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Evidence-based Decision Making at Governance Levels through MEA

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Adjustment is the main mode for progress monitoring and plan adjustment
in DepEd. It is a synchronized and quarterly forum for program and performance and key indicators review
held in all governance levels. The quarterly MEA creates a feedback loop of information starting from the
bottom with the school MEAs who report on their progress and problems to their Divisions. The Divisions
in turn, report on the progress of their key indicators and elevate their concerns on their programs to the
Regions.

How the MEA in Region 7 evolved (Mandate, Structure and Processes)

The Monitoring and Evaluation and Adjustment (MEA) process in Region 7 has come a long way.

Region MEA at the helm

As part of the Region’s effort to establish its quality assurance framework, the M&E mechanism in Region 7
has evolved from the enhanced Monitoring and Evaluation and Adjustment (MEA) process from which
emanated the links in tracking progress of key performance indicators at the division, district and school
levels.

With technical assistance from BEST M&E, the enhanced mechanism in Region 7 was gradually put into
place, as demonstrated through a series of region memoranda with corresponding quarterly MEA
guidelines:

Region Memorandum No. 324 s. 2015, dated June 5, 2015

In Region 7, the implementation of quarterly performance progress monitoring at the school level has been
given greater emphasis with the RD’s directive and the issuance of Regional Memorandum No. 324 s. 2015,
dated June 5, 2015. In this RO Memo, the roles and functions of the Public Schools District Supervisors
(PSDS) were highlighted as “the middle man” between the Division Office and schools, and the schools
being the “delivery units of the different PPAs implemented in improving school performance in terms of
access, quality and governance.”

The need to improve the processes of progress monitoring and uptake of information from School-District-
Division-Region at the start of the school year compelled the Region, through the Quality Assurance
Division (QAD), to issue the Region Memorandum No. 459 s. of 2015, dated August 7, 2015 that provided
the guidelines in the conduct of performance progress MEA for June-August 2015. This RO Memo provided
advice to the field on the Organization of M&E Teams-SMET, DsMET, DMET (adapted from the processes in
Bohol Division and aligning roles based on the RAT Plan), timing/schedule of activities, and the MEA scope
(Delivery of Basic Education Services and Division Effectiveness) as well as Region-initiated data gathering
tools. The flow of information/report from SMET-DisMET-DMET was then used in the conduct of enhanced
RMEA (with BEST TA input) in October 2015.

This research report was written in support of the BEST program’s Completion Report. It
captures qualitative data on immediate outcomes from a specific BEST project/ activity.

BEST Project: Monitoring and Evaluation: The Region and Division MEA
Interviewees: Region VII, School Division of Bogo City and School Division of Cebu City
Immediate Outcome: Strengthen capacity for planning and evidence based decision making and
policy formulation
Region Memorandum No. 029 s. 2016, dated January 15, 2016 provided the Guidelines in the Conduct of
SMEA, DisMEA and DMEA for the 2nd Quarter and 3rd Quarter of School Year 2015-2016. This RO Memo also
gave focus on the accounting of results of Language Assessment for Primary Grades (LAPG) and National
Achievement Test (NAT) SY 2014-2015). It also fixed the dates for the quarterly reviews in 2016- taking off
from the Distribution of Report Cards at the school level- and proceeding from data gathering, data
consolidation/analysis and segmentation, presentation, MEA conference and plan adjustment at the SMEA-
DsMEA (for big divisions)-DMEA.

Region Memorandum No. 0224 s.2016, dated April 5, 2016 issued the guidelines in the conduct of 4 th
Quarter Review (end-of-school year) results of the delivery of basic education services in schools and the
status of plan implementation, including financial. This Memo also specified dates for SMEA (April 11-15),
DsMEA (April 18-22), and DMEA (April 25-29). The DMET Chair of each Schools Division is expected to
submit DMEA Activity Completion Report on or before May 6, 2016.

Region Memorandum No. 0323 s. 2016, dated May 30, 2016 provided comprehensive guide notes for the
Joint Regional MEA for the 1st and 2nd Quarter of CY 2016, including guidelines for Completed Staff Work
(CSW) at the Schools Division level for the consolidated report on end-of-School Year data and
issues/concerns/technical assistance needed, and Pre-MEA activities at the Region level by the Internal
Monitoring and Evaluation Teams (IMET).

Overall, REGION 7 has developed the following memoranda and guidelines (Region Memo No. 324s.2015,
RM No. 459 s.2015, RM No. No. 0029 s. 2016,RM No. 48 s.2016, RM No. 224 s.2016, RM No. 323 s.2016,
RM No. 533 s.2016, RM No. 0008 s.2017, RM No.196 s.2017, RM No. 0386 s.2017, RM No. 0442 s.2017, RM
No. 0518 s, 2017) to ensure that processes are in place and that M&E embedded in the inherent
responsibilities of the different governance levels. Structure and process owners- Quality Assurance and
ME Teams and Internal M&E at the different governance levels (Region MET, Division MET, District MET,
School MET) have been installed, with the Region Quality Assurance Division (QAD) and Division School
Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) managing the quarterly reviews.

