At BMA, we understand that M&E is an embedded concept and constitutive part of every project or programme design (“must be”). M&E is not an imposed control instrument by the donor or an optional accessory (“nice to have”) of any project or programme. M&E is ideally understood as dialogue on development and its progress between all stakeholders. Our general understanding is that, monitoring is integral to evaluation. During an evaluation, information from previous monitoring processes is used to understand the ways in which the project or programme developed and stimulated change. Monitoring focuses on the measurement of the following aspects of an intervention:
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- On quantity and quality of the implemented activities (outputs: What do we do? How do we manage our activities)
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- On processes inherent to a project or programme (outcomes: What were the effects /changes that occurred as a result of your intervention?)
- On processes external to an intervention (impact: Which broader, long-term effects were triggered by the implemented activities in combination with other environmental factors?)
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- training for organisations, specific teams or individuals – helping you to understand more about the key concepts involved in monitoring and evaluation.
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- hands-on practical help with setting up monitoring and evaluation systems – working with you to design and implement an evaluation framework or to improve existing monitoring and evaluation systems.
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- an evaluation of a specific project or piece of work – ensuring that you can learn from and report effectively about the delivery of your services.
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- bespoke toolkits and guides – specific guidance for staff and volunteers on monitoring and evaluation issues.
- a free ‘outcomes check‘ – helping you to make sure that the outcomes you have put in funding bids are clearly and appropriately defined