Key issues of M&E in relation to managing information projects, products and services

1. Key issues of M&E in relation to managing information projects, products and services Training of Trainer’s (ToT) workshop Smart Toolkit: Monitoring and Evaluation of Information Projects, Products and Services Entebbe, Uganda, 24-28 September 2012

2. Trends in development world

3. Challenges related to current trends • Increasing complexity & dynamism often imply that: • We don’t have all the answers all of the time; • We don’t always know how best to acquire the answers and; • Often, we are unsure of what questions to ask.

4. The Power of Measuring Results If you do not measure results, you can not tell success from failure If you cannot see success, you cannot reward it If you cannot reward success, you are probably rewarding failure If you cannot see success, you cannot learn from it If you cannot recognise failure, you cannot correct it If you can demonstrate results, you can win public support Adapted from Osborne & Gaebler, 1992

5. Subsequently.. • In order to enhance our capacity, individually and collectively, to produce the results we truly want we need to enhance our capacity to LEARN which involves; • “Seeking, acquiring and translating information and knowledge into effective action.”

6. In relation to information…. Like other projects, many information projects, products and services have been in place for many years without commensurate changes to levels of investment and without proper planning and documentation M&E relate to the project’s assessment of progress, results, and successes and failures M&E are often distinguished as relating to a continuous process (monitoring) and interval led events (evaluation) Monitoring can assist in adapting your operational plan, whilst evaluation can assist in adapting your strategic plan M&E is not only for external funding bodies but also for self-assessment and learning about successes and failures

7. Supporting role of M&E • Identifying the actors and their roles and responsibilities • Determining the value base of the organisation • Identifying areas where management and practitioners can improve performance and accountability Smart toolkit workshop

8. Why an M&E System? Purpose – why do we want/need M&E: Accountability Strategic directions Operational management New knowledge generation Empowerment

9. Evaluation information is useful…

10. M&E Made Simple What Has succeeded or failed? Why Have we had success or failure? So What Are the implications for the project? Now What Actions will we now take to make improvements?

11. Smart toolkit workshop

12. A Smart ToolKit Was born to assist in addressing a number of the above challenges Smart toolkit workshop

13. What is the Smart toolkit about? • The Smart Toolkit focuses on principles, practice and tools for evaluating information projects, products and services from a learning perspective. • It is about self-evaluation and empowering doers to manage their information projects better • It looks at evaluation in the context of the project life cycle

14. Why the Smart toolkit? • Increasing pressures to show results especially outcomes and impacts of our initiatives – Accountability • Need to demonstrate transparency in management of IPPS • Learning for future better interventions • But limited capacity – skills and knowledge in M&E of IPPS • Need for a guide – Toolkit with relevant options

15. Smart toolkit initiative • For the past 11 yrs, CTA in collaboration with other development agencies has been actively involved in developing and promoting the use of methodologies for monitoring and evaluating information products and services in an effort to improve project management both in-house and among its partners • The Bonn workshop (October, 2001) was where the idea of the toolkit came about, along with the term “Smart” (to emphasise “best practice”)

16. Smart toolkit initiative The challenge has been: • How to make monitoring and evaluation (M&E) part of everyday activities in the running of information projects • How to adequately support and encourage the process even within the lead institutions • How to make learning effectively become part of the institutions’ knowledge base

17. Smart toolkit initiative • In 2005, CTA along with the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) and a host of other institutions and individuals from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, EU, Canada, Sri Lanka and the United States came together to produce the first version of the toolkit • In November 2009, a second version was published in response the feedback of our users • The French version of the toolkit was developed in 2010

18. Smart toolkit initiative We have had a series of launches, sensitisation and trainings in West, East and southern Africa, Pacific and the Caribbean; St. Lucia - November 2008; Namibia - November 2009; South Africa (Sensitisation) – Sept 2010; Ghana for sensitisation workshop – October 2010; West Africa Senegal - January 2011; Uganda (sensitisation) – November 2011; Fiji - Feb 2012; Uganda (Training) - Sept 2012.

19. Smart toolkit initiative • Given the level of enthusiasm and feedback, the Smart toolkit has become more of a movement, see www.smarttoolkit.net

20. Smart toolkit website (www.smarttoolkit.net)

21. Smart toolkit – the context, process and tools of evaluation with the guidelines (applications)

22. Structure of the Smart toolkit about

23. Strategies for increased Awareness and Usability • Sensitisation workshops • Training workshops (practitioners, ToT) • Side events or sessions during other seminars and workshops • Website www.smarttollkit.net, Facebook and Twitter • Follow up activities from Participants’ action plans

24. Further information? Please contact: • Dr. Ibrahim Khadar, Head of Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit – CTA at khadar@cta.int • Mr. Krishan Bheenick, Senior Programme Coordinator, Knowledge Management, at bheenick@cta.int • Sylvester Dickson Baguma, Principal Research Officer, Quality Assurance, NARO at sdbaguma@naro.go.ug • Karen Batjes, Consultant, at karen.batjes@gmail.com

25. Thank you for your attention! Questions? Reflections? Alternative views?