ICTworks

1. “Handbook on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating for Development Results”, UNDP, 2009

While primarily designed for UNDP staff, the handbook acts as a reference guide that integrates planning, monitoring, and evaluation for effective program design. With modules on conceptualizing and creating a project monitoring and evaluation plan, monitoring for results, and measuring impact, it provides prescriptive content on what needs to be done, by whom, and by when. Report formats and templates complete what is an excellent companion across the full cycle of the development program.

Pros:

• Extremely comprehensive
• Excellent reference guide

Cons:

• Designed more as a reference point than a ‘how to’ resource
• Lacks references to recent trends like mobile data collection.

2. “Monitoring & Evaluation: Some Tools, Methods, & Approaches”, World Bank, 2004

This handbook is a handy companion guide to project monitoring and evaluation, starting from answering basic questions before going on to discuss some basic approaches and evaluation methods. Best looked at as a quick overview of the project monitoring and evaluation field, it is written in a question and answer style that makes it more accessible. By comparing different methods and approaches, it is a convenient starting point in understanding the subject.

Pros:

• Comparisons of methods includes estimates on costs, skills, and time required
• Convenient section-by-section resources for further reading

Cons:

• Meant more as an introduction than to M&E than a complete companion
• Suitable only for newcomers to M&E

3. “Step by Step Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation”, Oxford University, 2014

If your project concerns energy, sustainable development, or the environment, this step-by-step guide from the School of Geography & Environment is the resource for you. The methodical and accessible approach it adopts is useful for both experts and amateurs, and it provides forms and templates that help you structure a comprehensive project monitoring and evaluation framework. This is an ideal checklist for the expert and a how-to guide for people new to project monitoring and evaluation. As a bonus, it uses examples and illustrations for increased clarity.

Pros:

• Step-by-step approach makes it easier to understand and implement complex project monitoring and evaluation systems
• Convenient overview of other resources makes finding supporting literature easy

Cons:

• Focused mostly on energy and the environment — other studies and projects might miss some methods
• Leans more on specific examples than complete explanations

4. “Project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) guide”, IFRC, 2011

As a reference guide for International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) personnel, it is ideal for those responsible for project monitoring but also useful for volunteers, donors, and partners involved in a development program. The guide is divided into 3 sections — the first focuses on the conceptual framework for M&E; the second focuses on six key steps for M&E; and further, the appendix provides additional tools, resources, and projects for M&E. With a comprehensive breakdown of the important approaches as well as a checklist approach to the setting up of a monitoring and evaluation framework, this guide works for almost everyone.

Pros:

• Comprehensive and methodical in its approach, it gives you the information you need at the point that you need it.
• Annexed resources and updated content make for exceptional supporting reading.

Cons:

• While the information applies across the board, the emphasis is on issues of health
• Lacks an in-depth discussion of data collection methods

5. “DIY M&E: A step-by-step guide to building a monitoring and evaluation framework”, Grosvenor Management Consulting

This guide comes with a simple editable M&E framework template, and is a simple handbook to setting up an monitoring and evaluation framework conveniently. It uses a simple example to build on the various steps and milestones for setting up an M&E system, and contains simple tables that compare different approaches, giving pertinent information in an easily understandable fashion. Further, it links to resources on understanding other aspects of a program, including how to communicate project monitoring and evaluation results.

Pros:

• Simple, convenient, and accessible — this is the best guide for newcomers to the field
• Effective use of an example framework to help the reader to create their own

Cons:

• Not useful for large projects or programs
• Requires e-mail sign-up for access