What is monitoring and evaluation?
In an era of demanding donor expectations regarding financial probity, budgetary transparency and the proven impact value of funded work programmes, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) remains one of those aspects of organisational management that is extensively discussed but rarely practised.
Often arising from a combination of technically inadequate skills, exacting current staff workloads, and organisational cultural environments within which its potential role and benefits are unknown or unappreciated, M&E is currently under-utilised across Africa. In the context of palliative care on the continent, M&E is in its relatively embryonic stage of development.
An M&E system, as the phrase suggests, is based around two concepts: monitoring and evaluation. Monitoring is defined as a systematic process of collecting and analysing information to track the efficiency of the organisation in achieving its goals. Monitoring provides regular feedback that helps an organisation track costs, personnel, implementation time, organisational development, and economic and financial results to compare what was planned to the ensuing actual events. In essence, monitoring entails the collection and analysis of information to track what is going on.
Evaluation is defined as a systematic process of collecting and analysing information to assess the effectiveness of the organisation in achieving its goals. Evaluation provides regular feedback that helps an organisation analyse the consequences, outcomes and results of its actions. Evaluation also provides regular feedback that helps organisations assess their relevance, scope and sustainability. In essence, evaluation entails the collection and analysis of information to assess the impact of a work programme by addressing the question of whether or not the programme made a difference.
Underlying these concepts is the systematic, timely and integrated reporting of operationally useful information at periodic intervals. The reporting aspect of the M&E process is pivotal in that it helps organisations inform themselves and others (e.g. partners, donors and other critical stakeholders) on the progress of a programme, as well as the challenges encountered, successes achieved, and lessons learnt from implementing it.