The Importance of Monitoring and Evaluation in Achieving Development Goals
Enock Mulenga
Data Specialist | unlockDataStories(data) → Let me help you UNLOCK the stories hidden in your DATA!
Day 2 of the Mandela Washington Fellowship was a valuable deep dive into the world of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) with Ian Allen an M&E Specialist at the University of Minnesota.
M&E is crucial for development work, ensuring we're on track to achieve our goals and make a meaningful impact. It's about more than just collecting data - it's about using information to guide our actions, make adjustments, and drive progress.
Key takeaways from today's session:
- Monitoring: Systematic collection, analysis, and use of information to guide activities towards their objectives.
- Evaluation: Assessment of program effectiveness, using monitoring data to inform decisions.
- Setting up an M&E system: Identify stakeholders, resources, goals, objectives, and indicators (process, performance, and impact).
Thought-provoking questions and discussions emerged, including:
- How do we establish baselines in projects without existing data?
- Are we collecting valuable information or just checking boxes?
- How can we avoid biases in data collection and consider complex social, economic, political, regulatory, and ecological factors?
Let's continue the conversation! Share your experiences, questions, and insights on M&E in development work.
#MandelaWashingtonFellowship #MonitoringAndEvaluation #DevelopmentWork #DataDrivenDecisionMaking #ImpactfulProgress
Global Health Consultant | MBA Candidate | Strategic Leader in Digital Health & Program Management | Expert in HIV & Donor-Funded Initiatives | Driving Innovation & Impact Across Global Health Systems
9 个月Interesting insights in this article; I'm particularly inclined to respond to the question of how we can conduct project baselines without data. Approaching this requires a multifaceted approach. This approach would employ several different methods simultaneously, such as 1). Researching literature/secondary data in the field, and 2). Piloting on a small scale (remember, proof of concept?) before scaling the project extensively. Lastly, collaboration and networking with experts and stakeholders might reveal insights.
MD. MSc. PhD Student| Mandela Washington Fellow|Immunology of tropical infectious diseases| ITM Antwerp, University of Antwerp, KU Leuven, INRB|Co-founder at PUKE (Progress University Kinshasa East)| National Instructor.
9 个月It was such an enriching day!