M&E: Not judgement day

Taking that closer look at your work and achievements may seem frightening: Imagine the trouble if things are not moving according to plan. But M&E is a guiding rather than a punishing tool

By Christopher Ebong, UPA

Monitoring and evaluation, yardsticks for measuring performances in development processes, still possess weaknesses in implementation. Some tend to fear the process because of the outcome: Are projects going to be closed, people going to be laid off if things are not on track according to the plans? Others tend to believe that the process itself is so complicated that it’s hardly worth the effort.

In Agency for Sustaining Development Initiatives, ASDI, Apac, before the MS TTT conducted a monitoring and evaluation workshop there existed a fear that M&E was costly when it cane to field work, making paper work and follow-ups on and by individuals.

"We thought it was expensive and that it needed special time allocated for carrying it out, but I realised it is part of our daily work," says Scovia Angu, accounts assistant in ASDI.

People still have fears of being monitored and evaluated. They fear their weaknesses could be revealed making their jobs insecure.

"ASDI is one of the organisations where monitoring and evaluation is well implemented without fear and we are progressing. The local authority, the beneficiaries and the community have confidence in us," reveals Bezhad Katahi, development worker with ASDI.

The rare revelation of the system for measuring performances could be one reason for the reluctance that some organisations experience. Also, beneficiaries, local leaders, and community members often have inadequate potentials to make follow-ups on reports.

Way forward

"It would be beneficial to all organisations, beneficiaries and the communities if they could be equipped with basic skills and knowledge for carrying out monitoring and evaluation. Fears for welcoming it would fade," says Scovia Angu.

Participatory approaches that enables the communities to work hand-in-hand with project officers in the management of the project, and give them control over the destiny of the project, is a necessity. This would also have the spin-off effect of people acquiring skills, which they can apply in other circumstances for their own development for future self-reliance

Delegating people to gather information and analysing the information-results required by deciding on adjustment to the project, and deciding on how and where else they can use the information should all be decided by the community.

An option for a combination where a team of internal and external evaluators are selected to work together helps to place M&E in its proper context, that is, a management tool as opposed to a ‘judgement day’.