Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for Development in Peace-Precarious Situations

Abstract

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) supports evidence-based decision-making in program
management through rigorous approaches to collecting and using quality data on program
performance, results, and impact. The application of appropriate analytical tools in order to
assess the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions in well-defined contexts over time
contributes to our knowledge of the kinds of interventions that work best, and under which
conditions. This paper focuses on the value of utilizing M&E information systems to improve
both program impact and our understanding of how best to assist peaceful development in
situations prone to violent conflict. Project M&E examples illustrate M&E strategies and
tactics in peace-precarious situations, framing discussion of the utility of key M&E practices
and approaches where stability and security are lacking. The final section suggests initial
criteria for enhancing effective and cost-effective M&E that contributes more meaningfully to
the success of development interventions in peace-precarious situations; the most critical of
these is building flexible M&E systems that can respond appropriately to continue providing
useful information under extreme uncertainty.