A positive look at MRE

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A positive look at monitoring, review and
evaluation international development
experiences affecting regeneration work in the
UK Philip Dearden Centre for International
Development and Training University of
Wolverhampton P.N.Dearden_at_wlv.ac.uk
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50 years of international development - Very
mixed experiences of M,R, E.
Project and Programme Cycle Management
Logical Frameworks
Participatory Approaches to M, R and E

Relatively recent experiences of these
techniques in the UK.
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Why evaluate programmes/projects?
evaluation
Improve project programme quality (lesson
learning) Influence policy
Showing impact!
future
past
present
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Why do we need to M, R and E programmes/projects
?
To demonstrate change!!
Simply that the initiative has made a difference?
Here
There
Improved situation (impact)
Problem or need
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Project and Programmes some key questions
Where are the poor? Driving? Inside? On the roof?
Hanging on? Walking?
Whos driving the bus?
Is it going in the right direction? Who decides
where it goes? When? How? Via?
Who going to pay for the maintenance of the
bus? Who built the road? Who going to pay for
the maintenance of the road? Who are the the
police?
Whos paying? Whos getting a free-ride?
Who owns the bus?
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When to do M, R E?
Programme/ Project Timeline
Identi-fication
Completion/ Follow-up
Imple-mentation
Design
Role of Monitoring Reviews Evaluation
Terminal, ex-post evaluation, assess results,
identify lessons learned
Providing lessons learned successes and failures
of the past
Baseline data Clear objectives Indicators
targets
Mainly monitoring and reviewing Assessing
progress through periodic reviews
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Design Stage

What do we need to do today to be able to assess
change tomorrow?
What is the status of the problem today, where do
we start from?
define baseline data
be clear about objectives
What do we want to achieve?
agreement on indicators and targets
How should we measure change?
How, and by whom will change be tracked along the
way?
allocate budget and responsibilities for M,R E
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The Project or Programme Cycle
Strategic Objectives
Ideas/Concepts Feasibility Studies
Identification
Stakeholder Analysis Problem Analysis Risk
Analysis Logical Framework
Clearance
Evaluation Studies
Evaluation
Lesson Learning
Design
Programme Format Terms of Reference
Programme Completion Reports
Approval
Completion
Participatory Management Monitoring
Implementation
Reviews 6 monthly Annual etc. etc.
Weekly/Monthly Monitoring
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Logical Frameworks 4 by 4 matrix

• Hierarchy of Objectives
• Assumptions
• Indicators
• Verification

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History of the Logframe Approach

• 1970s 1st Generation Logframes
• 1980s 2nd Generation Logframe Approach
• 1990s Used internationally by most donor
  agencies

• 1997 Introduced to Health Action Zones
  (HAZs)
• 1998/9 Use spread to many Regeneration
  Projects
• 2005 Used across UK by a wide variety of
  users

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Benefits of Logframes
Singing to the same tune
Summarising
Communicating, Visualising, Owning
As a living, process document
Finding a logical way from A to B
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• What are the differences between
• Monitoring
• Review
• Evaluation?

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Monitoring

• Regular Ongoing.
• Usually internal.
• Focuses on efficiency.
• Activities and Outputs.

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Review

• At the end of a phase, programme or project.
• Usually internal and external.
• Focuses on effectiveness and immediate
  outcomes.
• Outputs and Purpose.

G
P
O
A
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Evaluation the periodic assessment of relevance,
performance, efficiency, sustainability and
impact

• Usually internal and external.
• Focuses on Impact and Sustainability.
• Outputs, Purpose Goal.

G
P
O
A
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The final compromise design agreed
The design after review by an advisory committee
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Rationale for Participatory Approaches to M R and
E

• Build partnerships and ownership
• Build consensus among programme/project staff and
  partners about goals/objectives
• Enhance local learning, management capacity and
  skills
• Provide timely and reliable and valid information
  for decision making
• Increase cost effectiveness
• Empower local people to make their own decisions
  about the future

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Indicators

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely
• Enjoyable
• Rewarding

• Subjective
• Participatory
• Indirect
• Cross checked
• Empowering
• Diverse

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Core of good Participatory M, R and E is our own
behaviour and attitudes

• Handing over the stick
• Embracing error
• Sitting, listening and learning

• Being self aware and self critical
• Improvising, inventing and adapting
• Using your our best judgement at all times

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Projects Programmes - The core questions
 
Who are we? Who has an interest? Who should be
involved? Where are we now? What are the
problems? What the possibilities? Where do we
want to be? How will we get there? What may
stop us getting there? And what can we do to get
around these obstacles? How will we know when
weve got there? Indicators and milestones How do
we prove it? Evidence?
HERE
THERE
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A positive look at monitoring, review and
evaluation international development
experiences affecting regeneration work in the
UK Philip Dearden Centre for International
Development and Training University of
Wolverhampton P.N.Dearden_at_wlv.ac.uk