WEEK 13

Project Monitoring,
Evaluation and Close out

9/4/2019 1
Session objective
After the session you will be able to:
Explain why monitoring , evaluation and
close out are essential to the success of a
project and
Design the tools used in monitoring and
evaluation of a project

9/4/2019 2
 Project Monitoring
 Monitoring is an internal activity of project
management, the purpose of which is to
determine whether project activities
have been implemented as planned.
 It seeks to oversee whether resources are being
mobilized as intended and products are being
delivered on schedule.
 It involves the provision of regular feedback
on the progress of project implementation
and the problems faced during implementation.
9/4/2019 3
 Monitoring consists of operational and
administrative activities that track
resource acquisition and allocation,
delivery of services and cost records.
 Ithelps to pinpoint problems requiring
corrective and timely action and it is also
important in the context of coping with
uncertainty in implementation.

9/4/2019 4
Basis for Monitoring
 Periodic reports
 Regular project management and staff
meetings
 Observations
 Field visits and inspection, etc.

9/4/2019 5
 All development projects are monitored to
find out and identify:
 specific problems as they arise for
corrective measures
 whether or not a project continues to be
relevant etc.
 Monitoring is an integral part of
every project, from start to
finish.

9/4/2019 6
 Functions of Monitoring
 Provides project managers and other stakeholders
with continuous feedback on implementation.
 Identifies actual or potential successes and
problems as early as possible to facilitate timely
decision making and adjustments to project
operation
 Provides useful information for project
managers focusing on the day-to-day management
issues.
 Aims at assisting the manager to keep the
project on track in accordance with the planned
activities and outputs.
 Provides the kinds of information required by
project managers at each of the stages of a project.
9/4/2019 7
There are three main domains of information
required in a monitoring system:
 Inputs— resources going into conducting and
carrying out the project or program. These could
include staff, finance, materials, and time.
 Process— set of activities in which program
resources (human and financial) are used to achieve
the results expected from the program (e.g., number
of workshops or number of training sessions).
 Outputs— immediate results obtained by the
program through the execution of activities (e.g.,
number of commodities distributed, number of staff
trained, number of people reached, or number of
people served). 9/4/2019 8
Monitoring addresses the following
questions:
• To what extent are planned activities actually
realized? Are we making progress toward
achieving our objectives?
• What services are provided, to whom, when,
how often, for how long, and in what context?
• How well are the services provided?
• What is the quality of the services provided?
• What is the cost per unit service?

9/4/2019 9
Types of Monitoring Indicators: There are three types
of monitoring indicators, namely:
• Input indicators: describe what goes on in the
project
Example: number of bricks brought on site and
amount of money spent
• Process indicators: measures set of activities in
which program resources (human and financial) are
used to achieve the results expected from the
program
Example: Number of peoples working, Amount of
budget used, number of bricks used in construction
• Output indicators: describe the project activity
Example: number of classrooms built
9/4/2019 10
The Steps of Project Monitoring
 Setting standards: standards are set based on
cost, schedule, and performances.
 Monitoringክትትል progress: እድገት Monitoring is
the measurement through time that indicates
the movement toward the objective or away
from it.
 Assess progress: Assessment is the process of
comparing the actual cost, time and performance
information with the estimated cost, time and
performance set during the first step of
controlling.
9/4/2019 11
 Taking actions: based on the results of
the evaluation, there are three options of
decisions:
 Maintain The Existing Performance.
 Modify The Standards
 Increase Momentum

9/4/2019 12
Project Evaluation
 This is a process of determining መወሰን
systematically and objectively the relevance,
efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the
project in light of its objectives.
 The comprehensive review, assessment and
critical analysis not only of the project results,
but also the initial assumptions underlying the
project elements including the relevance of
the problem statement.

9/4/2019 13
 Evaluation is an assessment that refers to design,
implementation and results of completed or on-going
projects.
 Evaluation is not something that happens at the end
of a project. It is a process that begins when the
project begins with the development of goals and
objectives, and it continues throughout the life of
the project.
 It is through the evaluation process that we learn
whether projects are meeting their goals and having
an impact on the beneficiaries.

9/4/2019 14
The aim of the evaluation is to determine the
efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability
and relevance of the project.
 Evaluation is the use of social research
methods to systematically investigate a
program’s effectiveness.

9/4/2019 15
 Evaluation:
 requires study design.
 sometimes requires a control or comparison
group.
 involves measurements over time.
 involves special studies.
 Evaluation entails a systematic examination of a
planned, on going and/or completed project. It aims to
answer specific management questions, judge the
overall value of an endeavor, and supply lessons
learned to improve future actions, planning and
decision-making.
9/4/2019 16
 Project evaluation is usually carried out by
external consultants to examine the
successes of the project in relation to its
objectives. It is research based to determine
major problems that encountered through the
project cycle and provide lessons for future
projects.

