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Transcript

Hello friends, In our last class we were discussing about the principles and functions of administration, where in we tried to understand the importance of the concept of administration and how it works and what are the various functions of administration like planning, coordinating, organizing, staffing, budgeting etc etc. So with the background of discussion on that, now we are moving towards another important concept of monitoring and evaluation. Again when we plan and implement any program, monitoring and evaluation are the inbuilt components of the program planning, program execution and the last type of program evaluation. And during the implementation of the program, the series of activities that we take up, to see that the program is functioning in an appropriate manner. We call it as the monitoring function.

So in this class we will be trying to understand the concepts of monitoring as well as evaluation. Coming to the concept of monitoring. Monitoring is the routine process of data collection and measurement of progress towards the program objectives. So we have already said the data means, it’s a raw fact. So after the implementation of the program or during the implementation of the program, at regular intervals we keep on collecting the data, which is raw in nature and when it is analyzed, it gives us the information that where exactly the program is moving towards. And based on that, so the program can be implemented in an effective manner. If there are any deviations, immediately looking into the outcomes of the monitoring process, the necessary changes can be taken up. And that is why it is important process.

Then why do we monitor. For regular and systematic assessment of the progress, during the implementation of the program. Otherwise we will not be coming to know that what has happened. And when we go for only for evaluation, so then outcomes may be undesirable. To avoid such situations, so monitoring is very very essential. Review of the partner’s capacity development needs. At times we may come across a situation that we need to add certain skills in the professionals or in the team. So that we will come to know in the process of monitoring. Accordingly corrective measures can be taken up and capacity building programs can be taken up. And that is why it is very very essential. Improve the results based on reporting of achievements. That is another reason we need to monitor. And to strengthen the teamwork and ownership among the implementing partners. So when the different units of an organizational structure should come together, should work together. For which we need to establish that perfect coordination, wherein the monitoring is going to supplement these efforts.

Then feeds into the evaluation and real time learning. And ultimately we are going for evaluation but in these processes, we are adding to our knowledge base and we are learning good number of things. Then coming to the concept of evaluation. It is the use of the social research methods, systematically investigate achievements of a program results. So the evaluation is taken up to understand what has actually happened after the implementation of the program. So for, there are three basic functions. Number one is, it is program improvement. And when we look into the program planning cycle. Last but one step was the evaluation and the last step was reconsideration. So in under the step of reconsideration we are going to improve the program. And it is going to have accountability, because the results of evaluation are revealing our efforts, what we did and what went wrong or what went right, or what are the things contributed for success or failure or whatever it is. And that is how it is making accountable to the system.

Then organizational learning. Individual learnings are different. But institution as a whole, the program as a whole, project as a whole is learning good number of things out of the process of evaluation. Coming to the objectives of evaluation, to study the factors contributing success or failure of an extension program is the first and foremost objective. Then the second objective is to increase the confidence in the program, both by the extension worker and the people. Because we are putting the results before the people for whom the programs are meant. And looking into that, so we will be going ahead with, and we will be formulating some other program. And that is why the objective of evaluation say that it is very very important. Then the third objective is to compare the value of achievement of the program with its cost. So there is enough amount that is being spent as a part of implementation of the program, as a part of planning of the program. Whether the results achieved are commensurate with the cost or not. Whether it is more or less. Or what is needed may be in the form of financial resource. Whether the financial resource was lacking or there were enough financial resource. All these things are to be understood, that is why it has been kept as one of the objective of evaluation. Then to facilitate the presentation of results for public support. So that based on the outcomes of these results, so we can formulate some other program by modifying the program based on the results. These are and having the public support out of that. Then to provide the means for testing methods, approaches and techniques used in the program. We started with a particular idea and we implemented that. It might have worked well or it might have went wrong in between and accordingly the modifications can be taken up. How to understand those things, so that’s what is another objective of evaluation.

Coming to the basic differences between the monitoring and evaluation. So we said that monitoring is an ongoing process. It starts immediately after implementation of the program. And it ends up to the completion of the program. But the evaluation is periodic in nature. That is after completion of the program. Then coming to the monitoring. It is during the program implementation, which is ongoing in nature. But evaluation is during and after implementation of the program, may be objective wise we can go for evaluation after completion of objective first phase or second phase, third phase, like that we can go on adding the evaluation process.

Then tracking of the activities and the progress is the function of monitoring, butin case of evaluation it is the judgement of the merit, value or worth of a program or project. Because the monitoring is a continuous process and it is a ongoing process. We are tracking the activities, whether it is moving in a desired direction or not. But when we go for evaluation we are determining the worth of a practice. Whether what we did, whether it is yielding the desired results or something went wrong, or what are the things to be needed to modify it and all those things are the functions of the evaluation. Then in case of monitoring it is generally for short run corrective action. But the evaluation leads towards the decision making about the future program, because it is giving us the outcomes and outputs. So based on that the future programs are decided. Then in case of monitoring, accountability for implementation is there. Because it is a continuous process, it is an ongoing process. While evaluation is accountability for the results, the outcomes. And monitoring contributes to the evaluation, but the while the evaluation is for office and organizational learning. So that the entire team analyzes the results. And ultimately we can say that in case of monitoring, are we doing the right thing, we are trying to find out the answers for this particular question in the process.

In case of evaluation we are going to address the questions like. Did we do the right things? So these are some of the basic differences between the monitoring and evaluation. Then coming to the types of evaluation, based on the agency involved, we can say that internal as well as external, they are self explanatory. You can very well understand that. May be evaluation is done by internal agencies or the external agencies. Then based on the timing. So there are two types of evaluation that we come across, that is formative and summative evaluation. Formative evaluation means it is ongoing and concurrent in nature, carried out during the implementation of the program. It is a type of monitoring that we can say. But it gives us the solid inputs for improvement of the program.

Summative evaluation which is generally Ex-Post facto in nature, and carried out after completion of the program. So that’s what is summative evaluation we say. Then based on the stages, stage of the program, it is the ongoing, concurrent, which is target oriented generally done for the long duration programs. If the program is of having the longer duration like the strategic programs. We go on evaluation of that program after completion of phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, like that because it is a long term program, it is a strategic program. The terminal evaluation means, then at the end of the program, after completion of the program because of its short duration or whatever it is. Then Ex-Post facto evaluation. The beneficiary oriented conducted after a time lag after the completion of the program. To look into the effects of the program. It is not immediately after completion of the program. There is a time lag between. So that after the impacts of those programs can be easily assessed by adopting the Ex-Post facto evaluation process.

To come to the conclusion. Monitoring and evaluation are the processes, which gives us the solid feedback for improvement of the program and to plan the future programs. And feedback is one of the prerequisite for efficient planning and implementation of the program, provided we try to get appropriate feedback from the end-users. And it helps in setting and achieving the organizational objectives and formulation of the future program. With this we are coming to the end of today’s discussion on monitoring and evaluation. With this we are completing the seventh week of the course on Fundamentals of Agricultural Extension. In the next week we will be discussing about the issues associated with the adoption and diffusion of innovation.

Thank you.