Monitoring & Evaluation

Governments and organizations design and invest in programs to address a variety of societal issues, gaps, needs and limitations. After their investment, the key stakeholders are interesting in knowing:

  • How a program is performing – Is it meeting its planned objectives? Is it relevant to the needs it is trying to address? Are its results and benefits likely to be sustained? Is it good value for money? Is it managed well?
  • How a program can do better – What changes could make the program more effective, relevant, and efficient?

Program monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are two valuable but different approaches that can help investors and managers answer these questions and decide whether a program should be continued or redesigned. Both approaches involve the collection and analysis of information.

Monitoring is an ongoing process of collecting and analyzing data about a program’s activities during program implementation. Monitoring is used to determine whether the program is being delivered as planned, if it is reaching its intended beneficiaries, and whether resources are being utilized as planned.

Evaluation refers to the periodic assessment of the results and / or operations of a program. Evaluations are used either to generate the information needed to improve the program during implementation (known as formative evaluation) or to determine the extent to which the planned outcomes or impacts were realized at the end of a program (known as summative evaluation).

Since 1980 Universalia has helped clients monitor and evaluate national and international projects, programs, organizations, networks, sectors, and institutions. Our theoretical knowledge of M&E is complemented by extensive practical experience. Before we begin any M&E initiative, we work with our clients to:

  • Identify an appropriate framework against which we can measure achievements and performance. If clients do not have a planning, implementation, and management framework to validate (e.g., a logical framework analysis), we work with them to develop a framework.
  • Develop a joint vision and detailed strategy for the M&E assignment (objectives, scope of work, deliverables, methodology, resources, responsibilities and utilization of findings). This gives our clients the opportunity to clarify their needs, assumptions, expectations, priorities and timelines, and also improves the utilization of M&E findings.

Using this approach, Universalia has built a distinctive reputation for adding value in the field of monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Today, our contributions to the theory and practice of M&E are internationally recognized.