PDF Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating Programmes and Projects

Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating Programmes and Projects

Introduction to Key Concepts, Approaches and Terms

Working Draft Version 1 ? March 2000

Global Monitoring and Evaluation Initiative

Jim Woodhill IUCN M&E Facilitator for East and Southern Africa

Introduction to PM&E Concepts, Approaches and Terms

IUCN ? The World Conservation Union

Founded in 1948, The World Conservation Union brings together States, government agencies and a diverse range of nongovernmental organizations in a unique world partnership: over 900 members in all, spread across some 138 countries.

As a Union, IUCN seeks to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

The World Conservation Union builds on the strengths of its members, networks and partners to enhance their capacity and to support global alliances to safeguard natural resources at local, regional and global levels.

The IUCN Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Initiative

Through an approach which fosters questioning and reflection and engages stakeholders at the regional and global levels, the IUCN M&E Initiative aims to:

? develop a common understanding of M&E within IUCN ? develop a reflective culture within IUCN ? improve project/programme design and implementation

through the use of methods and tools in project, systems and institutional assessments ? assess the relevance of the Union's work against the broader picture of ecosystem and human wellbeing ? improve learning processes and reporting of lessons learned ? put an overall M&E System in place for the Union.

Publications from the M&E Initiative are available on-line on the IUCN website

Acknowledgements Written by Jim Woodhill ? IUCN Monitoring and Evaluation Facilitator for East and Southern Africa.

Email ? jwoodhill@.au

?: (2000) IUCN ? International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Reproduction of this publication for educational and noncommercial purposes is authorised without prior permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Working Draft Version 1 ? March 2000

IUCN Global M&E Initiative

Introduction to PM&E Concepts, Approaches and Terms

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 1 2 APPROACHES TO PLANNING MONITORING AND EVALUATION ............................................... 2 3 KEY PLANNING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION CONCEPTS................................................. 3

3.1 A PARTICIPATORY LEARNING APPROACH ..................................................................................................... 3 3.2 THE MANAGEMENT CONTEXT ....................................................................................................................... 4 3.3 PROGRAMME AND PROJECT CYCLE ............................................................................................................... 6 3.4 PROGRAMME AND PROJECT LOGIC ................................................................................................................ 6 3.5 OBJECTIVE HIERARCHIES AND ASSUMPTIONS............................................................................................... 8 3.6 ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL................................................................................................................ 15 3.7 KEY ASPECTS OF EVALUATION.................................................................................................................... 16 3.8 DEVELOPING AN OVERALL M&E STRATEGY/PLAN.................................................................................... 17 3.9 DEVELOPING AND MONITORING EVALUATION QUESTIONS AND INDICATORS ........................................... 19 3.10 OPEN ENDED EVALUATION ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................. 21 4 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK APPROACH (LFA) AND ZOPP ................................................................ 23 5 RESULTS BASED MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................................... 27 5.1 CIDA RBM TERMINOLOGY......................................................................................................................... 28 5.2 USAID ROA TERMINOLOGY....................................................................................................................... 32

Working Draft Version 1 ? March 2000

IUCN Global M&E Initiative

Introduction to PM&E Concepts, Approach and Terms

1

1 Introduction

This document has been developed to assist IUCN staff and partners navigate their way through the terminology that surrounds the practice of planning, monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) in environment and development programmes and projects. It should be considered a working draft and will be revised and improved on the basis of feedback from those who use it. A separate glossary of terms accompanies this document.

There is no question that planning, monitoring and evaluation are fields littered with terminology that is often unclear and which is used with different meanings by different groups. This problem can't be solved by this document, however, what it can do is to help explain the different approaches to PM&E and how terms are used by different organisations. Unfortunately confusion around terminology often makes PM&E seem much more complex and difficult than is actually the case. In fact there are really only a handful of key concepts that need to be understood about PM&E. If these concepts are understood then it is easy to make sense of the different terminology and to translate terms between different approaches to PM&E.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is often considered as a separate function and responsibility from planning. However, if a project is poorly planned it is very difficult to monitor and evaluate. Very often M&E staff and specialists find themselves having to go back to basic planning principles before they can assist with M&E. Hence the attention in this document to planning and M&E.

Within IUCN it would simplify the difficulties of confusing terminology if a standard set terminology could be used. The Global M&E Initiatives is working towards such a set of concepts and terms. However, the reality is that IUCN will always be working with different donors who demand the use of their particular approach and terminology. This means that it will always be necessary for staff to understand the underlying concepts of PM&E and be able to translate between the approaches and terminology of different donors and partner organisations.

The confusion about PM&E can also be reduced by understanding clearly the way concepts and terms are used by different approaches and donors. Consequently the later part of this document explores a number of approaches in some detail.

Working Draft Version 1 ? March 2000

IUCN Global M&E Initiative

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