Monitoring and evaluation: purposes, frequency, indicators and uses

Monitoring can track expected outcomes and unexpected changes alongside delivery volume and costs. Collect defined indicators and other information continuously to respond when conditions change.

Evaluation uses these records and additional evidence to examine the meaning of outcomes, relationships with the program, value and improvements. Evaluation can occur during implementation. There is no need to restrict monitoring to activities, evaluation to outcomes, or evaluation to year-end.

Within the same outcome pathway, choose information for daily adjustments and questions for detailed milestone examination. Items such as consultation counts, waiting days and application starts may serve both.

If waiting times grow, use registration records to locate timing and hear users' and staff's experiences before deciding on registration methods or staffing. Check what existing records can answer before adding research.

• Monitoring: are activities delivered as planned?
• Monitoring: is the necessary target group reached?
• Evaluation: did expected changes occur for the target group?
• Evaluation: what enabled and obstructed change?
• Evaluation: how should the next design change?

First limit routine-meeting monitoring to a few indicators. Too many numbers leave meetings at reporting alone. For each, define a reference value, owner, update frequency and checks when values move outside expectations.

Next define questions for quarterly or annual evaluation. Limiting additional research to questions routine records cannot answer reduces frontline burden while deepening learning.

1. Check program outcome pathways with the logic model
2. Select monitoring indicators for daily adjustments
3. Set update frequency, responsibility and reference values
4. Record causes and next actions in routine meetings
5. Set separate milestone evaluation questions
6. Reflect evaluation findings in next-period plans and budget decisions

A monitoring table will not lead to improvement without a forum to discuss the numbers. Check three points at meetings: the gap from target, why it occurred and what to try by next month; record decisions and evidence.

Waiting until year-end to examine evaluation data can also be too late. Reflect changes and concerns found in routine monitoring in subsequent evaluation questions or interview themes to improve evaluation quality.

• Separate the updater and checker for each indicator
• Record reasons for deviations as well as differences from plan
• Review indicators that do not lead to action
• Integrate evaluation data into routine records without undue burden
• Reflect year-end results in next year's targets