M&E System Report Template
Introduction
The purpose of this template is to help organisations demonstrate compliance with the ISEAL Impacts Code v2.
This is resource that ISEAL is sharing with applicants and members. In order to show compliance with the
Impacts Code, organisations are not required to develop an M&E system report following the guidance
presented below.
This resource could be particularly useful for organsiations that are in the early phases of developing an M&E
system and for those that have not developed an M&E strategy yet. The M&E System Report template is
particularly helpful for providing evidence that can help demonstrate compliance with a great number of
clauses in the Impacts Code v2.
Organisations using this template are welcome to make changes to the outline and the content to adapt it to
their needs.
Template Outline Format
Each section in the outline is presented in the following way. Use of Italics below provides a description of each
part of the outline.
1. Section heading – Each of the required sections must be included in the report

Description of Code criteria or topic or evidence for inclusion in this section of the report (relevant
clause and status of clause (e.g. 5.2.1 baseline)) – please note you are not required to include the clause
number or status in the completed report – this is for your reference in completing the report if you wish
to review the particular clause
o
Examples
M&E System Report Template v2 – July 2015
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Content Outline
1. Executive Summary
2. Scope and Boundaries of the M&E System
3. Roles and Responsibilities
4. Cooperation and Coordination
5. Defining the Intended Change
6. Performance Monitoring
7. Data Management
8. Outcome and impact evaluation
9. Improving the Effectiveness of the M&E system
10. Publicly Available Information about the M&E System
System Report Content
1. Executive summary

In this section of the report, please provide a summary of the main elements of your M&E
system, the main changes and developments as well as the plans ahead. This should not be
longer than one page.
2. Scope and Boundaries of the M&E System

A recent (reviewed and if necessary updated within the last year) description of the scope
and boundaries of the organization’s M&E system. This description must identify the
standard system’s intended and unintended effects (outcomes and impacts) and the
strategies, standards and/or programmes that will be monitored and evaluated through the
M&E system (through performance monitoring and/or outcome or impact evaluations). It
may also include defining geographic and time boundaries for the activities of the M&E
system. Minimum documentation of the scope and boundaries includes stating and
justifying what is and is not included within the scope of the M&E system. Baseline (5.2.1)

Only required if the organisation is not able to include all of its intended effects and most
significant intended effects within current scope of M&E system: explanation of human or
financial capacity constraint, and plan for changing/adding to system over time to permit
monitoring and evaluation of intended and unintended effects. Improvement (5.3.1)

Documentation of how each of the most significant effects is covered in the M&E system by performance monitoring or through outcome and impact evaluations. Most significant
intended effects may be those most central to the stated mission and sustainability
objectives of the standard system and/or those considered most critical to monitor by
stakeholders. Improvement (5.2.2)
3. Roles and Responsibilities

Identification and contact information for person responsible for M&E. Baseline (5.5.1)
M&E System Report Template v2 – July 2015
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
Description of the roles and responsibilities of staff working on M&E

e.g. table or text with list of M&E roles and responsibilities with person responsible
for each, or job descriptions of person(s) working on M&E. If other departments
collaborate with the M&E programme and fulfil key functions, consider outlining
the objectives of these departments that show evidence of collaboration with M&E
or description of how each is fulfilled (or will be fulfilled) by a department or by
contractors. Baseline (5.5.2)
4. Cooperation and Coordination

Description of current and potential partnerships and collaborations with other
organisations (e.g. ISEAL members, producer groups, companies, researchers, NGOs, etc.)
regarding M&E., OR assessment of potential for collaboration. Aspirational 5.9.1
5. Defining the Intended Change

List and description of intended long-term social, environmental or economic impacts.
Baseline (7.1.2)

List and description of the expected short and medium term outcomes. Baseline (7.1.2)

List and description of the organisation's strategies Improvement (7.2.1)

Description or illustration that explains how each of the identified strategies are expected to
contribute to intended outcomes and impacts. Improvement (7.2.2)

List and description of possible positive and negative unintended effects of organisation's
activities, including an identification of the most significant and potentially damaging
negative unintended effects. Improvement (7.3.1)

List and description of external factors most likely to influence achievement of intended
impacts and outcomes, ideally showing the link between the factor and specific outcomes or
impacts. Aspirational (7.4.1)
6. Performance Monitoring

Introduction


Description or graphical presentation of the performance monitoring activities that make up
the broader M&E system. It is helpful to supplement this with an explanation of the specific
role or contribution to the broader M&E system. Improvement (8.1.1)
Indicators

