 A range of tools and methods exist for carrying out participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E). The relevance and applicability of these tools depends on the context. Key questions to consider in choosing PM&E approaches are:
Who leads, and who follows? - Internally led PM&E, joint management of PME where project staff and representatives of beneficiaries co-design and manage the entire PME cycle, and/or externally led PME i.e. the PM&E process is designed and managed by donor/ government agency, and primary stakeholders are involved mostly in information collection.
What is the purpose of PM&E? - Project management and re-planning; impact assessment; institutional learning; understanding and negotiating stakeholder perspectives; and/or public accountability
What is the level at which PM&E will occur? – Inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and/or impacts. Processes, which underpin all levels of PM&E, are also oftentimes a focus of PM&E.
Difference between PM&E and conventional monitoring and evaluation approaches:
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Conventional M&E
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Participatory M&E
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| Who plans and manages the process: |
Senior managers, or outside experts |
Local people, project staff, managers, and other stakeholders, often helped by a facilitator |
| Role of 'primary stakeholders' (the intended beneficiaries): |
Provide information only |
Design and adapt the methodology, collect and analyze data, share findings and link them to action |
| How success is measured: |
Externally-defined, mainly quantitative indicators |
Internally-defined indicators, including more qualitative judgments |
| Approach: |
Predetermined |
Adaptive |
(Based on IDS Policy Briefing: Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation: Learning from Change)
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