Guidelines

Guides, guidance, and guidelines for M&E can include a range of documented procedures and instructions created to help those involved in the M&E process. 

These documents can provide the structure, clarity, and support needed to ensure that M&E activities are effective, efficient, and aligned with a country or organisation's objectives.

These documents serve various purposes and audiences. Some features of these documents include:

• Audience: They can be tailored to the needs of M&E managers, program managers, or evaluators, providing role-specific information and instructions.

• Prescriptive vs. adaptive: Some of these documents are strict "guidelines" that outline mandatory procedures that must be followed to ensure consistency and compliance across the national M&E system. Others offer "guidance" that can be more flexible, allowing users to adapt the information to fit the unique circumstances of different programs or contexts.

• Source of development: These guides can be developed by a variety of sources, including central government agencies responsible for overarching national M&E activities, individual line departments with sector-specific M&E needs, or external organisations that bring in international best practices or specialised expertise.

• Policy connection: They often link to the broader policy environment that supports M&E activities, ensuring that M&E practices are aligned with national priorities, legal frameworks, and strategic goals.

• Content focus: The content of these documents may vary, with some focusing solely on monitoring, others on evaluation, and many on both aspects of M&E. This reflects the different stages and focuses within the M&E process, from ongoing monitoring of activities and outputs to the more episodic evaluation of outcomes and impacts.

• Management vs. practice focus: Some guides concentrate on the management aspects of M&E, such as planning, budgeting, and organising M&E activities. Others delve into the practical side, offering detailed methodologies, tools, and techniques for carrying out the actual monitoring and evaluation work.