with an appropriate
name > Save
> Quit
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Step 7: Print map from image
>Open JPG Image of map using Microsoft Office Picture Manager or any program that
will open a JPG file > File > Print > uncheck “fit picture to frame” > Print
Task 8. Report #2 – Repairs Completed

This report uses many of the same steps as Report #1 – here are the differences
Step 1: Same
Step 2:
> Style Tab > Load style > ”RepairStyle” > Open
> Categorized > Column = select month and R
> Read the OPTION comment in Task 7, Step 2.
> Apply > OK
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Step 3: Load “Repair” Template

> File > Print Composers > choose “PhuLocRepairMap”
Step 4, 5, 6 and 7 : Same
Task 9. Report #3 – Non-operating Reasons

This report uses many of the same steps as Report #1 – here are the differences
Step 1: Same
Step 2:
> Style Tab > Load style > “WorkToDoStyle” > Open
> Categorized > Column = select month and X
> Read the OPTION comment in Task 7, Step 2.> Apply > OK
Step 3: Load “Work To Do” Template

> File > Print Composers > choose “PhuLocWorkToDoMap”
Step 4, 5, 6 and 7 : Same
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Task 10. Add an insert map (optional)

A helpful option is to add an insert map showing the district’s location within the province and
the country
The country map in the upper right corner is an example of an “insert map” Note that this is an
example only and your map will not look exactly like this.
The technique is to display your thematic map – then uncheck layers you don’t want to appear in
the insert, leave checked the layers you do want to appear, then go to Print Composer and add a
new map layer to an existing map composition.
Step 1: Select layers to appear in insert map
Select layers you want to see in the insert map and uncheck layers you don’t want to see
in the insert map. To unselect, click on layer box to remove the “X”; to select, click on an
empty layer box until “X” appears.
> Unselect layers UV_Sites, Commune
> Select layers “Province” and “District”
> Right click the “Province” layer > zoom to layer extent
Step 2. Add an insert map showing the district highlighted within the province
> File > Print Composer > choose Status template
> click the Add New Map icon > then drag a box over an empty area of the existing map
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> size the map by dragging the corners of the box
> you can alter the size of the map box and the position of the insert map inside the box
by clicking on the Item tab, Extents tab, and changing the values of x and y (the x and y
values are the longitude and latitude values that “box” the map area you want to display)
> when you are finished arranging map layers, click the Items tab, Map tab and put an
“X” in the “Lock layers for the map item” box
> move the insert map to the desired location on full map
> File > Save at template > choose Status Map template > Save
> File > Quit
> File > Save project
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Task 11. Create a Category (Choropleth) Thematic Map (Optional)

A category map is a thematic map in which

areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to
the measurement of the statistical variable being
displayed on the map, such as population
density or per-capita income. The category map
is most useful in displaying two sets of data on
the same map and provides a useful method of
comparison of two sets of data values. In the
following example we will compare the number
of health workers receiving training with the
general population densities of areas where the
workers serve. A category map is sometimes
called by its more technical name - a
“choropleth” map.
Step 1: Begin with the Province-Level Reference Map
>Start QGIS
> File > Open Project > folder = TT-Hue-Province > map named “TT-Hue-Map”
> uncheck the “X” for the Commune layer (we will not be displaying communes in this
task
> File > Save Project As > “Category-map” in the project folder named “TT-Hue-
Province”
Step 2: Create a data file of district populations
Create a data file in Unicode Text format to create an Object-ID (some versions of Excel will not
do this for XLS files) (Note: for some helpful information on the most useful format for this
Excel file, read Chapter 11,)
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> Using Excel, enter the above data to create an Excel spreadsheet
> File > Save As > PopStats in folder “TT-Hue-Province”
> Save > OK > yes
> File > Exit > no
Step 3: Add district populations as a text layer
> In QGIS
> Click on “Layer” > Add delimited Text Layer > Browse for file PopStats.txt > Open
> for “X Y Fields” > choose for X Field > “Lon” > and for Y Field > “Lat” > OK
> OK
Step 4: Convert the text layer to shapefile format and then remove the delimited text layer
Create Shapefile
> Right click the new text layer “PopStats” > select “save as” option > change
format to “ESRI shapefile” > in Save As box, browse to folder “TT-Hue-
Province” > name the file “Populations” > click on Save button > OK > OK
Remove the text layer but keep the shapefile layer

