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MONITORING & EVALUATION TOWARDS TRACKING HIV/AIDS RESPONSE PROGRESS. Workshop organized by the IAS at ICASA 2008 By Laetitia Lienart IAS Evaluation Coordinator. A FEW WORDS ON M&E. Why M&E is important?
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MONITORING & EVALUATION TOWARDS TRACKING HIV/AIDS RESPONSE PROGRESS Workshop organized by the IAS at ICASA 2008 By Laetitia Lienart IAS Evaluation Coordinator
A FEW WORDS ON M&E • Why M&E is important? It is an essential part of our daily work, helping us to identify any unwanted developments and to continually improve our work. • What does stand for Evaluation? It is the objective analysis of information in order to answer specific questions and to make assessments based on previously determined success indicators. Potential assessment criteria for projects are: • Relevance: Do the project goals correspond with the needs of the target group(s)? • Efficiency: Are the resources used for the intervention adequate? • Effectiveness: Have the project goals been met? • Impact: Which positive and negative, direct and indirect, intended and unintended effects have occurred as a result of the project? • Sustainability: Can the benefits of the project endure?
A FEW WORDS ON M&E (cont.) • What does stand for Monitoring? Unlike evaluation, it is a continual analysis of information, which gives indications as to whether or not a project is running according to plan. On this basis a project can be adapted and processes optimized, as needed. • What is essential in the M&E process? • Although it is not the only requirement, it is essential to have a well structured project guided by a logical framework.
LOGFRAME INTRODUCTION • What is a LF? A table giving a clear and synthetic picture of the project goal, purpose, outputs and activities, their respective Key Performance Indicators and sources of verification as well as riskswhich could affect the project implementation. • Why is a LF useful ? • essential in the Monitoring & Evaluationprocess but also • reference tool during the whole project cycle towards Results-Based Management (RBM), i.e. a management strategy focusing on performance and achievement of objectives • reference tool for on-going reporting and communicationbetween partners
LOGFRAME INTRODUCTION (cont.) • The LF process helps guide the planning of a journey from where we are now, HERE, to where we want to go, THERE. • 1 - Who are ‘we’? • Who has an interest and is a main stakeholderto be involved? • 2 - Where are we now? • What are the problems and related needs? • 3 - Where do we want to be? • What are the options? What are our objectives & expected results? • 4 - How will we get there? • What is the resultingstrategy? • What areactivities do we have to undertake? • 5 - What may stop us getting there? • What are the risksand how can we manage them? • What assumptionsare we making? • 6 - How will we know if we’ve got there? • What are our indicators and targets? • What evidence do we need? • 7 – What do we need to get there? • What detailed resources and related budgetare needed? HERE THERE
STEP 1 - DEFINE THE ‘DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE’ OR GOAL The Goal is thehigher order objective, the longer term impact, that the project will contribute to. Use only one Goal statement. Some progress towards the Goal should be measurable during the lifetime of the project. The Goal defines the overall “big picture” need or problem being addressed; it expresses the justification of what is planned. Formulate the goal as a verb: e.g. Accelerate the response to HIV/AIDS in the Nbiya region.
STEP 2 - DEFINE THE ‘IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE’ OR PURPOSE The Purpose describes the specific and immediate results of the project. The Purpose should be SMART (Specific/Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time-based). Have only one Purpose. If you think you have more, then you may need more than one logframe; or your multiple purposes are in fact indicators of a single purpose or lower outputs.
STEP 2 - DEFINE THE ‘IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE’ OR PURPOSE (cont.) The Purpose should not be entirely deliverable, i.e. fully within the project manager’s control. If it is deliverable, then it should be an Output. Ex: ‘You can take a patient to the hospital, but you can’t make sure he/she will follow doctor’s prescriptions’. The project may be ‘delivering’ the access to hospital, but it cannot control the behaviour of the patient. The project manager can best exert influence over Purpose achievement by maximising the completeness of delivery of the Outputs and mitigating risks. Formulate the purpose as a verb: e.g. Improve access to HIV/AIDS treatment in the Nbiya region.
