The document discusses designing and building results-based monitoring and evaluation systems for public sector management. It outlines 10 steps for doing so: 1) conducting a readiness assessment, 2) agreeing on outcomes, 3) selecting key indicators, 4) collecting baseline data, 5) setting targets, 6) monitoring for results, 7) conducting evaluations, 8) reporting findings, 9) using findings, and 10) sustaining the system. Monitoring is defined as a continuous process of collecting data to assess performance against expected results. Evaluation assesses relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability and incorporates lessons learned. The roles of monitoring and evaluation are complementary, with monitoring routinely collecting data and evaluation analyzing why results were or were not achieved.

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Designing and Building a
Results-Based Monitoring
and Evaluation System:
A Tool for Public Sector Management

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The Power of Measuring Results
• If you do not measure results, you can not tell
success from failure
• If you can not see success, you can not
reward it
• If you can not reward success, you are probably
rewarding failure
• If you can not see success, you can not learn
from it
• If you can not recognize failure, you can not
correct it
• If you can demonstrate results, you can win
public support
Adapted from Osborne & Gaebler, 1992

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Ten Steps to Designing, Building and
Sustaining a Results-Based Monitoring
and Evaluation System
Conducting a
Readiness
Assessment
Agreeing on
Outcomes to
Monitor and
Evaluate
Selecting Key
Indicators to
Monitor
Outcomes
Baseline
Data on
Indicators—
Where Are
We Today?
Planning for
Improvement
— Selecting
Results Targets
Monitoring
for Results
The Role of
Evaluations
Reporting Your
Findings
Using
Your
Findings
Sustaining
the
M&E System
Within Your
Organization
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10
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Introduction to Results-Based Monitoring
and Evaluation
• Results-based monitoring and evaluation
measures how well governments are performing
• Results-based monitoring and evaluation is a
management tool!
• Results-based monitoring and evaluation
emphasizes assessing how outcomes are being
achieved over time
What Are We Talking About?

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Remember
• Monitoring and evaluation are two separate, but interrelated
strategies to collect data and report the findings on how well
(or not) the public sector is performing
• During this workshop, we will be discussing:
– Monitoring as a tool
– Evaluation as a tool
– How the two interrelate to support good
public management
– The ten steps to build a results-based monitoring and
evaluation system to measure government performance

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Reasons to Do Results-Based M&E
• Provides crucial information about public sector
performance
• Provides a view over time on the status of a
project, program, or policy
• Promotes credibility and public confidence by
reporting on the results of programs
• Helps formulate and justify budget requests
• Identifies potentially promising programs
or practices

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Reasons to Do
Results-Based M&E (cont.)
• Focuses attention on achieving outcomes
important to the organization and
its stakeholders
• Provides timely, frequent information to staff
• Helps establish key goals and objectives
• Permits managers to identify and take action
to correct weaknesses
• Supports a development agenda that is
shifting towards greater accountability
for aid lending

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Definition
Results-Based Monitoring
(what we will call “monitoring”)
is a continuous process of collecting and analyzing
information to compare how well a project, program
or policy is performing against expected results

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Major Activities Where
Results Monitoring Is Needed
• Setting goals and objectives
• Reporting to Parliament and other
stakeholders
• Managing projects, programs
and policies
• Reporting to donors
• Allocating resources

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A New Emphasis on Both Implementation
and Results-Based Monitoring
• Traditional monitoring focuses on
implementation monitoring
– This involves tracking inputs ($$, resources,
strategies), activities (what actually took place)
and outputs (the products or services produced)
– This approach focuses on monitoring how well a
project, program or policy is being implemented
– Often used to assess compliance with workplans
and budget

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• Results-based monitoring involves the
regular collection of information on
how effectively government (or any
organization) is performing
• Results-based monitoring demonstrates
whether a project, program, or policy is
achieving its stated goals
A New Emphasis on Both Implementation
and Results-Based Monitoring

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Results Based Monitoring
Requires Attention to Causal Logic ---or The
Theory of Change
• What is the “ logic” of the overall project, program or
policy design?
• How do each of the components of the program
help to establish an If-Then relation
• Is there a theory behind the change expected or
seen? In other words does the change follow the
logic proposed?
• Does this theory or logic hold during
implementation?