> Right click the text layer “PopStats” created in Step 3 > Remove
Add the newly created Shapefile as a QGIS map layer

> Click on “Layer” > Select “Add Vector Layer” > browse to folder “TT-Hue-
Province” folder and click on the shapefile named “Population” > Open > Open
Step 6: Join Population layer with District map layer
> Right click the “District” layer > Properties > click on Joins tab > click on plus sign >
Join layer = Populations > Join Field = ID_3 > Target field = ID_3 > OK > OK
This is a good time to learn how to manipulate data in the Attribute Table
> Right click the “District” layer > Open Attribute Table
> left click on Toggle Editing Mode icon (looks like a pen) at bottom of screen
> left click on Calculator icon > “x” in Create New Field box
> Output Field Name = “pop%” > Type = decimal number
> click on + sign next to “Fields and Values”
> double click on “Pop2009” > click once on “*” for multiply
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72
> click cursor to follow the “*” > type in 100

> click once on “/” to divide
> double click on “TotalPop09” > OK
> left click on Toggle Editing Mode icon > Save > close Attribute Table
Check your work

> Right click the “District” layer > Open Attribute Table
You should see the column you added named “Pop%”
> Click menu item “Layer” > Labeling > check “label this layer with” > select name
VARNAME_3 > Arial > Bold > 14 > OK > Advanced tab > label distance = 3.0 > OK
> remove the “X” from the layer “Populations”
Step 7: Save the project file
Step 8. Display population data as a category map using district population data.
> Right click on District layer map > Properties > Style > Graduated > change Column
value to “Pop%” > change Classes to 4 > Mode = Natural Breaks (Jenks)
> color ramp = new color ramp > type = ColorBrewer > OK > Scheme name > choose
left light color and right dark color > OK > name your color ramp > OK
> double click on each entry in Range and Label columns and change to the numbers in
the following figure
> apply > OK
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Note: Most map readers intuitively understand that dark colors represent higher values and light
colors represent lower values. When choosing your colors, remember that a dark-to-light color
scheme will generally be understood b most map readers.
Step 9 Add staff training statistics as a text layer
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74
> Using Excel, use the above data to create an Excel spreadsheet
> File > Save As > Staff in folder “TT-Hue-Province”
> Save > OK > yes
> File > Exit > no
> Click on “Layer” > Add delimited Text Layer > Browse for file Staff.txt > Open
> for “X Y Fields” > choose for X Field > “Lon” > and for Y Field > “Lat”
> OK
> Right click on Staff layer map > Properties > Style > Graduated > change Classes to 5
> Mode = Natural Breaks
> Column = (whichever staff position you desire to map)
> double click on first entry in Range column and change first range to 0-0, second range
to 0.0001-10, etc
> color ramp = yellow
> double click on each symbol and increase its font size by 3 over the previous symbol
> if the value of zero has special meaning, change the symbol to attract attention.
Step 10: Save the project file
Step 11 - Add legends, titles, and sources of data
Since two sets of data are display, two legends are needed. If you need a refresher on how to
create a legend, refer to Step 4 of Task 5 in Chapter 19.
In your map title, a common terminology to use begins with “Distribution of ….”
Your map should resemble the following map although color choices may vary.
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MOVING AN EXISTING M&E MAPPING SYSTEM TO A DIFFERENT

COMPUTER
If you want to install an existing mapping system on a different computer, follow these steps:
Step 1. Copy files to be moved to new computer to thumb drive or CD

 On original computer
 Find folder and sub-folders where QGIS data is stored
 Insert a thumb drive or a CD to be written to
 Copy folder and subfolders to thumb drive or CD
 Remove thumb drive or CD
Step 2. Install QGIS program
 Download QGIS 1.8 from website

 Install QGIS version 187 per instructions
 Install Plug-ins
> Start QGIS
> Plug-ins > Manage plug-ins > Clear All > check the box for Add Delimited Text
Layer > OK
> View > Toolbars > you can uncheck toolbars except “File” to give more space on
your screen for the map
> File > Exit
Step 3: Copy folders and subfolders from thumb drive or CD to new computer
> Copy the main folder of QGIS data files from thumb drive or CD
> Paste copied folder into new computer
Step 4. Reset folder pointers
> Start QGIS