STEP 3 - DESCRIBE THE ‘RESULTS/PRODUCTS’ OR OUTPUTS The Outputs describe what the project will deliver in order to achieve the Purpose. They are the results that the project must deliver in the control of the project manager. Outputs are nouns + adjectives. E.g. a) Medical infrastructures rehabilitated/reinforced in the Nbiya region; b) HIV/AIDS awareness of Nbiya region’s inhabitants raised; c) Health care workers of the Nbiya region adequatly trained on HIV/AIDS; d) Partnerships between Nbiya’s government and drug supplier(s) initiated; etc. Typically there are between 2 – 8 Outputs; any more than that and the logframe will become over-complicated.
STEP 4 – DEFINE THE ACTIVITIES The Activities describewhat actions will be undertaken to achieve each output. Activities are usually actions (use nouns). E.g. needs assessment, recruitment of experts/consultants, design of materials, development of training programme, selection of participants/trainers/suppliers, organization of coordination meetings, distribution of awareness materials, implementation of works, procurement of equipment & supplies, etc.
STEP 5 – TEST THE LOGIC FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP • When the four rows of column 1 have been drafted, the logic needs to be tested: use the IF/THEN test to check cause and effect, reading from the bottom up: • If we do these activities, then this output will be delivered. • If we deliver these outputs, then this purpose will be achieved. • If the purpose is achieved, then this will contribute to the Goal.
STEP 6 – UNDERTAKE A RISK ANALYSIS IDENTIFY THE RISKS Taking all the activities needed for Output 1, ask the question: ‘if we complete these Activities successfully, thenwhat can stop us deliveringOutput 1?’ . Repeat for all the other Outputs taking each Output and its associated activities in turn. Taking all the Outputs together, ask the question: ‘if we deliver all these Outputs successfully, then what can stop us achieving our Purpose?’ Now ask the question: ‘if we are achieve our Purpose successfully, then what can stop us contributing to the Goal?’
STEP 6 – UNDERTAKE A RISK ANALYSIS (cont.) ANALYSE AND MANAGE EACH RISK • What is its likely impact ? high, medium or low. • What is its likely probability? high, medium or low. You may at this point decide to hereafter disregard insignificant risks. • Discuss & agree possible mitigation measures; transfer them into Column 1 (i.e. extra activities) of your LF. • Example: • risk: decrease in the # of health care workers affected to the Nbiya region • mitigation measure/new activity: advocacy/lobbying to the relevant authorities & stakeholders involved in health care workers management
STEP 7 – FORMULATE THE ASSUMPTIONS Assumptions are what remains after the mitigation measures have been put in place (even if mitigation measures are successful, it is unlikely you can remove the risk completely). Assumptions are external factors which could affect the success of the project but over which the project manager has no direct control. Example: ‘’Strong commitment and continuous support of the Nbiya’s authorities towards combatting HIV/AIDS‘’ Logic test: once Activities have been carried out, and if the Assumptions at this level hold true, Outputs will be delivered. Test the same logic for the upper levels.
Step 8 – IDENTIFY KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI) One of the key strengths of the logframe approach is that it forces the planning team to build into the design how the project will be monitored and evaluated. Indicators and verification are needed to show what data we intend to use to measure progress, and how that data will be collected. In most circumstances there is not enough baseline data available at the design stage against which progress can be measured; in which case the logframe helps to pinpoint the gaps and determine what needs to be done.
Step 8 – FORMULATE KPIs Use the maxim Q Q T - Quantity, Quality, Time. Step 1: Set the basic indicator. Step 2: Add Quantity - an amount or percentage that will be achieved. Step 3: Add Quality – a built-in quality measure to specify the indicator. Step 4: Add Time – when this should be accomplished by. Avoid using general phrases such as ‘As soon as possible.’ It is important to include a balance of terminal/end of project indicators (TARGETS) and some mid-term indicators (MILESTONES).
