This book is over 570 pages and divided into part one ( for AS/A/ first- and second-degree Levels). Part two is more advanced (bachelor's and master's degree level). Both are suitable for individual and organisational project managers.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) are essential components of project and program management, particularly in sectors like international development, public health, education, and environmental conservation. The primary purpose of M&E is to track progress, assess outcomes, and guide decision-making to ensure that projects are practical and efficient and achieve their intended goals.
Monitoring refers to the continuous or periodic oversight of project implementation to ensure that activities progress as planned. It tracks real-time inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes and provides feedback to improve performance.
Monitoring answers questions such as: Are we on track with the project timeline? Are resources being used effectively? Are activities producing the intended outputs?
Evaluation systematically assesses a project or program, focusing on its relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability. It occurs at critical points, such as mid-term or at the end of a project, to assess whether the objectives have been achieved and to what extent the outcomes and impacts have been realised.
Evaluation answers critical questions such as: Did the project achieve its goals? What were the impacts? Were the resources well-utilized? What can be learned to improve future interventions? Project monitoring, evaluation, and control are essential aspects of project management for a few reasons: Better ensures project success by verifying that a project stays on track and meets its objectives and deliverables. Identifies issues earlier so project managers can make plans to address and correct them
Optimise resources by ensuring they're continuously used efficiently
Encourages accountability within teams by solidifying each individual's tasks and responsibilities. Enables project managers to identify variances and project deviations quicker before they evolve into more significant issues
Consequences of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) include
Accountability: M&E enhances accountability to stakeholders, including donors, governments, and the community, by demonstrating that resources are being used effectively and that the project generates results.
Learning and Improvement: It allows organisations to learn from their successes and failures, facilitating continuous improvement in future project planning and implementation.
Decision-making: M&E provides the evidence needed to make informed decisions about a project's future, such as whether to scale up, adjust, or discontinue an intervention.
Resource Allocation helps determine if resources are being used optimally, guiding adjustments to budgets and activities to maximise impact.
Transparency: M&E promotes transparency by clearly documenting what has been achieved, how, and why.
Decision-making: M&E provides the evidence needed to make informed decisions about a project's future, such as whether to scale up, adjust, or discontinue an intervention.
Resource Allocation helps determine if resources are being used optimally, guiding adjustments to budgets and activities to maximise impact.
Transparency: M&E promotes transparency by clearly documenting what has been achieved, how, and why.
Project monitoring, evaluation, and control are three sides to the same tool, which can help improve a project's overall efficiency by catching and resolving issues before they become too late.
The project's critical path ensures that the essential tasks are resourced and completed to avoid delaying project completion.
Earned value analysis (EVA) + SPI, CPI and KPI are essential.