Who is this for?
Any organization needing guidance on how to start monitoring and evaluating their impact.
There are too many variables within any M&E process from the organizational needs, data points, data collection methods, platforms, analysis, and dissemination to having an exact template for M&E that would work for all organizations.
This guide is a starting point for setting up an effective M&E process.
This guide is a starting point for setting up an effective M&E process.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a way for nonprofits and EA organizations to measure and evaluate their impact on their communities. It involves collecting and analyzing data to see how projects and programs progress toward specific goals and objectives.
A practical M&E framework includes a routine, systematic collection of valid data from the programs and the application of scientific methods to assess your program's design, implementation, and improvement or outcomes.
According to a study of 30 leading U.S. nonprofits, a measurement process is effective and necessary for improving organizational outcomes.
Benefits of having an M&E process
- Helps make more informed decisions
- Data can provide evidence that helps decide the next steps in a project.
- Data not only aids in strategic and financial decisions but daily operational decisions as well.
- Decisions for future impact are no longer guestimates but are backed by data
- Identify risks and areas for improvement
- Proactively address any issues to learn and adapt more quickly
- Determine which activities and projects align with your Theory of Change/Mission/Vision.
- Improve the project's design to be more effective.
- Understand what works and why - which can help shape future projects or programs.
- Keeps accountability
- The M&E process helps ensure that resources are being spent efficiently
- This transparency builds trust and confidence when communicated to your donors, communities served, and the organization's staff.
- M&E also helps hold organizations accountable to the general public and those who support their causes/advocacies.
- The M&E process helps ensure that resources are being spent efficiently
Checklist to Set Up an M&E Process:
Consider the following when setting up your M&E process. Of course, the details will vary from organization to organization but the base framework is the same.
- Theory of Change
- This is the comprehensive description and illustration of how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context.
- This can also be your program goals and objectives, used to check the progress of the program
- Process and outcome indicators
- These track how successful your activities have been at achieving program objectives. How will you determine success?
- Defined data collection methods and timeline
- What type of data and data points will you be collecting?
- How will you be collecting the data?
- What’s the frequency of data collection?
- What evaluation questions will be asked?
- Where will the data be archived?
- M&E roles and responsibilities
- Who is responsible for collecting, and organizing the data?
- Analysis and reporting plan
- What data will be analyzed? What framework will be used to analyze the data?
- How will the results be presented and reported?
- Dissemination plan and donor reporting
- To whom will the data be presented?
- How will the data and analysis be used to inform the success and progress of the program?
- How will the data be used to make modifications or program corrections as necessary?
You can utilize the following resources to assist in your M&E process:
- Nonprofit Self-Assessment Checklist from the Standards for Excellence Institute
- Monitoring and Evaluation Health Check from IDinsight
- Impact Measurement Guide from IDinsight
- Resources from INTRAC