Planning MEAL Activities Flashcards

Question

IPTT Components BASELINE

Answer 1

The value of an indicator before the implementation of an activity, against which subsequent progress can be assessed.

Answer 2

The specific, planned level of change to be achieved during the life of the project.

Answer 3

Ideally, all project indicators should have baseline data. Baseline data should be collected before implementation of an intervention and can be used to define targets. If performance indicator baseline data cannot be collected until later in a strategy, project or activity, the IPTT should document when and how the baseline data will be collected.

Answer 4

Communities provide feedback to the project team through channels that include meetings, suggestion boxes, hotlines and others.

Answer 5

The project team acknowledges receipt of the feedback and provides appropriate responses to the community.

Answer 6

1. How will feedback be collected? 2. Who receives feedback? 3. How is feedback processed? 4. How is feedback used? 5. How does the project respond to feedback?

Answer 7

a. Respond to all feedback received. In some cases, this will only require an acknowledgement of receipt, in other cases the response could be ongoing and complex. b. Ensure that response mechanisms are appropriate to your project context and the type of feedback received. This is especially true when feedback relates to fraud, corruption, harassment or sexual exploitation. In those cases, it is critical that the rights of the stakeholders be respected with regard to due process, safety, anonymity and confidentiality. c. Identify an appeals process in case you receive a second round of feedback from the community indicating that additional follow-up is required.

Answer 8

Adaptive management is an intentional approach to making decisions and adjustments to the project in response to new information and changes in context.

Answer 9

Organizational learning is the process by which an organization discovers and adapts to new knowledge.

Answer 10

New knowledge is created by combining new information (the data you are collecting through your MEAL processes) with existing knowledge, or by discovering new ways of organizing existing knowledge.

Answer 11

An organization doesn’t learn until knowledge is transferred agency-wide. Knowledge transfer can be person-to-person and through knowledge platforms that are used to share information across programs, offices and locations.

Answer 12

Organizational learning happens when new knowledge is embedded into processes and activities, at the project, organizational and sectoral levels. This is why the MEAL cycle is circular, to support a process of embedding learning into the work of the organization.

Answer 13

A learning plan is focused on learning processes at the project level and how they might be supported by improvements in knowledge creation, capture, management and sharing. A learning agenda is a set of broad questions directly related to the work that an organization conducts that, when answered, enable the organization to work more effectively and efficiently. A learning agenda includes: 1. A set of questions addressing critical knowledge gaps. 2. A set of associated activities to answer them. 3. Products aimed at disseminating findings and designed with usage and application in mind.

Answer 14

Learning-to-action discussions are specifically planned discussions that bring staff together to reflect on data and understand project progress. They take place throughout the data collection process.

Answer 15

1. Activity or Process 2. Roles and Responsibilities 3. Expected Outcomes 4. Timeline 5. Resources

Answer 16

A concise description of the specific activity or process.

Answer 17

The roles and responsibilities of the office or staff member responsible for leading the activity or process.

Answer 18

The intended outcome for each action item describing the anticipated changes resulting from implementing the identified activity or process.

Answer 19

The key milestones and deadlines for the activity or process. This timeline should be linked to project implementation calendars.

Answer 20

The resources (including staff time, mechanisms, implementing partners, funding, etc.) needed to implement the action item. This planning should be completed in coordination with overall project planning to make sure these resources are made available.

Answer 21

Communication plan - Defines who needs to be aware of and informed about the project MEAL activities, what they need to know, how and how often information will be distributed, and who will be responsible for the distribution.

Answer 22

1. Target stakeholder 2. Information needs 3. Communication methods 4. Timing and frequency

Answer 23

Who needs to receive MEAL communications? It is not unusual for a project to have many stakeholders, some more pivotal than others. Stakeholders have different information needs and different communication preferences. Each will require information provided in a way or ways that are appropriate to them.

Answer 24

What does each audience need to know? Good communication requires an understanding of the stakeholder and their information needs. Some examples of stakeholder information needs include: ● Project goals and objectives, including project targets and who will receive support ● Access to and use of feedback-and-response mechanisms ● Project progress, changes and updates ● Results of learning efforts

Answer 25

Information should be as accessible as possible. The most effective communications methods will be designed with the stakeholders’ preferences in mind. It can be very helpful to consider issues such as “What are the literacy levels and preferred language?” “Do stakeholders have access to technology?” “How broad an audience are we trying to reach?” Don’t assume that a single communication method will work for all stakeholders.

Answer 26

All communications should be planned in accordance with the overall implementation team and calendar. This will allow for enough time to communicate effectively.