> File > Open Project > browse to a QGIS map file created on the old computer > Open
You will need to “repoint” the layer files to the different folder on this computer
> you will work with the files in the column titled “New file”; the file names should be in
red meaning they could not be found; you must “repoint” to the current locations but only
this one time.
> double click on the “UV_Sites” file and browse for the file with the same name in the
new folder you created in Step 3
> after you find and select the moved file, the text should turn from red to green
> remember the number of the “adm?” file > double click on the first “adm?” file and
browse for the file with the same name and matching number in the new folder you
created in Step 3
> after you find and select the moved file, the text should turn from red to green
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> repeat for the next “adm?” files

> Apply > OK
> Save Project As > browse to the folder where you want to save the QGIS project file
and name file so you can find it again
> File > Exit
Step 5 – Finding styles and templates for the first time
> Start QGIS

> File > Open Project > your saved file name from Step 4
 Complete Task 7 to prepare a map to print

 You will need to browse for styles and templates the first time you try to load them
 Templates have the file type of “qpt” and Styles have file type of “qml”
when you are finished
In the future QGIS will remember the folder where the Template and Style files are saved
and you will not need to repeat this step.
Step 6. Test new configuration
> Start QGIS

> File > Open Project > your saved file name from Step 5
The map should appear without any further actions
> File > Exit
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Appendix A - Status Codes for Reporting

Table 1 - System Status following technician visit / call
Legend Title - Tình Trạng Hoạt Động - Operating Status
Code Status
0 Hoạt động bình thường - Operating OK
1 Không hoạt động - Not operating
2 Hoạt động tốt sau sửa chữa - Operating OK after repairs
3 Không rõ - Unknown
4 Đã súc rửa để nghỉ hè. Cleaned and shut down for summer
5 Đã hoạt động lại sau hè và hoạt động tốt - Restarted after summer shutdown and
operating OK
99 No value reported yet
Table 2 - Repairs completed this month by technician
Legend Title - Tình Trạng Khăc Phục Sụa Chữa - Repairs Completed
Code Status
0 Không cần sửa chữa - No repairs needed
1 Sửa bộ phân điện - Repair electrical connector
2 Thay chấn lưu - Replaced transformer
3 Thay thế đèn UV - Replaced UV lamp
4 Sửa chữa rò rỉ - Repaired leak
5 Làm sạch bộ lọc cát - Fix sand filter
6 Thay van - Replaced valve
7 Thay vòi nước - Replaced faucet
8 Khác - Other
11 Thay chấn lưu/ thế đèn UV - Replaced transformer/UV lamp
12 Đã hoạt động lại sau hè - Restarted after summer shutdown
Table 3 – Non-operational reasons
Legend Title - Nguyên Nhân - Repairs Needed
Code Status
0 Không cần sửa chữa - No repairs needed
1 Thiếu linh kiên thay thế - Lack of spare parts
2 Không rõ nguyên nhân - Reason not known
3 Nguyên nhân khác - Other reasons
4 Yêu cầu hỗ trợ kỹ thuật từ tt nước - Need technical support from CERWASS
5 Tập huấn lại cho người sử dụng - Provide more training to the users
6 CV Khác - Other work needed
Table 4 – Maintenance district codes
Code Huyện District
PL Phú Lộc Phu Loc
ND Nam Đông Nam Dong
PV Phú Vang Phu Vang
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PD Phong Đi n Phong Dien
Appendix B – Map Titles, and Data Source Text
Table 1 – System Status map

Vietnamese English
Title Giám sát và đánh giá tình trạng hoạt động M&E Operating Status
của Hệ thống xử lý nước bằng tia cực UV Water Treatment Systems
tím(UV)
Table 2 – Repairs Completed map

Vietnamese English
Title Giám sát và đánh giá tình trạng hoạt động M&E Repairs Completed
cuả các hệ thống UV sau sửa chữa UV Water Treatment Systems
Table 3 - Non-operational reasons map

Vietnamese English
Title Giám sát và đánh giá nguyên nhân hệ M&E Non-operating Reason
thống UV không hoạt động UV Water Treatment Systems
Table 4 – Common data source text used in all maps

Vietnamese English
Data Source Text Nguồn: Báo cáo hàng tháng của Trung Data Source: Monthly report
Tâm Y Tế Dự Phòng Tỉnh Thừa Thiên from TT-Hue Preventative
Huế Medicine Dept
Nơi nhận bản đồ báo cáo: Trung Tâm Y Tế Map Recipient: TT-Hue
Dự Phòng Tỉnh Thừa Thiên Huế Preventative Medicine Dept
Người lập bản đồ báo cáo: Ông Robert Map Author: Robert
Catherman, MEDRIX Catherman, MEDRIX
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Annex A:
Taking a Test Drive
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
> Download QGIS 1.8 from website

