CRC

Creative Research and Evaluation Centre Phone: 256-41-534975

P.O. Box 21175 Fax: “ “ 530619
Kampala, Uganda e-mail: crc@imul.com

CRC Handout

Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plans

This handout is a draft template for a project M&E plan. It shows some standard pieces to be
included in such a plan, gives options for additional detail, and presents the reader/user with guiding
questions to facilitate the process.

Additional information about developing such plans is available may be found by consulting the short
reference list included within this template.

06 January 1999
tom barton
 Project Name

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

Plan

Dates of plan

When plan created

Who was responsible
 Table of Contents
[Example only, based on contents of this outline handout]

Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................1

Executive summary................................................................................................................1
Project background.................................................................................................................1
M&E planning ........................................................................................................................2
The M&E Information Matrix...................................................................................................2
The M&E Workplan Matrix......................................................................................................5
M&E timetable .......................................................................................................................5
References ............................................................................................................................5
Abbreviations .........................................................................................................................8
Forms – drafts and examples.................................................................................................8

Executive summary
[Can be quite short – just a few paragraphs for an overview of what the plan contains and what it is
about]

Project background
The _____________ Project, which is funded by __________, is working on (relief, rehabilitation,
development) in ___________ sectors. The preliminary work for the project, including needs
assessment and project design were done in 19___. Implementation is due to start (has started) on
____________ and the project (the current phase of the project) will be terminating in ____________.

The main goals/objectives of the project are:

Overall (or final goal) _____________________________________
Specific (or intermediate goals)
a) _____________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________

The principal strategies of the project include ___________. The target population(s) is/are
__________________ because __________________. The project is (or will be) operational in
________ districts/zones/regions in _____________ (country). Current regions of the project are
shown on the accompanying map.

(scan and insert map here, with project areas located on it)

[if the project has a conceptual model, this is a good place to show it and give a very brief description]

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 1

 M&E planning
This M&E plan was prepared during ____________, and proposes activities for the period
______________. During the preparation of the M&E plan, the staff of the project reached a number
of critical decisions and identified essential strategies for M&E in the project. The main debates and
decisions included ___________________. (feasibility, responsibility, frequency, indicators, etc.,
etc.)

[what were the key issues/decisions? who were the main participants in the planning?]

The main references used in preparing the M&E plan were:

• _________ et al: ________ Project Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop Report
19__
• _________ et al: ________ Project Document 19__
• _________ et al: ________ Project needs assessment, situation analysis, baseline
survey report, etc. 19___
• T. Barton; How Are We Doing? Guidelines for Monitoring and Evaluation. CARE-
Uganda, 1997.

The M&E Information Matrix

M&E matrix – the matrix (table) on the following page was prepared by ___________, based on
discussions during the project M&E workshop with the staff. In this table, the objectives and
indicators shown are the same (or modified from) those in the project document. The numbering of
the objectives, outputs and indicators corresponds to the numbering in the project document log
frame. The reader/user of this matrix should note that the frequency of reporting might differ from the
frequency of data collection.

Details to consider::
• Type of information: good to have some explanation of the indicators. However, if there are any
indicators that might be difficult or confusing to incoming staff/partners later on in the project, it
might be useful to include a separate table or page for further explanation or definition. To help in
this effort, see supplemental indicator tables on the page just after the information matrix in this
draft outline.
• Methods of data gathering: if one says ‘records review’: what records/what reports, kept where,
and accessible with whose permission? Will the records review be done with a checklist? Will
they be reviewed for qualitative or quantitative data? What is meant by ‘survey’?
• Who to collect: does not specify who to do data processing/analysis/or write up; nor who will do
the editing and feedback.
• Frequency of reporting: Note that this matrix does not show who will be getting the reports. It only
shows reporting frequency, but not who the reports will go to…]

Other essential monitoring

♦ Project risks and assumptions
♦ Project management

Questions: what will be the relevant indicators, what means of verification, who will be responsible.
Note that some of this is handled in the next matrix.

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 2

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Matrix for ________ Project
Indicator Type of information (short Sources of Methods of data Who to collect, Frequency of
explanation of indicator) information gathering analyse data reporting
Final goal: _____
Intermediate goals (objectives – numbered) and outputs (numbered by intermediate goals)
1. Intermediate goal
1.1 Output 1 for IG 1
1.2 Output

2. Intermediate goal
2.1 Output 1 for IG 2
2.2 Output

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 3

Supplemental indicator tables (to be used only if needed)

Indicators – definitions, explanations, applications and considerations

Indicator Definition Explanation Use/Application Consideration
Indicator Definition of the Shows – what changes the What use for assessing What factors influence this indicator, e.g.,
written out in indicator, and any indicator can demonstrate inputs, activities, outputs, season, recall time period, etc. It is likely to
words. critical concepts Influenced by – what affects the effects, impacts of the take extra questions to assess accuracy,
embedded in it. levels or results of the indicator project (or assumptions, reliability, etc.?
Literature – any literature for risks, context)
[Sectors for comparison of findings.
this indicator]

Indicators – data requirements, tools, results

Indicator Data Required Possible Methods/Tools Unit of Results
Indicator Many indicators require more than one data Preferred methods/tools, e.g., household What will the results look like? What
written out point, e.g., to calculate stunting, one needs to survey questionnaire, physical form/format?
in words. know the child’s age, gender, and height measurements, etc.
Optional - Can also include optional tools
[Sectors for for more explanation or qualitative
this indicator] assessment.

