Discussion Paper: Innovations in Monitoring and Evaluation

This discussion paper produced by the United Nations Development Programme discusses various innovations that are occurring in M&E, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.

Extract

"Innovations Overview

1. Multi-level Mixed Evaluation Method
This approach includes the deliberate, massive and creative use of mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods on multiple levels for complex evaluations, particularly for service delivery systems

2. Participatory Statistics
An approach in which local people themselves generate statistics; participatory techniques are replicated with a large number of groups to produce robust quantitative data

3. Outcome Harvesting

An evaluation approach that does not measure progress towards predetermined outcomes, but rather collects evidence of what has been achieved, and works backward to determine whether and how the project or intervention contributed to the change

4. Crowdsourcing

A large number of people actively report on a situation around them, often using mobile
phone technology and open source software platforms

5. The Micro-Narrative The collection and aggregation of thousands of short stories from citizens using special
algorithms to gain insight into real-time issues and changes in society

6. Mobile Data Collection
The targeted gathering of structured information using mobile phones, tablets or PDAs using a special software application

7. Data Exhaust

Massive and passive collection of transactional data from people’s use of digital services like mobile phones and web content such as news media and social media interactions

8. Intelligent Infrastructure
Equipping all – or a sample of – infrastructure or items, such as roads, bridges, buildings, water treatment systems, handwashing stations, latrines, cookstoves, etc., with low-cost, remotely accessible electronic sensors

9. Remote Sensing Observing and analyzing a distant target using information from the electromagnetic
spectrum of satellites, aircrafts or other airborne devices

10. Real-Time, Simple Reporting
A means to reduce to a minimum the formal reporting requirements for programme and project managers and free up their time to provide more frequent, real-time updates, which may include text, pictures, videos that can be made by computer or mobile devices

11. Data Visualization Representation of data graphically and interactively, often in the form of videos, interactive websites, infographs, timelines, data dashboards, maps, etc." (p.5)

The Development Context
Why Innovation in Monitoring & Evaluation is Necessary
Taxonomy of types of new, digital data sources potentially relevant to M&E systems
What Qualifies as Innovation in Monitoring & Evaluation
Purpose of Innovation in Monitoring & Evaluation
Inventory of Innovations
Issue Analysis
Policy Options and Actions
Trends in Innovation in Monitoring and Evaluation
When and How to Apply Innovations
Implications
Annex
Bibliography