Full list of M&E indicators to measure progress and monitor unintended effects or a link to
where these can be found. Improvement (8.2.1)

Indication on full list of M&E indicators which indicators are to be used in performance
monitoring and which in outcome or impact evaluations. Optionally, identify which
indicators are associated with which level of data collection. Improvement (8.2.2)


See definition for each of the levels here:
http://www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/GN1%20Getting%20started%20with%20your%20M-E%20system.pdf
Performance Monitoring Reports

Description of how the data collection and analysis takes place for performance monitoring
data and the frequency of recurrence of these activities (for example is data collected and
analyse once a year, during each audit, each time a new certificate is issued, etc.). The
frequency of collection and analysis may vary across indicators. Improvement (8.3.1)

Evidence that data is being collected and analyzed on the described schedule
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
e.g. by providing internal or external monitoring reports, showing summary
information from database, or sharing auditor checklists and protocols that relate
to M&E data. Improvement (8.3.1)

e.g. Consider addressing the following questions- Has data collection started? On
which indicators? How many rounds of data collection are available? What is the
frequency of collection? Has baseline data been collection? How is data analyzed?
7. Data Management

Description of the current data management system. Improvement (5.6.1)

Explanation of how the system allows for 1) storage/organisation 2) analysis and 3) use of
performance monitoring data. Improvement (5.6.1)
8. Outcome and impact evaluation

Description or graphical presentation of the outcome/impact evaluation activities that make
up the broader M&E system. It is helpful to supplement this with an explanation of the
specific role or contribution to the broader M&E system. Improvement (8.1.1)

List of outcome and impact evaluations that have been commissioned, conducted, or
undergone each year, since the system has been operational or for at least the last 5 years.
(Impacts Public System Report Section 8) All outcome and impact evaluations on this list
that are being put forward as evidence of compliance with the Impacts Code must be
consistent with the spirit of the definitions in the glossary and meet the requirements of 8.5,
8.6, 8.7, and 10.2. Improvement (8.5.1)

Indicate for each evaluation on this list whether it was commissioned (to a consultant or
research institute, for example), conducted (with in house staff), or undergone (done by an
outside research organisation or third party but not commissioned by the organisation) in
the year in which it is listed. List each evaluation only once. Improvement (8.5.1)

Documented evidence of how results have been shared with and communicated to different
stakeholders, including study participants. Aspirational (8.9.1)

Documented evidence for how M&E has been beneficial for entities involved in the standard
system (e.g. description of the support and capacity building for data collection and
management provided; opportunities to be part of learning events or exchange of good
practices and research findings; access to data analysis of how they compare to other
entities in the standard, etc.). Aspirational (8.10.1)

e.g. description of the support and capacity building for data collection and
management provided; opportunities to be part of learning events or exchange of
good practices and research findings; access to data analysis of how they compare
to other entities in the standard, etc.
9. Improving the Effectiveness of the M&E system

Description of the approach and frequency of the revisions, which aspects of the M&E
system are reviewed and revised, and how results and learning from performance
monitoring and evaluations are used in the revisions. Improvement (9.2.1)
10. Publicly Available Information about the M&E System
Baseline 10.1.1 (only for the clauses that are also baseline)

Link to the contact point for submission of any comments, questions or complaints about
the M&E system

Link to a description of the current scope and boundaries of the monitoring and evaluation
system (5.2), and if appropriate, the plan for expansion (5.3)
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
Link to procedures and opportunities for stakeholder engagement in the design and revision
of the M&E system and the results of these consultations (6.2)

Link to an explanation of the scheme’s strategies, intended outcomes and impacts, and the
most significant unintended effects ( 7.1, 7.2, 7.3);

Link to a list of all indicators being used in the monitoring and evaluation system (8.1);

Link to a list of completed, ongoing and planned outcome and impact evaluations (8.6).

Links to additional publically available information (e.g. tracking of performance monitoring
indicators, performance monitoring reports, etc.).Aspirational (10.4.1)

Link to the full reports or summaries of outcome evaluations. Baseline (10.2.1)

Link to the full reports or summaries of the impact evaluations. Baseline (10.2.1)

If the organisation produces summaries:


Link to the summaries of outcome evaluations. Baseline (10.2.2)

Link to the summaries of the impact evaluations. Baseline (10.2.2)
Link to evidence of an upfront public commitment to publish the full evaluation report.,
which is easily accessible to the public. Aspirational (10.4.3)
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