Answer 27

Effective communication with communities ensures they have access to timely, accurate and relevant information in languages and formats and on relevant channels that are culturally appropriate and accessible to different groups.

Answer 28

Establishing and sustaining multiple inclusive channels for sustained dialogue strengthens the engagement of communities in programming.

Answer 29

Projects need to be responsive to the information needs of communities, partners and other stakeholders. Be sure to consult with your primary users and stakeholders to determine when and in what form they want to receive information.

Answer 30

1. Formative 2. Process 3. Impact or Outcome 4. Summative 5. Ex-post 6. Developmental evaluation 7. Empowerment Evaluation 8. Meta Evaluation

Answer 31

PURPOSE Improve and refine an existing project TIMING Early in project implementation, up to the midpoint.

Answer 32

PURPOSE Assess the long-term sustainability of the project. TIMING After the project’s formal end date, sometimes 3 to 5 years later.

Answer 33

PURPOSE Assess how well a project met its goal to produce change. Impact evaluations can use rigorous data collection and analysis, and control groups. TIMING At project end. Also requires baseline data gathered at the beginning of implementation and regular, rigorous monitoring activities.

Answer 34

PURPOSE Judge the performance of the project. TIMING At project end.

Answer 35

PURPOSE Understand how well a project is being implemented (or was implemented) particularly if you want to replicate or enlarge your response. TIMING During project implementation (often at the midpoint) or at the end.

Answer 36

PURPOSE Used to design a response to a known need, particularly in complex situations, where response approaches are being tested. It supports creative, innovative approaches and provides real-time feedback to inform ongoing project design. TIMING Continually throughout project implementation.

Answer 37

PURPOSE An approach that seeks to improve project implementation by providing project participants themselves with the tools to evaluate the planning, design and implementation of the project. TIMING Throughout project implementation in the sense that participants require training and facilitation in evaluation tools. The evaluation becomes part of project implementation.

Answer 38

PURPOSE A systematic and formal evaluation of evaluations. Examines the methods used within an evaluation or set of evaluations to bolster the credibility of findings. Often used in policy-making settings. TIMING External to project implementation cycle.

Answer 39

Evaluation Purpose (performance, impact, etc.) Priority Evaluation Questions Timing (midterm, final, etc.) Anticipated evaluation start and completion Evaluation budget

Answer 40

They are a set of principles that guide the development of evaluation questions and the overall evaluation planning process

Answer 41

1. Relevance 2. Efficiency 3. Effectiveness 4. Impact 5. Sustainability

Answer 42

The extent to which the project is relevant to the priorities, needs and opportunities of the target group, recipient and donor.

Answer 43

The extent to which the project uses the least costly resources possible to achieve the desired results. This generally requires comparing alternative approaches to achieving the same outputs, to see whether the most efficient process has been adopted.

Answer 44

The extent to which a project attains its objectives.

Answer 45

The positive and negative changes produced by a development intervention, directly or indirectly, intended or unintended.

Answer 46

The extent to which the benefits of a project are likely to continue after support (monetary and non-monetary) has been withdrawn.

Answer 47

Evaluation questions are clear statements of what you need to know from the evaluation.

Answer 48

● Did the initial needs assessment identify priority community needs? ● Did the assessment differentiate between the needs of men and women, and between more vulnerable and less vulnerable households? If so, how? If not, why not? ● Has the project met the specific needs and priorities of women? Why or why not? ● Is the project design appropriate for meeting the community’s priority needs? ● Did the targeting strategy allow the project to meet the greatest need in the community (i.e., the most vulnerable households or individuals)? Why or why not? ● Was community participation sufficient throughout the needs assessment, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the project? Why or why not? If not, how can participation be increased during the remainder of the project (for midterm evaluations) or in a future project (for final evaluations)?

Answer 49

● Are the project‘s staffing and management structures efficient? Why or why not? ● Did the project staff have enough capacity to implement a high-quality project? Why or why not? ● What was the cost per project participant? Is this reasonable given project impact? Why or why not?

Answer 50

● Did the project achieve its planned outputs (according to the detailed implementation plan) on the planned timeline? Why or why not? ● Did the monitoring and evaluation system provide the right information at the right time to allow for timely project management and decision-making? Why or why not? ● Has working in partnership increased the effectiveness and quality of the project? Why or why not? ● Has the project been effective in building partner capacity? If so, how has partner capacity been built? If not, why not? If not, how can this be improved for next time?