9/4/2019 17
Purpose of Evaluation
 To identify the constraints or bottlenecks
that hinder the project in achieving its
objectives.
 To assess the benefits and costs that accrue
to the intended direct and indirect
beneficiaries of the project.
 To draw lessons from the project
implementation experience and using the
lessons in the planning of other projects in
that community and elsewhere.
9/4/2019 18
 To provide ማቅረብ a clear picture of the
extent to which the intended objectives
of the activities and the project have been
realized.
 To provide feedback on project
outcomes and successes to the
community involved.

9/4/2019 19
The Process of Evaluation
 Evaluation can and should be done: before, during,
and after implementation.
a) Before project implementation, evaluation is
needed in order to:
 assess the possible consequences of the planned
project(s) to the people in the community over a
period of time;
 make a final decision on what project alternative
should be implemented; and
 assist in making decisions on how the project will
be implemented.
9/4/2019 20
b) During project implementation:
Evaluation should be a continuous process
and should take place in all project
implementation activities. This enables the
project planners and implementers to
progressively review the project
strategies according to the changing
circumstances in order to attain the desired
activity and project objectives.

9/4/2019 21
C) After project implementation: This is to retrace
the project planning and implementation
process, and results after project implementation.
This further helps in:
 identifying constraints or bottlenecks
inherent in the implementation phase;
 assessing the actual benefits and the number of
people who benefited;
 providing ideas on the strength of the project,
for replication; and
 providing a clear picture of the extent to which
the intended objectives of the project have been
realized.
9/4/2019 22
 Types of Evaluation
 As mentioned earlier, project evaluation is the
assessment of the extent to which the
project has met its objectives (i.e. has been
effective, economical and efficient).
 There are two evaluation types: summative
and formative.

9/4/2019 23
 Formative Evaluation: Formative evaluation
is a method of judging the worth of a project
while the project activities are happening.
Formative evaluation assesses the project as it
is being put in place and during its early
operation.

Formative evaluation assesses current, ongoing

project activities, provides an internal process
that compares the planned project with the
actual program, and measures the progress
made toward meeting the project goals.

9/4/2019 24
 This evaluation type helps identify problems
threatening the project's viability, enabling
the project manager and planning group to
make mid-course corrections. Formative
evaluation focuses on the process. The
objectives of formative evaluation are:
 to find out the extent of program
implementation; and
 to determine improvements and adjustments
needed to attain the project objectives

9/4/2019 25
 Summative Evaluation: Summative evaluation
is a method of judging the worth of a program
at the end of the program activities. It is used
to access the projects success after the project
has ended and to make decisions about the
future of the project. Summative evaluation will
attempt to determine: the success of the
project, goals being met, participant satisfaction
and benefit, effectiveness, end results versus
cost, and whether the program should be
repeated or replicated.The focus of summative
evaluation is on the outcome .
9/4/2019 26
 Questions appropriate for a summative evaluation
include:
 was the project successful? What were the
strengths and weaknesses?
 to what extent did the project or program
meet the overall goal(s)?
 did participants benefit from the project? In
what ways?
 what components were most effective?
 were the results worth the costs?
 how will you share what you have learned?

9/4/2019 27
 The objectives of summative evaluation are
to find out the extent to which project
objectives are achieved; and to help you
decide whether a project activity or any of
its parts should be revised, continued, or
terminated. Finally, a close examination of
the formative and summative evaluation
results is necessary to understand the
successes and failures of the project

9/4/2019 28
 Evaluation plan
 Outline how the quality of project
implementation, outputs and outcomes will be
evaluated
 Key elements of an evaluation plan:
– Evaluation questions
 for process evaluation: linked to the planning and
organization of the project activities
 for effect evaluation: linked to the specific
objectives in consultation with the
stakeholders
9/4/2019 29
– Evaluation indicators
 Process indicators (progress)
 Performance indicators (outputs)
 Effect indicators (achievement of objectives)
– Evaluation targets
 numbers expected, level of quality aimed for, …to serve
as a standard to compare the process or results of the
project with
 – Evaluation methods linked to the
indicators

9/4/2019 30
Evaluation Indicators
 Are variables which measure the performance and
progress of the work and the level to which the
objectives are reached
 Differentiate between:
- Performance indicators for process evaluation
- Outcome/output indicators for effect evaluation
 Indicators should:
- Be explicitly linked to the specific objectives: for
each specific objective, one or more indicators can
be defined
9/4/2019 31
- be either quantitative (e.g., numbers of
participants, numbers of users, …) or
qualitative (e.g., the appreciation of project
deliverables by external experts)
- ideally also specify target values (i.e.,
numbers to be achieved, level of quality aimed
for, …)
- be measurable: the way in which they will be
measured must be detailed in a evaluation plan
(e.g., document analysis, counting,
questionnaire, observation, …)
9/4/2019 32
 The distinction between outcome and impact
is that outcome is short-term or
intermediate results obtained by the
program through the execution of activities;
whereas, impact is long-term effects (e.g.,
changes in health status).