> Install QGIS per instructions
CREATE A PROVINCE-LEVEL REFERENCE MAP

>Create a new folder for this project on your computer – name the new folder “VN”
Download administrative maps from GADM website at http://www.gadm.org/

Choose “download country level files”
> Country = Vietnam
> File format = Shapefile
> OK
> click on “Download”
>After download finishes, extract the compressed ZIP files into the folder named “VN”
Step 2: Run QGIS program
>Start QGIS
>Click on File > New project
Step 3: Add layer for provinces

>for dataset, browse folder “VN” to file: VNM_adm3.shp
>Open > Open
>right click on layer name VNM_adm3 > Rename > “Province”
Step 4: Adjust layer properties to select one province of interest
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>Right click Province layer > Properties >

General tab > click Query Builder button > double click ID_2 in Fields box >
single click on “=” > click “All” in Values box and double-click on “48” item
> OK
Apply > OK
Step 5: Zoom to province level
>Right click the “Province” layer > zoom to layer extent
Step 6: Change the fill color and add the name of the districts
>Right click Province layer > Properties >

Style tab > click Change button > Change > select a different color > OK
Apply > OK
> Click on “Layer” in title bar > select “Labeling”

> Check box “Label this layer”
> Change value in box titled “Label this layer with“ to “VARNAME_3”
> Change “size” to 12
> Apply > OK
>File > Save Project in your project folder named “VN”

>File > Exit
These few instructions should produce a reference map of Thua Thien-Hue province that looks
similar to the following map.
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Annex B:
References
1. Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System, Kusek and Rist, The
World Bank, 2004, (available in numerous languages online for free download)
2. GIS for Dummies, Michael N. DeMers, Wiley Publishing Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana,
USA, 2009
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Annex C:
Intermediate Outcome
Measurement
QUANTITATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS FOR
WATER SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS:
APPLICATION IN RURAL ERITREA
Andrew Fuys
May 12, 2003
Used by permission of Andrew Fuys granted May 17, 2012
Executive Summary
Long recognized as a basic human necessity, safe drinking water was declared a human right last
year by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights (UNECSR). In
Eritrea, approximately 60 percent of rural households do not enjoy this right, and expanding
access to safe drinking water in rural areas remains a significant development challenge.
Expanding the use of quantitative performance measurements could assist the Eritrean
government to maximize its limited resources for water supply investments. Appropriate project
indicators could help the government to identify which investments best meet its water policy
goals. Selecting performance measurements that are both appropriate to Eritrea’s water policy
objectives and relevant to potential international donors could also help to generate investments
in the water supply sector.
To address this question of which performance measurements would be most appropriate in

Eritrea, this analysis examines water supply data from the country’s Debub region, case studies
from other East African countries, and international agency water supply project evaluations.
The analysis will consider measurements of four aspects of project performance:
Outputs, or the tangible products that projects generate. In the case of water supply
projects, outputs are usually physical in nature, e.g., wells, transmission pipes, or
covering over freshwater springs.
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Intermediate outcomes, or the observable and measurable changes that result from the
existence of outputs, e.g., lower bacterial levels, increased consumption of protected
spring water, or a shorter distance from a village to a water source.
Final outcomes, or the way people experience changes in their material lives because
of intermediate outcomes, e.g., villagers are sick less frequently because of lower levels
of bacterial contamination, or increase consumption because wells are located closer to
villages.
Process, or the way that a project is designed and implemented, e.g., the involvement
of women in water supply management, or attention to the affordability of services for
poor households.
The analysis concludes that intermediate outcome measurements – the observable and
quantifiable changes that result from a project, such as increased water consumption – are the
most likely to be both meaningful and measurable. These measurements address many key water
supply development challenges that exist in rural Eritrea, such as increasing source protection
and lowering bacteriological counts, decreasing the distance from villages to sources, and
improving maintenance and reliability.
Final outcome measurements – indicators of a project’s effects on people’s material lives, such
as health or household income – are central to water sector policy goals. It is difficult, however,
to attribute causality of final outcomes to individual water projects through impact analysis. This
is for two reasons: (a) necessary baseline data is often unavailable and (b) multiple explanatory
factors make it difficult to model causality such that a significant impact can actually be
demonstrated. Efforts to analyze whether changes in performance indicators can be attributed to
individual projects should thus focus on the causal relationship between water projects and
intermediate outcomes, for which modeling causality is less complex.
In contrast to outcomes, output measurements – those that measure a project’s physical

