AN OVERVIEW OF PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Md Nazmul AlamSenior M&E OfficerSenior M&E OfficerRCC programme of The Global FundCenter for HIV and AIDS ICDDRB

Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation (PM&E)

PM&E is viewed as a “social process” for people with different needs, opinions and expectations to negotiate (Anatole, 2005)

Participatory monitoring involves the community or target population in monitoring their programme activities.

example- training needs, learning sessions

Participatory evaluation advocates involvement and participation of community members and other stakeholders in the design and execution of the evaluation process

example- benefits of training, advocacy and human rights

PM&EPM&E is a participatory process that ensures stakeholders participation to is a participatory process that ensures stakeholders participation to monitor and evaluate the program activities. monitor and evaluate the program activities.

So close……. yet so far……..

Our principle can be described as Not to do for (the community), but with (the community)

Importance of PM&E in HIV/AIDS context

Most at risk population for HIV/AIDS are

•• Marginalized Marginalized

•• Have low self esteemHave low self esteem

•• StigmatizedStigmatized

•• Vulnerable Vulnerable

•• HiddenHidden

PM&E will ensurePM&E will ensure

•• Empowerment of stakeholders to take actionEmpowerment of stakeholders to take action

•• Improved accountabilityImproved accountability

•• Improved information provision for strategic planning at different Improved information provision for strategic planning at different levelslevels

Conventional Monitoring & Evaluation

Source: Shah et al. 2005

Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation

Source: Shah et al. 2005

Basic Principles of PM&E

• Participation

• Learning

• Negotiation • Negotiation

• Flexibility

Why Learning

• Capacity building• Planning• Problem solving• Decision making

Why Participation

• To develop mutual partnership• Sharing• Ownership

Why NegotiationWhy Negotiation

• Help to building trust among stakeholders • Changing perceptions, behaviors and attitudes• To reach consensus to solve problems and improving program

Why Flexible

• Help to make the project more responsive and relevant to the needs of the stakeholders (specially programme participants)

The key steps in the development and implementation of a PM&E

4. Developing and formulating indicators

Source: P.N. PALI et al. (2005)

Strengths of PM&E

• Increase community ownership & capacity

• Ensuring real benefits & incentives for participants, stakeholders, managers

• Strengthens program results

• Enable the community to discuss issues openly and build up people’s self-confidencepeople’s self-confidence

• Ensure accountability to the community

• Allow the community to make its own analysis, learn from its own mistakes and therefore improve the future

• Enable partner communities to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, rather than depending on outsiders.

Source: CBO M&E Curriculum (July 2004)

Key Challenges of PM&E

• Ensuring meaningful involvement.

• Ensuring programme participants time and effort are valued

• Insufficient budgets, time & planning for PM & E activities

• Lack of trust, confidence & familiarity with PM&E approachesapproaches

PM&E - What need to be done?

• Involve the community at the early stages of the project

• Discuss your activities and objectives with the community and together identify relevant indicators

• Determine & develop M&E systems with the help of community people

• Participatory discussion on data collection tools & record keeping system information (e.g. written records, community keeping system information (e.g. written records, community meetings etc)

• Explain to the community that both of you will have to review indicators regularly, since objectives might change

• Assist the community in having regular sessions (to draw their own solutions and set up actions for appropriate interventions)

Source: CBO M&E Curriculum (July 2004)

PM&E at field level

Fictional Scenario 1

• A clash took place among two hijra guru in a locality about birit. Theirclash is not in program interest as a result of this several spots were closed& field based service are postponed. Both the guru demand they will nottake services with the opposition. In such case the respective PM&Eofficer along with the DIC staff will deal with the problem.officer along with the DIC staff will deal with the problem.

• Programme team (PM&E staff and DIC staff) will participate in meeting with respective hijra guru and will learn about clash and explored the reasons behind the clash.

• Then team will try to negotiate with respective hijra guru to recover the problem (through suggestion & proposition on different service option)

-Both the party will come to DIC in different days-They will have different spots to received field based services-A common mutuality can be apprehended to the hijra

• Then team can decide or discuss with senior management & IA about the negotiation and imminent changes is possible through flexible process.

-A common mutuality can be apprehended to the hijra community by the guru

-DIC service pattern can be changed-The quickest possible result is achievable due to the continuous coordination of PM&E team at field level.

