Poverty alleviation, How Monitoring and Evaluation helps

Project/Programme impact's on Poverty Alleviation, something to talk about?

Poverty is really a big concern for many nations in the world. Many government around the world have pumped in millions of Euro's to fund projects or programmes around the world that would help remove this evil animal called poverty. But has it really worked? well many continue to ask that question year in and year out and so far there has not been one convincing answer. Even though there has been notable success in these projects or programmes, donors are now beginning to realize how important it is to have results. Tangible hard core results that they can bring home and say, YES!!...............WE DID IT!!. That's monitoring and evaluation which is so important and so good that organizations are beginning to buy into the idea of having personnel specifically involved in Monitoring and Evaluation. But you want to know the truth, the truth is that there are still some organizations who just look at monitoring and evaluation as a donor requirement and dont see why they should really even invest in it. Well too bad for them, but back to the poverty part, how does Monitoring and Evaluation answer the why question and what lessons can we draw from this? The time you were waiting for has just arrived amigos. 

Answers that can translate into tangible results

Here is a vivid picture for you, you are the project or programme coordinator whose developed a mouth watering proposal which you are sure would pocket all the funds you need. But then you soon realize that the previous programme or project you oversaw was heavily criticised for not really reporting results. The thought of being asked that question again haunts you and you immediately start considering employing a monitoring and evaluation officer.

This is a scene that happens quit often these days. Some people look at monitoring and evaluation as something that can simply be integrated into staff who are not really skilled in the M&E. They don't realize that expertise knowledge and skill is needed from someone who knows the trade. When donors ask for results, some programme or project coordinators have actually thought that they are asking for reports on outputs or activities. Lets put it this way, imagine your programme or project is providing trainings on how to become entreprenuers. Donors are not just interested to see how many trainings you conducted but they are also interested to know what those trainings did for the people trained. Where these people able to come out of poverty because of those trainings? Monitoring and Evluation personnel are expected to answer that.

When people talk of results they want to know the overall change in peoples lives...GOT IT!!!

Finding the right results to report in Monitoring and Evaluation

It all narrows down to the planning process. The planning process is critical because that's where you get to define the right indicators for the project or programme and consequently the right information you are going to collect. Now if you are a programme or project coordinator you should realize that doing this planning process yourself without any Monitoring and Evaluation officer is simply suicide. Make sure to emphasis to your donors that a Monitoring and Evaluation officer is none negotiable and you need him/her like yesterday. You have to be the boss if you have to...GOT IT!!

Now when Monitoring and Evaluating poverty elleviation here are some things donors want you to report on.

1) What proportion of people are living above the poverty line
2) What proportion of people are able to access essential services like food, water and shelter.
3) How have the welfare for women and children improved?

These are some of the key questions you have to be asking yourself from now on. Ofcourse much of this depends on the logframe. Monitoring and Evaluation ROCKS!