Project Design and Implementation:
Developing a Useful Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
Reasons for Monitoring and Evaluation
at the Project Level
To help ensure the project achieves
expected environmental benefits
 Can be useful for guiding project progress
 Assure monies properly spent
 Bring insights to project manager to build
his/her capacity for better project
implementation

What constitutes project success?

Training complete,

Strategy and Action Plan Developed

New Methodology produced,

Publications produced,

Network Established,
PROJECT SUCCESS?
– but …… Success to whom?
– Of what environmental value?
economic
and
political
realities
Monitoring Project Performance
Examples of Performance Indicators
- quantitative + qualitative 
Performance must show actual environmental benefit
measured by hectares conserved, quantified greenhouse
gas emission reductions, etc.

Other Performance indicators could include performance
in relation to relevance
– Relevance of outputs to stakeholders/users
– Relevance of work to national development
– Utility of output in achieving environmental change on
the ground
Developing a M&E Plan
How does an M&E plan get developed?

Performance indicator should be developed with
stakeholders/clients

Monitoring indicator achievement – how?:
– analysis of views of stakeholders who should/could be
using project’s outputs, through interviews with
informants, through surveys…..
Normally monitoring stays within a closed system
yet outputs are relevant to a wider audience.

.…….
COMMON WEAKNESSES IN M&E PLANS

NO MONITORING OF INDICATORS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE,
UTILITY OF OUPUTS, UTILITY OF CAPACITY GAINED,
…..;

NO ASSIGNMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITIES &
RESPONSIBILITIES;

NO POST-PROJECT MONITORING
Monitoring and Evaluation Project Plan

M&E Plan, covering monitoring and
evaluation at three levels:
1. execution performance,
2. output delivery,
3. project impact.
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
1.
Execution Performance:
– Management and Supervision of project
– Responsibility of project management
unit
– Supervision by the Steering Committee
– Responsibility of project manager
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
2.
Output delivery
–
–
–
–
–
Timing of outputs e.g. publications, etc
Quantity
Quality: Peer review process
Distribution
Responsibilities
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
3.
Project Impact
–
–
Measuring outcomes
Log frame:
• Indicators
• Process Indicators – peer reviewed assessment;
• Stress Reduction Indicators – priorities to replicate
best practice identified; Legal framework established;
• Environmental Status Indicators - actual measurable
environmental change; activities to replicate methodology
Or best practices under implementation.
•
•
•
•
How to measure indicators
Target values for each year
Source of data : baseline + current
Responsibilities for measurement – who does it?
Impact indicators

Pressure-state-effect-response
(causal chain) what measures are
taken in which part of the chain?
Issues related to project impact
monitoring
Monitoring system to be included in
the project - is it budgeted for?
 Baseline setting - who pays and
how?
 Target setting - how?
 Capacity building impacts - what
indicators and how to measure?