9/4/2019 33
 Budget
– Evaluation should be incorporated in the
project’s budget in a way that makes the
evaluation study realistic, manageable, efficient,
and productive
 Timing
– It is a common mistake to assume that
evaluation takes place at the end of a project.
– evaluation must be planned from the outset
and conducted throughout the project life
time
9/4/2019 34
Project Closure Phase

 The last major phase of a project's life cycle

is project closeout.
 Project closeout is performed once all
defined project objectives have been met
and the customer has accepted the project’s
product.
 In this phase, you will formally close your
project and then report its overall level of
success to your donor.

9/4/2019 35
 Project Closing
 A successful project can be closed either by
extinction or by addition or by integration; whereas
an unsuccessful project can be terminated by
starvation.
 A project can be said to be closed successfully only
when it has a proper final report in place.
 A final report contains all the knowledge gained from
the processes of the project.
 Project final report along with the project records is
the best source to gain experience from previous
projects and improve the way future projects are
handled.
9/4/2019 36
The main functions of the project closeout
process are:
 to formalize project completion and disseminate
information to project participants;
 to assess the project and derive any lessons
learned and best practices to be applied to future
projects; and
 to verify that all work has been accomplished as
agreed and that the client or customer accepts
the final product.

9/4/2019 37
 The project manager must ensure that the
project is brought to its proper completion.

The closure phase is characterized by a written

formal project review report containing the
following components:
 completion and closeout of any contractual agreements with
suppliers or providers
 formalizing customer acceptance
 closeout of any financial matters
 preparation of the project’s final performance report
 conducting a project review
 documenting lessons learned
 completing, collecting and archiving project records
 Celebrating project success.

9/4/2019 38
 There are two processes that occur during
project closeout.These are contract closure
and administrative closure.
 Contract closure involves checking the
work for completeness and accuracy and
documenting formal project acceptance.

In other words, contract closure involves

verification that all work has been completed
correctly and satisfactorily, updating of
contract records to reflect final results, and
archiving information for future use.
9/4/2019 39
Among other activities contract closure
includes:
 Confirming the project has addressed the
terms and conditions of the contracts
 Confirming completion of exit criteria for
contract closure
 Formally closing out all contracts associated
with the completed project

9/4/2019 40
Administrative closure involves gathering
and disseminating project closure information
to relevant parties, archiving files, and
documenting lessons learned. Among other
activities administrative closure includes:
 confirming the project has met all sponsor,
customer, and stakeholder requirements
 verifying that all deliverables have been delivered
and accepted
 validating exit criteria have been met

9/4/2019 41
 A final project report contains:
 a section on performance of the project wherein the
delivered output is compared with the planned output,
a section on the performance or the administration of the
project,
a section on the organizational structure adopted and its
implications on the performance of the project and
finally a section on the confidential information to be
reported to the top management and the
recommendations of the project manager on ways of
improving the processes.

9/4/2019 42
 Ensuring sustainability
 Revisit the project outcomes, and consider the
changes the project will stimulate or enable
 Consider the take-up and embedding needed
to achieve the envisaged changes

9/4/2019 43
 Formulate an exit strategy, which outlines:
– Access – Who will host the deliverables after the project ends?
Will they be available on the project web site? Have other
arrangements for hosting been made?
– Preservation – Where will the deliverables be preserved?
– Maintenance – What supporting documentation will be
needed to maintain deliverables, e.g. user manuals, technical
manuals? Will any ongoing maintenance be needed and what
will it cost?
– Intellectual property – What IP rights need to be cleared to
make sure deliverables can be accessible to the teaching,
learning, and community after the project ends?

9/4/2019 44
 Consider deliverables or outputs that will be
sustainable in the long term
e.g., tools, guidelines, protocols, …that could be
used by other projects or that are useful for the
research community.
 Develop sustainability scenarios for these
outputs
Think about who might carry them forward, how,
and the issues that will need to be addressed to
make these outputs self-sustaining.

9/4/2019 45
Thank you!!

9/4/2019 46
The End!!

9/4/2019 47