Answer 51

● Has the project achieved its planned impact (refer to Logframe indicators to determine planned impact)? Why or why not? ● Did impact vary for different targeted areas, households or individuals (e.g., men and women)? If so, how and why? ● Was there any unintended impact from the project, either positive or negative? What impact was most valuable to participating communities? Why?

Answer 52

● What is the likelihood that the community will be able to sustain the impact of the project? How do you know? ● What has the project done to support community structures or groups to be able to continue to address community needs and sustain project impact? Is this sufficient?

Answer 53

The evaluation terms of reference, or ToR, is a planning tool that is developed directly before the evaluation is conducted. It is much more detailed than the summary evaluation table and becomes a planning document for the evaluation itself. If your project intends to conduct multiple evaluations, a separate ToR will be needed for each evaluation.

Answer 54

1. Project Introduction and Background 2. Evaluation Purpose, Audience, and Use 3. Evaluation Criteria and Questions 4. Methodological Approach 5. Evaluation Roles and Responsibilities 6. Evaluation Deliverables and Timeline 7. Evaluation Logistics and Other Support

Answer 55

Briefly describe the project, its implementation period, funding sources and amounts, and any other relevant information. Summarize the project, the problem that it seeks to solve, and its intervention strategy. Also include a description of what baseline and monitoring data already exist.

Answer 56

This is an extremely important section. It explains why you are conducting the evaluation, who will be using it (internally and externally) and how it will be used. Being clear and specific in this section increases the chances that your evaluation results (and any reports you generate) will be relevant and timely to your internal and external stakeholders. To create this section, review your communications planning tools to refresh your understanding of your stakeholder information needs. Then, consider how you can present evaluation results to those stakeholders using methods appropriate to each.

Answer 57

Review the evaluation criteria and questions that were originally included in the summary evaluation table. It is likely that the questions will need to be updated based on your experience, monitoring results and implementation challenges. Be realistic about the number of questions you include in your evaluation ToR. Include only the questions that you need to answer and that can be realistically answered within the timeframe and budget available to you. Your MEAL specialists and stakeholders can help you narrow down the list.

Answer 58

Many ToRs include a basic description of a suggested approach that incorporates the monitoring processes and data already in place and suggests supplemental ideas. If your donor has requested a certain type of evaluation and included related funding, then you will need to specify those requirements here. If you’re using the TOR to hire an external consultant, you may want to request that they suggest methods with which they are experienced. Any methods chosen must be linked to the questions that need to be answered. It is likely that a variety of methods will be needed to meet information needs, resulting in the mixed-methods evaluation that is often recommended. Finally, include a section about how you expect data to be analyzed (this information can partially come from your PMP).

Answer 59

Describe the various roles and responsibilities of the evaluation team. Describe how a potential external evaluator or evaluation team will communicate with the project and MEAL teams. Also, be sure to include detail about data collection, data analysis and report-production responsibilities. It is useful at this stage to be specific about how you expect partners and local stakeholders to be involved in the evaluation. Stakeholder involvement in the evaluation process itself enables them to own the findings, thereby increasing the chances of high-quality data and follow-up.

Answer 60

State specifically the timeline of the evaluation and when different components are due. Plan time for document desk review, fieldwork, data analysis, and report writing. Be sure to include time for stakeholder feedback and response.

Answer 61

Include details about logistics and support to the evaluation team. Indicate whether support will be forthcoming from local partners, particularly in terms of data gathering. If necessary, allow extra time when conducting more complicated evaluations to design samples, and finalize databases and data entry plans.

Answer 62

When developing the calendar for MEAL activities, the MEAL team should list all the MEAL activities included in the planning documents. The list should include all monitoring visits, evaluation activities, learning initiatives, feedback-and-response mechanisms, communications efforts, and any reports that need to be created. Working from this information, build a Gantt chart specifically for project MEAL activities.

Answer 63

Gantt chart A bar chart that illustrates a project schedule, identifying the start date, end date and expected durations of all activities.

Answer 64

Budgeting for MEAL is usually an iterative process. The initial step toward establishing the MEAL budget takes place when the original project proposal is developed. This original budget is a high-level estimate of costs based on initial estimates of the MEAL activities that will be conducted. After the proposal is approved, a more detailed budget needs to be created. Detailed budgets are often activity-based. This means that the project creates accurate and complete budget estimates by systematically listing, quantifying and costing out all the resources (e.g. staffing, materials, equipment and travel) that are needed to run the MEAL activities for the project. These MEAL activities are found in the MEAL planning documents and the MEAL Gantt chart.

Answer 65

It is important to consult with the budget and human resources offices within your organization to verify and understand your particular budget process, rules and policies. Similarly, review any donor requirements and regulations related to project MEAL.