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- Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Course (3 days)
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Course (3 days)
Build an M&E framework with sound indicators, collect and analyse the right data, and report results that stand up to scrutiny.
Programmes and projects are expected to prove what they achieved, not only what they spent. Funders, boards, the Auditor-General and the communities being served all want evidence of outputs, outcomes and impact. Yet many teams set indicators after the fact, collect data nobody uses and write reports that describe activity rather than results. This practical three-day monitoring and evaluation course gives public-sector, NGO and corporate teams a working method for planning, tracking and evaluating performance.
Day one lays the foundations: organisational performance management, results-based management and the South African policy context, including the Government-wide M&E System, the National Evaluation Policy Framework and National Treasury's guidance on programme performance information. Day two is about planning M&E: problem analysis, results chains, work breakdown, indicators, baselines and targets, the M&E framework that ties them together, and the performance standards and monitoring systems that hold teams to them. Day three covers collecting and analysing data, using monitoring information, process and outcome evaluation, and writing evaluation reports.
Delegates work on a programme or project from their own organisation throughout, so they leave with a draft results chain, indicator set and M&E framework.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Indicators, baselines and targets set before the work starts, not after
- Performance reports that show outcomes, not just activities
- Evidence that satisfies funders, boards and audits of performance information
- Earlier warning when programmes are off track
- Better decisions on which programmes to grow, change or stop
For your delegates
- A step-by-step method for building an M&E framework
- Templates for results chains, indicator definitions and M&E plans
- Confidence with basic data collection and analysis
- A draft framework for one of your own programmes
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain how monitoring, evaluation and performance management fit together
- Relate your M&E work to the South African government's M&E and performance-information frameworks
- Use problem analysis to build a results chain from inputs to impact
- Develop a work breakdown structure and Gantt chart for an M&E plan
- Write SMART output and outcome indicators with baselines, milestones and targets
- Set up an M&E framework with clear roles, data sources and reporting timelines
- Set performance standards and monitoring systems for team members
- Choose suitable data collection methods and carry out basic analysis
- Distinguish process from outcome evaluation and plan an evaluation
- Write an evaluation report that leads to decisions
Who should attend
Programme and project managers, M&E officers, policy analysts, government officials, NGO and development practitioners, research and evaluation staff, performance management and quality assurance professionals, CSI managers and data analysts. It suits newcomers to M&E as well as practitioners who want a structured, practical refresher.
Course outline
Day 1 – M&E concepts and the South African context
Performance management and M&E
- Organisational performance management: strategy, plans and results
- What monitoring is, what evaluation is, and how they differ
- Where M&E fits in strategic management, project management and policy implementation
- Accountability and learning: why organisations invest in M&E
Results-based management
- Managing for results rather than activities
- The results chain: inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact
- Theory of change and the logical framework
- Common pitfalls in results-based management
The South African M&E context
- The Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System and its policy framework
- The National Evaluation Policy Framework and the role of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
- National Treasury's guidance on programme performance information
- Statistics South Africa's data quality framework (SASQAF)
- Applying public-sector good practice in NGOs and companies
Problem analysis tools
- Problem trees and objective trees
- Stakeholder analysis for M&E
- Turning a problem analysis into a results chain
- Exercise: a results chain for your own programme
Day 2 – Planning M&E and setting indicators
Preparing for M&E in projects and work processes
- Building M&E in at the design stage
- Developing a work breakdown structure
- Scheduling M&E activities with a Gantt chart
- Budgeting for M&E
Indicators, baselines and targets
- Output, outcome and impact indicators
- Writing SMART indicators and indicator definitions
- Linking indicators to baselines, milestones and targets
- Quantitative and qualitative indicators
- Exercise: an indicator set for your programme
The M&E framework
- Components of an M&E framework and M&E plan
- Data sources, collection frequency and responsibilities
- Reporting lines and timelines
- Exercise: drafting the framework
Building M&E capacity in teams
- Roles, responsibilities and delegations for M&E
- Quality checks on data and reports
- Using assessment findings to improve team performance
Performance standards and monitoring systems
- Setting performance standards for team members that link to unit and organisational goals
- Monitoring systems that connect individual and organisational performance
- Preparing for and holding a performance review conversation
Day 3 – Data, evaluation and reporting
Collecting data
- Surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation and administrative records
- Sampling basics
- Designing simple data collection tools
- Data quality and verification
- Collecting personal information lawfully under POPIA
Analysing data
- Basic descriptive analysis: counts, percentages, averages and trends
- Comparing actual results with baselines and targets
- Analysing qualitative data for themes and patterns
- Presenting data in tables and charts
Using monitoring data
- Monitoring data for day-to-day project management decisions
- Feeding monitoring data into evaluation
- Quarterly and annual performance reporting
Evaluation
- Process (implementation) evaluation versus outcome and impact evaluation
- Formative and summative evaluation
- Planning an evaluation: questions, criteria and methods
- Working with internal and external evaluators
Evaluation reports and next steps
- Structuring an evaluation report
- Writing findings, conclusions and recommendations
- Management responses and improvement plans
- Personal action plan and evaluation
How it is delivered
Three days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; case work can be built around your own programmes. Workbook and templates for results chains, indicator definitions and an M&E framework included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“All training programmes were delivered in a highly professional manner, with effective coordination and strict adherence to our scheduling requirements. The facilitators demonstrated a commendable level of expertise, and the quality of delivery consistently met our expectations.”
“The facilitator was excellent and took time to ensure that the employee understood the content and was able to apply the learning in order to develop the portfolio of evidence.”
“The training was well received and we were impressed by the knowledge of the facilitators and the quality of overall training.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa. We can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Is the course only for government departments?
No. The public-sector frameworks are covered because many programmes report into them, but the methods work equally well for NGOs, donor-funded programmes and corporate projects, including CSI and enterprise development.
Can we work on our own programme during the course?
Yes. Delegates build their results chain, indicators and framework around a real programme. On a private course the whole group can work on your organisation's programmes.
Do delegates need a statistics background?
No. The analysis covered is practical – counts, percentages, averages, trends and simple charts. For more depth, see our three-day statistics and probability course.
Related courses
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