1. ALMM monitoring and evaluation
tools
Alberto Cerda
Key expert on ALMM monitoring and evaluation
First meeting of the Working Group 2
June 24, 2010
EUNES IPA Project
Technical Assistance to enhance forecasting and evaluation capacity of the National Employment Service
Europeaid/128079/C/SER/RS

2. Monitoring
The types of information necessary
− Programme inputs
− Progress against objectives and Implementation
Plan
− Results of activities and outputs
− Impact on the target group
− The way the programme is managed and style of
work
The means of gathering information: site visits;
interviews, observation, analysis of activity reports,
and financial documents.

3. Performance Monitoring System- levels
Impact monitoringProcess monitoring

4. Performance Monitoring System..provides the basis for the kind of management information
system which is essential for programme operations, especially
in situations where implementation is delegated or
decentralised to local level.
The Monitoring System for an ALMM-funded project- key
documents:

Quarterly monitoring report

Quarterly financial report

Participant start and completion details
Focus on:
target group(s) analysis, costs, completion rate, qualifications
obtained as a result of participation, employment status after
completion.

5. Monitoring vs. Evaluation
Monitoring

assess the success or failure of
the programme

provides rapid information

monitoring for quality control
and procedural purposes

effectiveness of the ALMPs-
secondary effects taken into
account
Evaluation

provides explanations

longer term process

determins whether and why a
programme is successful

assessing implementation take
place at all stages of the
programme

makes use of monitoring
data

6. Evaluation Objectives
To find out...
• progress towards objectives
• beneficiaries from intervention
• impact on the beneficiaries
• changes to the target group
To make recommendations about:
• programme improvements;
• Revision of the aims and objectives;
• future work evaluation;
• cost-effectiveness
To asess..
• cause of impact
• aims and objectives
• work and resources efficiency
• changes in the needs of the target group

7. Programme Evaluation
Partly statistical exercise
Statistics do not
provide full assesment
Good evaluation involves
evidence based interpretation
Elements of qualitative
analysis

8. Evaluation Elements: Outcomes and Process
Outcomes- what was achieved and with what results?
Estimated impacts of the programme on the individual

Impacts and yield net social gains

Outcome for the money spent

Feasibility of replicating programme’s outcomes.
Process- how the outputs were achieved, how the programme
was managed?

programme design and methodology

programme management

service delivery mechanisms

the quality of the co-operation with partner organisations
innovation

9. Evaluation: How and Who?
Evaluation - the ‘How’?

Who should undertake the evaluation?

When should evaluation take place?

What should be evaluated?

How is an evaluation conducted?
Who Should Undertake the Evaluation?

self-evaluation

external evaluation

10. Self-Evaluation
• probably conducted by most
programmes
• staff independent from its
management
• time and other resources
• available data
• research methods and data
analysis
• progress of the programme
• interpretation of the
information
External Evaluation
• expert services
• cost-effectiveness
• Access to honest information
from the staff
• other organisations take the
results seriously.
• evaluation within a wider context
• decision- Terms of Reference

11. When Should Evaluation Take Place?
Two intervals:

at an interim stage,

at the end of the approved period for the programme.
The monitoring data you collect are a key source of information
for both interim and final evaluations.

12. How Is An Evaluation Conducted?
PLAN
ANALYSE
INDICATORS
ANALYSE
DATA
REPORT

13. Planning the evaluation- key points

Focus of the evaluation

Programme objectives

Programme products

Programme processes

Subject, purpose and audience targeted

14. Analyse the Performance indicators
Performance indicators:

Output indicators – quantitative measures, based on your
programme's key targets and objectives

Process indicators –quantitative or qualitative

15. Gather and analyse the data
Questions to ask are:

Is the information already available?

Do you need to establish a baseline?

What gaps are there in the data?

What do you need to collect in addition to what exists?

How will the information be gathered and recorded?

Are these procedures feasible?
Methods are used to gather the data:record-keeping,
observation of participants, self-administered questionnaire,
individual interviews, group discussion/ focus groups.

16. Reporting of the findings
An interim evaluation report cover:

programme background;

achievements and problems;

trends and issues; and

action needed.
The final evaluation report cover:

the background to the programme;

the methods used to gather and analyse the information;

the results / findings, evidence, lessons;

recommendations.

17. Dissemination
The evaluation will be of interest to a wide audience, including:

beneficiary groups;

local, regional and national social partner organisations;

policy-makers and representatives from intermediary
organisations
Take into account:

the contents tailored to audience

only necessary information and evidence

focus on key findings

transparency

reference all external sources; and

Summary needed

18. Thank you for the attention!
Alberto Cerda
Key expert on ALMM monitoring and evaluation
acm.eunes@gmail.com
EUNES IPA Project
Technical Assistance to enhance forecasting and evaluation capacity of the National Employment Service
Europeaid/128079/C/SER/RS