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Results-Based Monitoring
Outcomes
• Intermediate effects of
outputs on clients
Outputs
• Products and services
produced
Activities
• Tasks personnel
undertake to transform
inputs to outputs
Inputs
• Financial, human, and
material resources
Goal
(Impacts)
• Long-term, widespread
improvement in society
Implementation
Results

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Results-Based Monitoring:
Adult Literacy
Outcomes • Increased literacy skill; more
employment opportunities
Outputs
• Number of adults completing
literacy courses
Activities • Literacy training courses
Inputs
• Facilities, trainers,
materials
Goal
(Impacts)
• Higher income levels;
increase access to higher
skill jobs

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Definition
Results-Based Evaluation
An assessment of a planned, ongoing, or
completed intervention to determine its relevance,
efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.
The intent is to incorporate lessons learned into the
decision-making process.

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Evaluation Addresses
“Why” Questions – What caused the changes we
are monitoring
“How” Questions – What was the sequence or
processes that led to
successful (or not) outcomes
“Compliance/
Accountability
Questions”
Process/
Implementation
Questions
– Did the promised activities
actually take place and as
they were planned?
Was the implementation
process followed as
anticipated, and with what
consequences

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Designing Good Evaluations
• Getting the questions right is critical
• Answering the questions is critical
• Supporting public sector decision-making with
credible and useful information is critical

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Designing Good Evaluations
“Better to have an approximate answer to
the right question, than an exact answer to
the wrong question.”
Paraphrased from statistician
John W. Tukey

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Designing Good Evaluations
“Better to be approximately correct
than precisely wrong.”
Paraphrased from
Bertrand Russell

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Some Examples of Evaluation
Privatizing Water
Systems
Resettlement
Policy
Evaluations
Comparing model
approaches to
privatizing public water
supplies
Comparing strategies
used for resettlement of
rural villages to new
areas
Program
Evaluations
Assessing fiscal
management of
government systems
Assessing the degree to
which resettled village
farmers maintain
previous livelihood
Project
Evaluations
Assessing the
improvement in water
fee collection rates in 2
provinces
Assessing the farming
practices of resettled
farmers in one province

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Some Examples of Evaluation
Privatizing Water
Systems
Resettlement
Policy
Evaluations
Comparing model
approaches to
privatizing public water
supplies
Comparing strategies
used for resettlement of
rural villages to new
areas
Program
Evaluations
Assessing fiscal
management of
government systems
Assessing the degree to
which resettled village
farmers maintain
previous livelihood
Project
Evaluations
Assessing the
improvement in water
fee collection rates in 2
provinces
Assessing the farming
practices of resettled
farmers in one province

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Complementary Roles of
Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring Evaluation
Clarifies program objectives Analyzes why intended results were or
were not achieved
Links activities and their
resources to objectives
Assesses specific causal contributions of
activities to results
Translates objectives into
performance indicators and set
targets
Examines implementation process
Routinely collects data on
these indicators, compares
actual results with targets
Explores unintended results
Reports progress to managers
and alerts them to problems
Provides lessons, highlights significant
accomplishment or program potential,
and offers recommendations for
improvement
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Developing A Results Plan
• Once a set of outcomes are identified, it is time to
develop a plan to assess how the organization will
begin to achieve these outcomes
• In the traditional approach to developing a plan, the
first thing a manager usually did was to identify
activities and assign responsibilities
• But the shortcoming in this approach is that
completing all the activities does not mean the
same as reaching the outcome goal

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Key Types of Monitoring
Output
Activity
Input
Outcome
Impact
Results Monitoring
Implementation Monitoring
(Means and Strategies)
Implementation
Results

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Translating Outcomes to Action
• Note: Activities are crucial! They are the actions you
take to manage and implement your programs, use
your resources, and deliver the services of
government
• But the sum of these activities may or may not
mean you have achieved your outcomes
• Question is: How will you know when you have
been successful?

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Implementation Monitoring Links to
Results Monitoring
Outcome
Target
2
Means and
Strategies
(Multi-Year
and Annual
Work Plans)
Means and
Strategies
(Multi-Year
and Annual
Work Plans)
Target
1
Target
3
Means and
Strategies
(Multi-Year
and Annual
Work Plans)

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Partner 1 Partner 3
Partner 2
Partner 1 Partner 3
Partner 2
Partner 1 Partner 3
Partner 2
Achieving Results Through Partnership
Goal
Outcome
Outcome Outcome
Target 2
Target 1
Means & Strategy Means & Strategy Means & Strategy