Resources for M&E- Resources have been integrated in the respective work plans and/or subsumed with
quarterly Management Committee and Executive Committee meetings. Roll-out trainings on M&E are cost-
shared. Increased Competency-The Region and Division Quality Assurance Teams and Planning Officers
have demonstrated capability in scoping, data organizing and collection, dashboard and segmentation,
forecasting, Pareto Analysis, prioritization, characterization and SWOT analysis as building blocks for the
development of education plans and enhancing evidence-based decision making at the different
governance levels. To date, MEA electronic tools piloted for MEA 3rd Quarter of CY 2017 and 1st Quarter
School Year 2017-18.

Community of Practice in MEA

Over the years of initial practice that started with the Division of Bohol Province, this is how the Monitoring
and Evaluation and Adjustment (MEA) has been characterized, and still evolving in DepED Region 7 with
Technical Assistance from the BEST program.

Division and School MEA in the Division of Cebu City. Meet the “MEET” in the Division of Cebu City. Hailed
as “Monitoring and Evaluation to meet Education Targets,” the M&E Project aimed to address low
performance indicators and identify priority improvement areas among its schools comprising 68
Elementary, 54 Junior HS and 48 Senior HS. Its M&E strategy is outlined in five phases, namely: Phase 1-
Advocacy for PSDS and School Heads Orientation on MEA Technology; Phase 2- Capability- building on MEA
Technology and MEA Structure, Process and Tools Orientation for M&E Coordinators; Phase 3-
Implementation of MEA and District MEA Roll-out; Phase 4 -M&E Coordinators Quarterly Conference for
update on MEA Tools and feedback from the field; and, Phase 5 -Adjustments in MEA Implementation.

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The Division of Cebu City gave emphasis on the re-orientation on the MEA process among school heads and
district supervisors. “Because School Heads are the prime movers of change in the schools, they need to
understand the importance of MEA and how it can help them in making informed decisions and in
improving school management and administration,” the M&E coordinator explained.

At its level of governance, the City Division is embarking on a long-term, continuous improvement for
Monitoring and Evaluation and Adjustment, outlined as follows:

 Advocacy and Sustainability (Re-orientation of SHs, Orientation of SMET Teams)

 Communicate Achievements (Process Documentation Workshop)
 Capability Building for M&E Coordinators (Data Analysis and Segmentation)
 Inclusion of Pre-SMEA Conference with Internal Stakeholders and External Stakeholders
 4th Quarter SMEA (Staff Development) and (2nd Quarter SMEA) during INSET which will
coincide with the crafting of RPMS and the Midterm Review of RPMS
 Intensify Monitoring of SMEA Implementation and Sustained Advocacy
 Increased Participation and Engagement in SMEA, DsMEA and DMEA
 Orientation for DO Personnel in DMEA – Organizational Effectiveness (Work and Financial
Plan)
 Capability Building for M&E Coordinators for the online SMEA data gathering

Division, District and School MEA in the Division of Cebu Province. Online data gathering has been given
emphasis in the big schools’ divisions such as the Division of Cebu Province. The MEA electronic tools were
piloted for MEA 3rd Quarter of CY 2017 and 1st Quarter School Year 2017-18.

A Division Supervisor reported:

The Division of Cebu Province is the biggest Division outside Metro Manila. It covers 44
municipalities with 55 district offices. It has 242 secondary schools including integrated schools and
894 elementary schools. Looking at the given data, it brings to our attention the enormity of the
tasks in managing the affairs of the Division.

Honestly speaking, our division has a problem in the implementation of the MEA system. There is no
division-based structure and mechanisms being established. But because we have seen and felt the
significance of the system, at present the management has moved mountains and tapped on
human resources to work on this area. To address this problem, the division came –up with an On-
Line Electronic Monitoring Tool. The tool has indeed helped the division in terms of gathering data
and has greatly improved the efficient and effective implementation of the MEA System.

An Orientation-Workshop on the electronic tool initially developed by Dr. Ronil Manayon was conducted to
all district supervisors together with the district ICT Coordinators in the 55 districts. They were also
instructed to conduct their own orientation-workshop to all the school heads in their respective districts
and to recommend a teacher per school to be designated as School M&E Coordinator. Then the Division
issued a memorandum informing the field of the schedule for the on-site monitoring on the actual conduct
of the SMEA and District MEA Conferences.

