Blogs

Better Monitoring: Help us address the neglected ‘M’ in M&E

Jo Hall's picture 15th September 2021 by Jo Hall

Effective monitoring is essential for managing performance, however, despite this, monitoring is often undervalued and understood quite narrowly.

While the term “Monitoring and Evaluation” (M&E) is widely used, the monitoring function has not always benefitted from the same level of investment, professionalization and systems strengthening as the evaluation function. Instead, the monitoring function is often relegated to or viewed as a lower-level, technical function. This comes at the expense of really using monitoring to manage performance and maximise impact.

Why do we need more real-time evaluation?

Patricia Rogers's picture 15th April 2021 by Patricia Rogers

We’re currently going through a global period of rapid change and adaption, due in large part to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our lives and work. As our world is changing, many individuals and organisations are finding that traditional evaluation methods are not meeting the needs of rapidly changing implementation or brand new interventions where interventions are being designed as they are implemented. It’s in this context that it’s become important to use evidence and support learning in real-time.

The Evaluator as Facilitator: Considerations for Good Facilitation Practice

Ijeoma Ezeofor's picture 10th February 2021 by Ijeoma Ezeofor

Before I joined TCC Group as an evaluation and learning consultant, I was a therapist. My days consisted of listening to people as they tried to navigate and make meaning of their lives. It was during this season of my life that I came to be a steadfast believer in the importance of having good facilitation skills. Good facilitation skills are essential for drawing out meaningful insights during an exchange.

Happy New Year!

Alice Macfarlan's picture 21st January 2021 by Alice Macfarlan

Happy New Year to all our members and users. While we’re happy to wish the year 2020 farewell, many of the challenges and difficulties that arose over the past 12 months are still with us, as is the sadness over the many different forms of loss we’ve all experienced. We’re entering 2021 with a spirit of reflection, inspired by how the global community has pivoted and innovated, and determined to meet the ongoing challenges of 2021 and help our community do their best work.

Some of the things we’re proud of over the past 12 months

Vale Marie Gervais

Alice Macfarlan's picture 18th January 2021 by Alice Macfarlan

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Marie-Gervais in mid-December 2020.  Marie, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University, Quebec, made a lasting contribution to the French-speaking evaluation community in Canada, Europe and Africa.  

We wanted to honour Marie’s legacy by sharing some of the initiatives she supported and some of her ideas on improving evaluation practice.

Outcome classification: A framework to tally outcome statements across projects

Rasmus Heltberg and Stephen Porter's picture 16th December 2020 by Rasmus Heltberg and Stephen Porter

It’s one thing to look at project and program ratings to see how well the stated objectives of a portfolio of projects are being met. But without an aggregate view of what these objectives are trying to achieve, it’s difficult to fully understand how well this portfolio is contributing to an organisation’s mission and wider development goals. What’s missing is a better understanding of the links between project objectives and the types of outcomes that these are aiming to achieve.

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