Monitoring and Evaluation Systems – Moving from paper-based to advanced technology based M&E Solutions with RSI Consulting
Many development organizations still use paper-based Monitoring and Evaluation systems, where data is collected on paper templates, and stored and retained in various spreadsheets or databases rather than digital and interactive Monitoring and Evaluation Systems.
Why are Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Systems still based on paper-based methods or manual methods?
There are many reasons why different organizations use paper-based M&E systems. Some of these reasons include a) organizations having little exposure to technology based-M&E system, b) the historical culture of having paper-based M&E system which are relatively cheap and easy to create, c) the tools needed for paper-based M&E system are mainly excel spreadsheets, or Access database; most project staffers have the relevant skills to use these, d) organizations have little resources (money and time) and skills to invest in technology based M&E systems to respond to the growing need for reliable and valid data for strategic decision making.
There are numerous challenges with the paper-based Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems, which lie in the areas of a) data collection – particularly in insecure countries where the field teams can falsify data collection, b) data entry – where transcripts errors are likely c) data storage and retention – where entered data is often stored in various spreadsheets and are subjected to errors when merged for aggregate analysis, d) data analysis – which is only possible if the data is entered, available, and cleaned, e) and data reporting – where resulting data is reported against a set of performance indicators, or used for other programmatic purpose.
Above all, time factor is one of the biggest challenges with the paper-based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system; the data collected from the data source is often reported with significant delays after analysis. This time lag between data collection and data reporting leaves donors and implementing agencies waiting until they receive the final data when the implementation is over. Coupled with this, there is often push from the donor agencies to get results against the funds utilized; such requests push implementing agencies to report incomplete performance data against the agreed performance indicators, which often leads to inconsistency over time.
Recently, some progress has been made towards adopting technology based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems. While these M&E systems have advantages over paper-based M&E system, they still can’t address some of the basic challenges that development projects face today. For example, even the technology based M&E system lacks the ability to a) identify and get rid of the issue of “ghost beneficiaries”, b) avoid multiple count of the same beneficiary over the life of the project, c) precisely know and estimate beneficiary participation in the project (treatment dose, single or multiple, hours received trainings, etc), and d) upon completion of the project, ensure to go-back to the same beneficiary for follow-up to collect data on the changes in his/her life as a result of the project.
Collectively, a sound technology based Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) system will address all of the above challenges and even beyond to enable donors, as well as implementing agencies, to precisely know about their beneficiaries, get precise information about their lives before the program intervention, exactly knows what treatment each participant has received, and reliably ensure that they return to the same beneficiaries and ask them how the project has brought changes in their lives.