outputs, such as number of wells – will not necessarily tell an evaluator whether a project
has achieved its policy goals. As such, performance evaluation should not rely solely on
these measurements.
Finally, process measurements related to gender and equity should also be incorporated.
Women’s involvement in projects is often correlated with success on other outcome indicators,
and can be shown through indicators such as representation of women on water committees.
Equity and affordability measurements can indicate the degrees to which a project benefits poor
households, an important consideration for projects that have a specific objective of improving
water services to the poor.
This analysis offers three principal recommendations concerning the use of quantitative
performance measurements for water projects in rural Eritrea:
1. Focus on intermediate outcomes, which are measurable, relevant to Eritrea’s water
supply needs and commonly used by international agencies. These include:
Distance to water source
Time spent collecting water
Protected source coverage
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Percentage of facilities that are functional

Bacteriological count
Frequency of water testing
Total household consumption (for all water uses)
Use of improved sources for consumption of drinking water
2. Provide health outcome measurements, such as the number of households that suffered
from water-related disease in a given time period, but focus efforts to analyze impact on
the intermediate outcomes listed above. In order to perform impact analysis on any
outcome, project design must allow for the comparison of treatment and control groups.
3. Include process measurements that reflect how and whether projects address gender
and equity. These include the percentage of women on village water committees, and
water costs as a percentage of total household consumption.
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Monitoring and

Monitoring and Evaluating

How to use GIS

This handbook includes:

MEDRIX declares the contents of this handbook to be open-source, available without

Submit suggestions and recommended changes for this handbook to:

You are free:

 to Share -- to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work

Under the following conditions:

This publication is based on the collective experience of MEDRIX in monitoring and

Part 1: General Principles of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems ................ 2

Chapter 2: About Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Systems ........................................ 3

Chapter 3: Integrating M&E and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)........................ 5

Chapter 4: Deciding if M&E-GIS is Appropriate for Your Situation .................................. 7

Chapter 5: Developing an M&E-GIS System for your Situation ...................................... 9

Part 2: Creating Maps Supporting Monitoring and Evaluation Systems ....... 13

Chapter 6: Selecting GIS Software .......................................................................... 14

Chapter 7: Locating GIS Maps ................................................................................ 16

Chapter 8: Creating a Reference Map ...................................................................... 17

Chapter 9: Defining the Data Requirements and Key Indicators .................................. 19

Chapter 10: Defining the Data Collection Process ...................................................... 21

Chapter 12: Creating the Thematic Map ................................................................... 29

Part 3: Updating Data in the M&E-GIS System ...................................... 31

Chapter 13: Getting Periodic Reports from the Field ................................................. 32

Chapter 14: Training the Data Input Staff ................................................................ 33

Part 4: Preparing Monitoring and Evaluation Reports ............................... 34

Chapter 15: Updating Data for the Map ................................................................... 35

Chapter 16: Preparing the Working Project Reporting Maps ........................................ 36

Part 5: Case Study ............................................................................. 43

Chapter 19: Case Study......................................................................................... 44

Annex A: Taking a Test Drive ............................................................... 80

Annex B: References .......................................................................... 83

Annex C: Intermediate Outcome Measurement ..................................... 84

To reach our destination,

This handbook is not

Let’s begin our journey.

What is Monitoring and Evaluation?

Recent history of M&E

How does M&E work?

Some ideas for creating an effective M&E system

Step One: Conducting a Readiness Assessment

GIS - A missing but useful tool

Useful sources of information about M&E

Why use maps to communicate a message?

History of M&E-GIS development

At this time, you should watch this video.

Recent history of GIS

How can M&E and GIS work together?

This chapter includes:

Define your purpose:

Preliminary evaluation questions to ask

Take a test drive

Questions to ask yourself after your test drive

To learn more about GIS

This chapter includes:

Form 1: M&E - GIS Project Data

Project name: Organization Name: Your name:

Project due date: Key contacts: Key stakeholders:

Intended audience(s) and languages: