Resources and capacity for M&E systems

Resources and capacity in a national M&E system refer to the combination of human, financial, and technological assets a country has available to manage M&E systems.

 This encompasses the expertise and number of personnel dedicated to M&E activities, the financial investment in these activities, and the technological tools available to support data collection, management, and analysis.

These elements are necessary for a government to manage and sustain a comprehensive evaluation system. Because running an evaluation system involves systems and not just individual evaluations, learning about this is crucial for each country, whether at the national or subnational level.

Financial resources for M&E

  • Budget allocation for M&E

    Financial resources and budgeting play a pivotal role in the effective functioning of national Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems.

Human resources for M&E

  • Internal M&E capacity

    Internal staff capacity for M&E refers to the abilities and skills the employees within an organisation or institution possess to carry out M&E activities effectively. This can encompass several aspects:

  • External evaluation capacity

    External evaluation capacity refers to the ability of entities outside the government, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academic institutions, and private sector firms, to conduct thorough and high-quality evaluations and to contribute to

Technology resources for M&E

  • Internal information technology systems

    Internal information technology systems (ITS) refers to the technological resources and infrastructure that support M&E functions within a government entity or organisation.

  • External technology infrastructure

    External technology infrastructure encompasses the wider array of technological resources and services not internally owned or managed by a specific organisation but available for use in the broader public domain.

Questions to ask:

The following questions draw from the GEI's MESA diagnostic assessment tool:

  • How able is the government to manage and run an evaluation system (in relation to knowledge, skills, human and financial resources)?

  • Are there skilled personnel in government with the technical capacity for monitoring and evaluation?

  • What training have they had?

  • Is there sufficient institutional capacity to undertake meaningful monitoring and evaluation that feeds back into management? At what levels?

  • Is there a capacity-strengthening plan for monitoring and evaluation skills in government (e.g., training, coaching, mentoring, technical assistance/support)?

  • Who are the local providers of evaluation services (e.g., consulting firms, auditors, independent consultants, academia)?

  • To what extent are evaluations commissioned by government, donors, and CSOs conducted by local evaluators?

  • Is there a sufficient supply of quality local evaluators?

  • Are the country's universities producing evaluations on a systematic basis?

  • How many evaluations have been produced by non-governmental institutions every year?

  • What types of evaluations are done by non-governmental institutions?

Global Evaluation Initiative (2022). MESA Guidance Note: Diagnostic Tool for a Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.globalevaluationinitiative.org/mesa

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