Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the participants should be able to:

• Unpack various theories of M&E
• Unpack Learning methods
• Unpack Organisational Learning
• Unpack Knowledge Management KM within an organisation
• Develop project results levels
• Design a project using logical framework
• Develop indicators and targets for each result level
• Track performance indicators over the life of the project
• Evaluation a project against the set results
• Develop and implement M&E systems
• Develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan
• Use data analysis software (Stata/SPSS/R)
• Collect data using mobile data collection tools
• Carryout impact evaluation
• Use GIS to analyze and share project data

Course Overview

This is a comprehensive M&E and Learning program MEL course that covers the principles and practices for results-based monitoring and evaluation for the entire project life cycle. This course equips participants with skills in setting up and implementing results-based monitoring and evaluation systems including M&E data management, analysis and reporting. The participants will benefit from the latest M&E thinking and practices including the results and participatory approaches. This course is designed to enable the participants become experts in monitoring and evaluating their development projects. The course covers all the key elements of a robust M&E system coupled with a practical project to illustrate the M&E concepts.

Motivation and Context

How do you know if your organization or programs are achieving the impact you seek? How do you figure out how to get better at what you do? Performance measurement isn’t solely a yardstick for success—it’s also a tool for learning and decision making that helps you improve.

The greatest value of M&E and performance measurement is in its power to help leaders figure out how their organisations can do better. And equitable measurement is vital to getting the full value out of an evaluation. Measuring with equity means incorporating a range of voices and viewpoints, including those with the least traditional power, and putting the challenges and solutions from your community and constituents at the core of how you think about impact. Communities and constituents know what they need better than anyone. As a result, they should be engaged as partners in the measurement process rather than as “beneficiaries.”

Project planning and implementation, needs assessment and evaluation

A systematic approach to the overall project planning and implementation process can ensure achievements of program objects and impacts. Program managers, education coordinators and teachers, SGBs in the program are encouraged to take a step back and make considered decisions that will result in increased effectiveness. The following components can serve as a guide.

Organisational needs and capability: Throughout the process, you will be asked to consider how the project addresses the programs mission. Knowing how the project “fits” within the agency’s priorities will ensure strategic use of resources and help you build internal support for the project. You will be able to articulate why this project is important and why our program should support it.

Set realistic and meaningful goals, objectives, and outcomes: From the development of the needs assessment to designing the final evaluation and everything in between, you will know what you want to accomplish and if you actually accomplished it. You will set objectives that are measurable and worth measuring. You will focus your project on outcomes that make a difference and ensure that a direct relationship exists between outcomes and project components. In a time of increasing attention to accountability, you will be able to document educational impacts.

 Use limited resources wisely: By identifying measurable objectives based on wellthought-out and researched priorities, projects will be focused and resources will be used efficiently. At various points in the project design process, you will be asked to inventory existing materials and programs. By taking stock, you will avoid re-inventing the wheel. Judiciously adapting or adopting materials saves both time and money.

 Design effective and sustainable projects: Projects that are designed with best practices in mind are more effective: continuous project improvement becomes integral to the process, evaluation is not left to the end, stakeholders’ needs are consciously 2 Designing Education Projects addressed throughout, and credibility is built. When decision-makers and others see results and meaningful partnerships established, projects are truly sustainable.

Enhance the learning process ME and Learning MEL  ,

In the end, education projects are developed because of the learner. Projects are developed because we want participants to gain specific knowledge and skills- as well as social knowledge and the ways of the world (e.g  life skills) . Education projects are developed to promote public safety and the development of environmental and scientific literacy. Careful attention to the design and implementation of an education project will be reflected in learner outcomes. It should be noted at the outset that this manual outlines an ideal process for the design of high-quality education projects.

Developing appropriate budgets and schedules are, obviously, key to the ultimate success of the education project. Without proper attention to budget details, a project may never make it beyond the early stages of planning. Similarly, poor scheduling may mean that materials are not ready when needed or evaluation opportunities are missed. Although both budgeting and scheduling will impact the quality of the project, the focus of this manual is on the design of the education intervention and its evaluation. Each project is different, however, varying in scope and duration.

Materials developed for a once off event at an primary school will be very different from those developed for a community group that meets on a regular basis. Projects vary in the amount of resources (human as well as monetary) available. It is unrealistic to expect all education coordinators to follow all of the recommended steps.

A set of projects, taken together, reinforce a program. In turn, a series of activities are devised to address project goals and objectives. Projects are focused on specific issues and audiences.

Key Focus Areas

• Introduction to M&E concepts
• Principles and guidelines of building good M&E systems to support good governance and improved service delivery
• An introduction to research methods
• Research design, sampling methods, evaluation and selecting research tools
• Key aspects of quantitative and qualitative analysis
• Statistical analysis
• Data analysis, techniques for managing M&E processes and report writing
• Unpacking Theory of Change ToC methodology
• M&E methods and tools
• Programme logframes and M&E
• Setting up and managing M&E systems
• An introduction to policy M&E
• Participatory M&E
• Data and ICT and its role in M&E and Learning
• Constructing an knowledge management KM system using M&E
• Using M&E for advocacy and policy change