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ICT for Monitoring & Evaluation
26th October 2012
Raising awareness of a range of ICT tools that can be
deployed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
monitoring & evaluation
Session objectives
• Learn how ICT can help with collecting, storing, retrieving and presenting monitoring & evaluation information
• Understand more about the processes involved in implementing a holistic system
• Take a look at ‘off the shelf' systems selected for relevance in terms of services, client group and cost
• Start identifying specific tools that will enable you to better capture information relating to your organisations outputs & outcomes
• Draft an action plan to support adoption of these tools over the next year 6 – 12 months
A quick recap
Outputs •What you do
Outcomes •What difference / impact you make
Monitoring• Collecting information
Evaluation • Making sense of it
Overall Aim
Specific Aims
Activities
Outcomes
Outputs
VCOs make better use of ICT to
deliver their services
More effective & efficient service delivery
Staff & volunteers have the necessary skills
Training Onsite & remote technical support
ICT Healthchecks & Action Plans
Source: Charities Evaluation Service
Superhighways
Fit for purpose & stable ICT infrastructure
Performance Indicators
How do you know you are making a difference?
What evidence could you use to demonstrate this difference?
What will you need to measure to evidence this difference?•Numbers using your service•Client profile / background •Numbers progressing to mainstream education•Referral to other services
What is ICT?
Information & Communication Technology
DatabasesEmail
WebsitesSocial media
NetworksSpreadsheets
• Most importantly - think of it as a tool…
How are you currently using ICT to capture & evidence Outcomes?
What challenges do you face?
Do you already have ideas for how you can improve this process?
Your current practice
Why ICT can help?
Greater efficiency:
• Automating manual processes
• Reducing paperwork
• Reducing staff time
Greater effectiveness:
• Sharing / accessing information
• Analysing data in more sophisticated ways
• Presenting information with greater impact & to a wider variety of audiences
Collecting information
• Online surveys
• Website feedback
• Outreach laptops
• Digital / video cameras
• Dictaphones
• Diaries / blogs
Source: London Housing
Foundation
Storing M & E information
• Spreadsheets
• Databases• Developed in-house
• Custom built
• Off the shelf
• Digital filing
Source: London Housing Foundation
Online repositories
• e.g. Huddle, Dropbox, Flickr, Evernote
• Can be shared with team or external partners
•Can be accessed from anywhere including mobile devices
Retrieving & analysing M & E information
• Spreadsheets – filtering, sorting, pivot tables
• Database - queries & reports
• Exporting as csv files & importing to Excel
Presenting M & E information
• Charts & graphs
• Dashboards
• Websites
• Annual reviews
• Videos / Digital Storytelling
• Email signatures
Feedback on a website (www.illuminateict.org.uk)
Video footage
Implementing a system…
First steps
Get together as a team and identify and agree the what, how, when, why and
then capture this on paper
Remember to include both outputs and outcomes
Next steps…
Carry out an audit of current systems – what are you using, what works well, what frustrates you etc
Document how you are structuring your information e.g. the ‘fields’ you are using
Draw up a brief – include some background and specify what you need – remember to future proof
Next steps…
Then consider…
• Is this something that can be realistically developed in house?
• If not, research whether a system already exists to meet your needs?
• If not, budget for the bespoke option
Resources required?
Upgraded ICT infrastructure?
A new system or developments to an existing system?
Data migration or start from scratch?
Staff roles and training?
Selecting a database for monitoring
http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/Resources/CharitiesEvaluationServices/Documents/itforoutcomespublication-827-835.pdf
http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/tools-and-resources/planning-for-monitoring-evaluation/it-for-monitoring-and-evalaution/ict-case-studies
www.staronline.org.uk
www.lamplightdb.co.uk
Lamplight demos
Customising fields
Adding outcomes and seeing change
See your impact overall
www.socialimpacttracker.org
www.lasa.org.uk/aims
Developing an action plan
Outcomes & indicators
Using ICT to capture / present this information
Resources required – infrastructure & skills
Allocating responsibility / setting a timeline
Best practice issues Are you registered with the information
commissioner? www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Do you have a data protection & privacy policy and explain why you collect data and what it will be used for?
Do you ask for permission to use photos / videos?
Is your client data secure i.e. password protected, backed up, safeguarded with anti virus software and a firewall?
