Supporting the use of M&E evidence
Supporting the use of M&E in a national M&E system means actively facilitating and encouraging the application of monitoring and evaluation findings to inform policy decisions, improve programs, and guide strategic planning.
This is crucial because it ensures that the insights gained from M&E activities translate into tangible actions and reforms. Supporting the use of M&E can manifest in various forms, such as providing clear guidelines for interpreting and implementing findings, creating incentives for evidence-based decision-making, and establishing systems that integrate M&E results into the regular workflow of government agencies.
Types of use of M&E
The following types of use relate to the use of reporting and evidence from monitoring systems, individual evaluations or syntheses of multiple evaluations:
- Instrumental to inform a specific decision. This can be summative (e.g. to stop/continue/expand funding) or formative (e.g. to make changes for improvement, such as correcting errors and filling gaps)
- Conceptual to change the way people think about something – e.g. to understand the importance of key concepts such as continuity of care, or tipping points
- Demonstrating value – to make evident the value of investing in this area
- Persuasive – to argue for a particular policy objective or practice.
The following types of use relate to the use or influence of M&E processes themselves:
- Encouraging compliance with expectations – rather than correcting errors, this is about the impact of clear signalling of requirements and incentives to achieve standards – this is particularly relevant for monitoring systems
- Developing a culture of evaluation - especially norms about identifying and checking assumptions, seeking to hear the voice of communities, and drawing on evidence to inform decisions (see culture of evidence use and production)
- Demonstrating accountability - signalling that inclusive engagement processes, competent management and transparent decision-making are in place
- Capacity strengthening - especially developing skills in creating, conducting, managing and/or using evidence
Factors influencing use of M&E information
The use of M&E can be thought of in terms of factors that relate to producing M&E (supply) and those that relate to using M&E (demand).
On the supply side, M&E is more likely to be used or have influence when it is relevant, credible, accessible, and owned.
On the demand side, M&E is more likely to be used when the intended users have the capacity, motivation, and opportunity to use it.
Strategies to address SUPPLY side factors
Relevance
Ensuring M&E activities address issues which are important for decisions and/or action.
to direct evaluation efforts to important/strategic areas
Evidence maps to identify gaps in knowledge
Adaptive or real-time evaluation to conduct evaluation with clear goals of improving roll-outs
Credibility
Ensuring M&E activities provide answers which are seen as valid to questions (descriptive, causal, evaluative and/or action).
to guide the choice of evaluation methods and quality to strengthen the credibility of evaluation processes and results
Ensuring there is capacity to conduct a quality and independent evaluation, including bringing in external and technical expertise as needed.
Formal decision-making structures can improve the credibility and technical quality of an evaluation. An expert or technical reference group or an advisor with specific expertise might provide targeted advice. A diverse range of stakeholders with different perspectives might also be consulted about the scope of the evaluation or on specific issues such as the accuracy of the program logic or the interpretation of findings.
Ensuring adequate availability and quality of data to ensure evaluations can actually answer the questions they need to.
Accessibility
Ensuring M&E outputs are shared in a format and timeframe which can be readily accessed and understood.
Owned
M&E activities are conducted through a process which has the support of primary intended users.
This section of the Rainbow Framework has a range of methods for understanding and engaging users of M&E activities
Strategies to address DEMAND side factors
Capacity to use M&E information
The skills and knowledge of users to be able to find evidence and adapt findings to their situation.
Formal training programs can provide decision-makers with the necessary skills to understand and interpret M&E data, including statistical analysis, data visualization, and critical evaluation of findings. Other capacity strengthening opportunities and initiatives can also provide opportunities allow for continuous learning and keeping up-to-date with the latest M&E methodologies, tools, and best practices.
Collaboration and structured communication with evaluators and researchers
Regular communication and collaboration between decision-makers and those conducting M&E activities can be beneficial, for example, by providing an opportunity for questions and deeper understanding of the data, and creating a feedback loop where decision-makers can request specific data analyses or further information, leading to more targeted and useful M&E outputs.
Motivation
Incentives to apply evidence to decision-making.
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