Ms. Socorro Relacion, SEPS-M&E explained that: “We are doing this because through the years, there was
no SMEA and District MEA Conferences conducted. We are only up to the gathering and consolidation of
results, which is only the first and the second step in the MEA process. There is more to just gathering and

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consolidating data. The most important consideration is what we have done with the data gathered. Thus,
we hold conferences and adjustments of the plans after knowing the results of the SMEA and District MEA.”
In the Division of Cebu Province, the school heads were also instructed that as part of their SMEA output
for the 3rd Quarter, teachers submit Individual Plan for Professional Development (IPPD) using the GROW
(Goals, Reality, Options and Will ) MODEL . The School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD)
outlined the details of its technical assistance to the districts and schools: “Prior to the deployment of the
division personnel for the 3 rd Quarter SMEA and District MEA, an orientation was conducted to the members
of the CID and the SGOD. They were advised on the things that they need to look into during the actual on-
site monitoring. The division personnel were provided with on-site monitoring tools and instructed to give a
response right after the presentation of the SMEA and DsMEA results. In this manner, they can right away
discuss and can even provide appropriate TA needed. After the District MEA and SMEA, the team convene
and discuss important issues and concerns that they gathered. These concerns are consolidated and used
as basis for the Division Technical Assistance Plan crafted during the conduct of the Division MEA.”

Division and School MEA in the Division of Bogo City. In tandem with the big schools’ divisions such as Cebu
and Bohol Provinces, small divisions have their own initiatives in installing MEA processes.

In the Division of Bogo City in Northern Cebu, the implementation of SMEA and DMEA included Advocacy
through the Orientation by the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) Chief and SEPS M& E
with the School Heads, Education Program Supervisors-Area Consultants per Quarter through the issuance
of Division Memorandum. Capability building was focused on MEA tools, structures and processes for a
better understanding of the SMEA mechanism and to capacitate them on the processing of the regulatory
and developmental services in terms of access, quality and governance.

Nenet Tirol, SEPS M&E, described how the Division installed the MEA process. “Bogo Division initiated the
Grade Level Monitoring and Evaluation Teams (GMETs) as part of the School Monitoring and Evaluation
Team (SMET) that gathers, validates, processes and analyzes the M&E data on the delivery of basic
education services from the class advisers and subject teachers. Consolidation is done using the SMET Files
from DepED Bogo SMET Files (Facebook Closed Group solely for Monitoring and Evaluation)- an innovation
made by the SEPS M&E and was adopted in all public elementary and secondary schools of the Division of
City of Bogo. They also have to account for all the class advisers and subject teachers that have successfully
submitted M&E Reports.

The Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Team (IMET) then meet to monitor and evaluate the status,
progress, and results of the implementation of the Division Educational Development Plan-Annual
Implementation Plan (DEDP-AIP). The SDO IMETs of the SGOD, CID and sections/units under OSDS gather,
analyze, and submit their data on the physical and financial accomplishments and implementation issues to
the SEPS M& E. Data from the CID, SGOD, and sections/units under the OSDS are consolidated by the SEPS
M&E and EPS II M&E to have a report on Organizational Performance during the DMET Conference.”

Overall, the DepED Region, through its Quality Assurance Division, has developed memoranda and
guidelines to ensure that processes are in place and that M&E is embedded in the inherent responsibilities
of the different governance levels. The structure and process owners- Quality Assurance and ME Teams
and Internal M&E at the different governance levels (RMET, DMET, DisMET, School MET) have been
installed, with the Region Quality Assurance Division (QAD) and Division School Governance and Operations
Division (SGOD) managing the quarterly reviews.

How are significant changes through MEA viewed from different perspectives along the levels of
governance? The voices from the field resonate with purpose and insight.

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An Education Supervisor at the Region reported that: “Although we already established an M&E
mechanism, it was more focused on accounting of physical and financial accomplishments based on the
work plans of the functional divisions. With the enhanced mechanism, we are able to track the delivery of
education services through quarterly reviews using actual data from the schools through the SMEA and
DMEA.”

At the Division level, emphasis is placed more on the processes, a Division SEPs-M&E shared:
I have observed that if correct processes are installed, timely and accurate data can be gathered
from the schools, and that school heads and district supervisors can address issues at their level
using the data. My learning insight is that M&E considers scoping, adjustments, timing, measures
and reporting… As for me, it’s very crucial to be a Senior Education Supervisor for M&E since the
success of the organization depends upon the integrity of the data gathered, analyzed, interpreted
as well as concreteness of the information reported, for this is where adjustments and decisions will
be based.

Where the teaching-learning process takes at the school level, a school head imparted this insight:

We keep on collecting data at the school using templates given by the Division, and regularly
submit data and reports required from us. We just collected and submitted data but did not use the
data. With the conduct of School MEA, I am able to make use of the data collected such as SARDOs
and failure, to track progress of students and find ways with teachers and parents to prevent
students from dropping out.

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