Scenario 2Number of patient at STI clinic session are not fulfilling given target. Thesessions have limited number of patient. Also the MSM population arereluctant to come and visit the clinic .

1. The PM&E officer at field level will have this information at very early stage

2. Using qualitative enquiry and participatory methods at DIC and Field level the respective PM&E personnel will identify the cause

• e.g. The clinic day is in Wednesday at 10 AM, so the employed MSM and MSW unable to come.

3. After learning this information form programme participants, comes the negotiation with the both programme participants and staff.negotiation with the both programme participants and staff.

• Change of time schedule of STI clinic

• Change in the clinic day

4. Flexible system of PM&E will ensure adaptive changes in prevention services (based on needs of the local context).

Learning

• Learning opportunity from both the programme participants and programme people • Programme participants can learn from the programme and vice versa

Participation

• Discussion with all stakeholders • Need based meetings to know their needs and • To indentify problems and find possible solutions

Negotiation

• Different stake holders will negotiate through discussion and exchange of ideas to improve program

Flexible

• In terms of the needs of the programme participants• In terms of the needs of the local context• Adaptivity and creativity in the PM&E process

Essential criteria of the core PM&E team

1. Personal commitment towards the marginalized population vulnerable to HIV and AIDS

2. Personal commitment to the interactive process and the principles of PM&E.

3. Able to work as a part of a team.

4. Technical expertise and training in a wide variety of research techniques and methodologies, with emphasis on participatory methodologies.

5. Group facilitation skills, understanding of group process, dealing with 5. Group facilitation skills, understanding of group process, dealing with tensions and conflict, equalizing participation, running participatory activities, summarizing and being an active listener.

6. Able to communicate with different stakeholders, such as members of grassroots groups, government representatives and representatives of international donor agencies.

7. Teaching skills, the ability to communicate PM&E methodology and adaptability to a variety of teaching contexts.

Why PM&E for Intervention

• To provide logic and explanations of conventional M&E data

• Continuous field visit – to ensure community participation

– to identify problems at early stage

– To collect primary programme data (randomly and need based)

• Analysis of data will include data validation through stakeholders. stakeholders.

• Data will be presented back to participants and staff for verification and collective analysis.

• PM&E is unique from conventional one because– Data quality check

– Validation and

– Justification

Data Quality is determined by

• Data collection instrument

• Sampling method

• Administration of data collection (e.g., skills of enumerators)

• Data management – coding, transcription, database, etc.

source: Indicators and Data Quality :

M&E Training for MoSHW & Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (Material adapted from USDOL/ILO HIV/AIDS Workplace Education programme)

Data Quality dimensions

PM&E Methods

Informal and less-structured method Formal and more-structured methods

Conversation with concerned individuals Conventional data collection formats

Focus group interviews structured Questionnaires (survey)

Participant observation

Key informant interviews

Reviews of records

PM&E practitioners use a range of different methods;

Reviews of records

Field visits

Relevant PRA tools1. Mood Meter 2.Circle of influence 3. Seasonal calendar 4. Problem ranking5. Preference ranking 6. Well being table7. Organizational chart

Activity / data needs Methods

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to reproductive health, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV/AIDS

• FGDs, KIIs , Listing , interview • Scoring, Ranking

Sources of information on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS • Social map • FGDs, KIIs , Listing, interview • Scoring, Ranking

Sexual behavior and norms: Age of sexual initiation for males and females Types of sexual relations within the community No. of sex partners and condom use by males and females Reasons people engage in risky sexual behavior

• FGDs, KIIs , Listing, interview • Scoring, Ranking • Trend analysis • Cause-impact diagram

Number, location, and availability of community volunteers trained in • Social map

An overview of topics that can be included in participatory Monitoring and Evaluation

Number, location, and availability of community volunteers trained in home-based care for AIDS patients

• Social map

Location and composition of households affected by HIV and AIDS (i.e., • Social map • Trends analysis

caring for an infected person and/or fostering AIDS orphans) • FGDs, KIIs , Listing, interview • Scoring, Ranking • Cause-impact diagram

Causes, manifestations, and consequences of HIV and AIDS-related • FGDs, KIIs, interview • Social map • Trends analysis

Type and location of resources available in the community to support caregivers

• Social map • Listing• Scoring & Ranking

Age, sex, and physical location of vulnerable AIDS population • Social map • FGDs, KIIs, Listing, interview

Source: shah et al. 2005