Monitoring and evaluation plan proforma
This form is designed to help you to develop a simple monitoring and evaluation plan required
for projects receiving a grant of less than $35,000.
This generally includes projects funded under the Protecting our Places, Environmental
Education and Restoration and Rehabilitation grants programs, but not Seed Funding projects
under the Urban Sustainability Program.
Grant reference number:
Organisation
Project title:
Amount awarded:
Project start date:
Project completion date:
Introduction to this proforma.
The most important step in starting with a monitoring and evaluation plan is to think about
how you will check progress throughout your project. We provide a simple format for an M&E
Plan here. You might want to include more information in each section, or add tables if you
already have a format.
Text in italics is provided for guidance only, and should be replaced with your project
information as each section is completed.
1. Introduction to monitoring and evaluation of your project.
This section should include details about:
- what your project will have achieved at the end of your project
(e.g., to re-establish native grasses in the project area)
- how specific activities will contribute to those achievements
(expressed as activities e.g. site survey, train volunteers, buy
seed etc.
- a review of Schedule C to decide what Trust measures you will
use to judge achievement of your objectives (target species and
area revegetated, for example), taking note of the measures
required; and
- list the main people participating in the project and decide who
will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating tasks at
various dates.
NSW Environmental Trust Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Proforma
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2. How will you measure the progress of your project and how often? Make the Plan.
This section
application.:
-
-
suggests how you should track progress of your project towards meeting objectives and ultimately, your outcomes, as outlined in your
the activities to achieve your overall objective e.g. establishing native grasses in the project area
the resources (i.e., materials, staff, etc) needed to measure and monitor activities (diary, cameras, tape measure)
measures to be used to monitor project activities. These measures should be directly related to the Trust Project
Measures you have chosen. Please use the standard project measures provided by the Trust, and choose which
measure relates to your project
measure the baseline before you start using the tools and resources needed take baseline measurement
when monitoring and evaluation milestones will occur throughout the project (e.g. annually, six monthly) thinking
about when you might see some changes
who will be responsible for measuring changes in outcomes and evaluating what has been achieved; and who will
collate this information for the progress and final reports.
Objective
Activity
Measure (look again at Trust
‘Project Measures’ and
choose the ones that best fit
your activity)
Re-establish
native grass
areas in
project area
E.g.: conduct site
survey
For example:
target species for which habitat
has improved:
Area of connected vegetation
established
E.g.: regenerate
area with
volunteer
assistance
Baseline
What are the conditions
before you start expressed
as a unit of measure and
any other descriptions
(qualitative)
Baseline:
Insert number of species
occurring on project site
before you start the activity.
You could list these as well.
Tools/
resources
required to
measure
Who is
responsible for
measuring
Dates of
monitoring
and
evaluation
Date
completed
Digital camera,
quadrats,
survey
Bushland
Coordinator or
M&E officer
For example
redo site
survey every
6, 12 months
5 May 2009
Any observed
changes as a
result of
connectivity
Each
workshop or
activity,
evaluate skills
Measure
changes to
area annually
12 August
2009
Baseline: area of connected
vegetation on project site in
square metres
For example : No. of
volunteers
Number e.g. 30
Attendance
book
Volunteer
For example :area
regenerated
Baseline: area of project
site expressed as a number
in square metres
Tape
Coordinator
NSW Environmental Trust Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Proforma
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3. Plan how your progress will be reported.
This section will help you design a framework for the outcomes and evaluation section of you progress and final reports e.g. where information about the
project activities will be recorded how will the project be adapted if progress is not occurring.
Here is a simple table that brings together your information into a good report. It can be used for your progress and final reports, with updated information
from your monitoring plan. Your progress and final report on outcomes will be sent to the Trust as updated Schedule C. The following information will provide
additional evaluative information.
Your
outcomes
Project
objectives
Activity
(from table
above)
Baseline
from the table above
or Schedule C
Changes to the
baseline as a result of
your activities (date)
Date
Comment on changes
You can
paste this
from your
application
form
You can
paste this
from your
application
form.
Example:
revegetate
site
For example:
conduct site
survey
10 (flora species
recorded)
Number of additional;
flora species recorded –
put this in Schedule C,
“Yr 1 Achieved’ as well.
6
months
after
work
started
Engage
volunteers
30 sq mtrs
60 sq mtrs
What new species are
now in the area, were
they planted by you,
what is the significance
etc.
Compare the new list
with the original list to
see if there are any new
species occurring.
Heavy rain hampered
work
Regenerate area
20 sq mtrs
40 sq mtrs
Do we need to do anything
different in the next six
months to achieve the
objectives?
Ask the group this question at
6 or 12 months and at the end
then add or subtract activities.
Try to get some more
volunteers to achieve our
goals
4. Plan how project achievements be evaluated and the results communicated
Schedule B of your Grant Agreement outlines some of the outcomes monitoring and evaluation to be included.
This is a short list of questions that might be included as part of your evaluation of the project.
This section should summarise information on achievements of the project, any risks you might need to manage, how the outcomes will be sustained.
Plan how you might answer some of the following questions: (e.g. workshop, questionnaires, interviews with key stakeholders).
- did you achieve what you set out to (from the Project Management Plan and Project Objectives), for example, is
there any evidence that your target species has fully established
- how will information collected be presented (i.e., to the Trust, your community group, other organisations interested
in running similar projects, etc)
- how will your project team recognise its achievements
- did you achieve the changes you anticipated and how were these measured. Were there additional measures you
might have used from the start
- are there any opportunities to promote your project and achievements (i.e., festivals, publications, presentations at
seminars, etc); and
what would do differently next time you tried a project like this one.
NSW Environmental Trust Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Proforma
DECC 2009/100
Published January 2009
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