Developing a Monitoring and

Evaluation (M&E) Plan

Overview of the Process
 Audience What do they want to know? When do they
want to know
it by?

If you have limited Evaluation questions This will impact on

funds for evaluation, go beyond what type of
you may have to measurements to monitoring you will
prioritise your ask the higher order undertake. For
evaluation by questions such as example, if you need
identifying whooare lder whether the project to report in 6
e h
stak ation
the mostAimportant is worth it, or could months time, it is no
e valu te can
people to report pla ed if have been use collecting data
tem wnload
to…. e do the
achieved in another that will only be
b
from box way…. available in 12
l
to o
months….
 So it is important to identify your
evaluation audience(s), and what
they NEED to know.

You can satisfy the WANT to know

if you have resources left over.
 As an example….
Audience What do they want to know? When do they want
to know it by?
The funding agency & To what extent did the project meet its Annual & post-
project team objectives? project
Is the project scaleable or replicable? Post-project
Will the change last without continued Post-project
intervention?
Project team Was the project delivered as planned? Post-project
What worked, and what did not? Quarterly
What else happened (unintended Quarterly
consequences or emergent
properties)?
Was there an alternative method of Post-project
delivering the outcomes?
Project participants Did the project meet the participant’s Post-project
or target group needs?
 Have you got a Program Logic?
• If you have a program logic (or some sort of
outcomes model), you can use that to guide
the development of your M&E plan. prSee the
ese slid
on ntati e
pr o
log ogram n
M& ic and
Ep
la n
s

• If not, consider developing a program logic, or

carry on with this presentation. e th
e slide
on
Se n tati
s e
pre on
pi nga
el o
dev gram
pro ic
lo g
 M&E Plan Template
Transfer your evaluation questions into the
M&E plan…..

Your evaluationYour monitoring

Your indicators
questions go here
questionsquestion
go herego here
It will look
something like
this
Now, identify the data source….
…and identify the other information
required to complete the monitoring
Cost, eg. consultants,
Responsibilities Timeframes
or technology
 Now, consider who will evaluate the
data, and how it will be reported

Consider who will Think about how the evaluation

be making a findings will be reported.
judgement as to Consider the audience, and
whether the data their requirements.
indicates the
achievement of As well as reports, you could
success or consider using presentations in
otherwise meetings, newsletters, memos
etc….
Now, consider who will evaluate the
data, and how it will be reported

Finally, consider when you

will report evaluation
findings. This may be
dictated by the
requirements of your
audience. Funding agencies
may require regular
reporting. Councillors may
have specific timelines as
well. Also think about
providing feedback to
participants or the target
group.
The final M&E plan complements provides a
framework and guide as to what to evaluate
 Review the M&E Plan
• Highlight data sources that appear frequently.
– For example, you may be able to develop surveys
that fulfil the data collection requirements for
many questions.
• Consider re-ordering the M&E plan in several
ways.
– For example, by data source, or by data collection
timeframe.
 Review the M&E Plan
• Review the content, and consider:
– Does it capture all that you need to know in order
to make a meaningful evaluation of the project?

– Do you need to prioritise some questions in order

to work within your budget and other resources?
 Remember….
• Do not ask evaluation questions unless
someone really needs to know the answer.
• Do not collect data if it will not be used to
answer a question.

• To do so will be a waste of time and resources

that could be allocated to meeting other
evaluation requirements.
 Next Step
• Implement your M&E plan……. and in due
course, conduct a meta-evaluation.