Step 8 – FORMULATE A KPI (example) Step 1: Increase in access of HIV/AIDS treatment Step 2 (Quantity): [%] Increase over the baseline in number of HIV/AIDS infected people (of the Nbiya region) receiving drugs or At least [X] % of HIV/AIDS infected people (of the Nbiya region) receive drugs Step 3 (Quality): [%] Increase over the baseline in number of HIV/AIDS infected people (of the Nbiya region) receiving drugs on a sustainable way Step 4 (Time): [%] Increase over the baseline in number of HIV/AIDS infected people (of the Nbiya region) receiving drugs on a sustainable way by [year/month] or within [duration]
Step 8 – INDICATOR EVOLVING INTO MILESTONE/TARGET • Indicators are a means by which change will be measured while milestones &targets are respectively mid-term and end “goals”. • As in the early stages of a project, there may not be the baseline information needed to set targets, there will be mostly indicators. Further stakeholder meetings and data gathering will lead to targets. • Example (for a project lasting 4 years ): • [%] Increase over the baseline in number of HIV/AIDS infected people receiving drugs on a sustainable way within [X] years is an indicator • 10% Increase over the baseline in number of HIV/AIDS infected people receiving drugs on a sustainable way within 2 years is a milestone • 25% Increase over the baseline in number of HIV/AIDS infected people receiving drugs on a sustainable way within 4 years is a target
Step 9 – IDENTIFY THE EVIDENCE The final element of developing the logframe is to decide how KPIs will be measured – what evidence we will use. This is a vital stage of the initial planning that is often overlooked. Building in evidence sources at this stage will make the monitoring and evaluating of the project easier. The evidence will almost invariably be documents (or sometimes interviews, films, DVDs, videos or audiotapes.) It should be considered as you formulate your indicators; so complete columns 2 and 3 of the LF at the same time.
Step 9 – IDENTIFY THE EVIDENCE (cont.) Some typical sources of verification Minutes of meetings and attendance lists Stakeholder feedback & focus groups Surveys and reports Newspapers, radio and TV recordings, photographs, satellite imagery National and international statistics Project records, reviews and reports External evaluation reports, training evaluation questionnaires, etc.
Step 10 - AND FINALLY, A FIFTH ROW? For simplicity we say a logframe is a 4x4 grid but often a further 4 boxes are attached under the 16 x box logframe to indicate the costs and resources needed to fund the project activities together with pre-condition assumptions that need to be agreed.
THE LF AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL The LF can help report to project partners, sponsors & other stakeholders what we are doing and why. This can be achieved by taking a Step-by-step presentation approach 1. Goal: "The overall goal is to ............." 2. Purpose: "In order to contribute to this goal we in this project will............" 3. Outputs: "We will achieve this objective by taking direct responsibility for............" 4. Activities: "Let me describe our strategy in more detail. We believe that if we .............." 5. Activity levelAssumptions: "and if .........." 6. Output level Indicators: "we will achieve our targets of ............."
THE LF AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL (cont.) 7. Purpose: "In addition to reaching these targets, several other things must happen if we are to achieve our major objective of ............" 8. Output level Assumptions: "These other factors, outside our direct control, include ........." 9. Purpose level Assumptions: "We believe that if we can achieve our major objective, we will contribute to our overall goal. This contribution is, however, affected by factors outside of this project. These include ........ All of these factors taken together will be sufficient to realise this goal. The strategy we propose is an important and cost effective step towards that end." 10. Verification: "We propose that our performance be monitored and assessed in the following way..........."
REPORTING USING THE LF PROGRESS/MONITORING REPORT COUNTRY…………PROJECT TITLE……………… PERIOD COVERED………… CODE…………… DATE …………….. PREPARED BY………………………… Complete the table for each different logic intervention level and at different times during the project cycle.
WHERE TO GO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION • http://www.parcinfo.org • http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/evaluation/methodology/egeval/methods/mth_cyc_en.htm • http://www.worldbank.org/evaluation/ • http://www.oecd.org/pages/0,2966,en_35038640_35039563_1_1_1_1_1,00.html • http://www.undp.org/eo/ • http://www.uneval.org/ • http://www.unaids.org/en/PolicyAndPractice/MonitoringAndEvaluation/default.asp • http://www.ideas-int.org/
TASK TO PRACTICE THE LFA Subject: the Mbiya region is severely affected by HIV/AIDS, with children and women among the most infected populations. You wish to apply for a tender launched by a major donor in order to address health problems in that region. Methodology: each working group is expected to follow all the above-presented steps to eventually design and present a complete LF with at least 3 outputs and 3 activities per output. Use the fact sheet as main background.
EVALUATION • As your feedback is of most importance to assess the success of ICASA 2008, you will be invited shortly after the conference to complete an online survey (available in both English & French) - all data will be kept confidential. • In order to participate in the evaluation process, please share your contact details by filling out the form under circulation.
Thank you for your attention. Questions?