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 4

 The M&E Workplan Matrix
The first table following this section shows the M&E workplan which helps summarise data from the
information matrix and shows more lines of responsibility.

[see pages 36, 41, 115 in the CARE M&E guidelines]

Queries and/or items to fill in:

– When activity occurs: review and consider carefully; may also be able to put dates to specific
items like the baseline, mid-term and final evaluations. Using this column and the second last
column on reporting should help in generating a GANTT chart for M&E activities (see annex
section).
– Who participates: the CARE book has some ideas, but this column needs to be specific for this
project
– Who leads: this column should reflect who is ultimately going to be responsible for each of the
M&E activities. It might be the overall project manager, but it should come down to specific
persons, if possible, not to committees.

M&E timetable
The table following the workplan matrix shows an example of a GANTT timetable for M&E activities in
a three year project.

[Include discussion of any critical factors affecting decisions about what is placed where in the
timetable]

References
Barton, T. (1997) How Are We Doing? Guidelines to Monitoring and Evaluation. Prepared for CARE
Uganda; adopted by CARE International as the standard guidelines for all CARE offices. Is
available from CARE International in English, French and Spanish

Barton, T. (1998) Program Impact Evaluation Process: Module 1 Overview. Prepared for CARE
Uganda. Draft version; due for field testing in early 1999.

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 5

M&E workplan matrix
General and Specific activity (what is When activity Who participates? Who leads? (who is When reported? For whom?
Specific activity assessed or being done) occurs? (data collect, analysis) responsible for (schedule) (report to..)
(schedule) reporting?)
MONITORING
• Objectives Impacts, fundamental changes Annual (?) Annual
• Context, risks and Social, political, economic, Annual Annual
assumptions environment
Negative outcomes
• Effects Response of target population to Annual Annual
project outputs
• Outputs, including Project products achieved Monthly Quarterly
institutional and
organisational issues
• Activities (physical) Distribution and delivery Monthly Quarterly
Actual versus planned
• Inputs (financial) Resources; use versus budget Monthly Quarterly
EVALUATION
• Baseline Indicators for impacts, effects, At start-up ASAP after study
context, assumptions
• Annual review Financial, physical, outputs, Annual Annual
effects, context, assumptions
• Mid-term evaluation Organisation structure, design After 2 years ASAP after study
Progress – physical, financial
Achievements – Outputs, effects
Context, risks, assumptions
• Final evaluation As above, plus impacts, Within 6-9 Prior to phase out
sustainability months of end
Possibly cost-benefit of project
OTHER
• Special studies
• Training on M&E
• Training on report
writing

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 6

M&E activity time table (example by quarter for a three year project)
General and Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3
Specific activity Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4
MONITORING
• Objectives
• Context, risks and
assumptions
• Effects
• Outputs, including
institutional and
organisational issues
• Activities (physical)
• Inputs (financial)
EVALUATION
• Baseline
• Annual review
• Mid-term evaluation
• Final evaluation
OTHER
• Special studies
• Training on M&E
• Training on report
writing

Note: Objectives, context, risk, assumptions, and effects would all be part of the mid-term and final evaluations as well as the annual monitoring/review.

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 7

 Abbreviations
ABA...............................
CDE...............................
ETC ..............................
GoX...............................Government of X_________
MoH ..............................Ministry of Health
NGO..............................Non-Governmental Organisation

Forms – drafts and examples

[I am still gathering useful examples that work for this section]

Assessment of effects (e.g., as a monitoring form, or a checklist in evaluation analysis)

Indicator
Baseline value ♠ Current value ♣ Amount of change (#) Percent change (%)

Explanatory notes:
♠ Baseline done _________ (date)
♣ Current survey done ________ (date)
Amount of change = Current – Baseline (this allows either positive or negative results)
Percent change = Current – Baseline
Baseline

Assessment of activities

Quarterly physical activities accomplishment report

Item Major Unit of This quarter Fiscal year to date Remarks
no. components and measure Plan Accomplishment % Annual Accomplishment up to %
activities in this quarter plan end of this report

Assessment of risks and negative outcomes

Problems encountered
Levels of problems/concerns Problems Solutions Decisions made Actions taken
encountered recommended (what, when) (what, when)
Community Level
Project level (including partners)
Policy and higher level (including donor,
country office, headquarters, etc.

Project Name Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Plan 8