Gender Aware Monitoring and Evaluation. Amsterdam, The Netherlands Presentation overview This presentation is comprised of the following sections:

Gender Aware Monitoring and Evaluation

Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

Presentation overview

This presentation is comprised of the following sections:• overviews of monitoring and evaluation• examples of M&E gender issues• examples of approaches to M&E for gender

results• indicators: what is an indicator, qualitative

and quantitative indicators• selection criteria for indicator development• performance Measurement Framework


Monitoring

• who included: management and field staff, partners, beneficiaries

• what: inputs; activities, outputs; progress towards outcomes and impact (using indicators); management issues

• who conducts: usually internally conducted by project staff

• how is monitoring conducted: methods and sources of information are used

• when: on going but with “regular periodic episodes”, often tied to reporting schedules

• who for: managers/staff, donors, partners

How are these gendered?


Evaluation• assesses the outcome or impact of a policy,

organisation, programme or project.• usually happens at the end and is usually done

against planned results, except mid-term (sometime called review)

• it may also examine the design quality, implementation efficiency and (cost) effectiveness, and the institutional, economic, social and environmental sustainability of achievements.

• most identify lessons for the future or for other organisations, programmes, etc.

• aim to improve learning for decision-making, resource allocation, and accountability


Evaluation

• who conducts: usually external (consultants)• who is included: partners, donors, beneficiaries

and other stakeholders• who for: implementing organization, donors,

learning institutions• what: entire project, selected components,

theme, organization, audit (financial or otherwise)

How are these gendered?


Examples of M&E Gender IssuesProject:• Women and men’s equal participation in decision-making

processes in private and public spheres• Women and men’s equal access to and control over resources

and access• Negative impacts on women (due to the project), for example

increased work load, incidents of violence or other forms of backlash

• Women’s empowerment (confidence, self-esteem, capacity for leadership and self-organisation)

• Gender stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes toward women and girls. This includes changes in the understanding and commitment of men to support women’s empowerment (as measured by women and men separately)


Examples of M&E Gender IssuesOrganizationalWhat are the factors in partner organisations and your offices that are facilitating or hindering the successful mainstreaming of gender in the project? For example:• Is there a gender balance of staff at all levels especially

in management?• Are gender-aware recruitment practices used?• Do women and men have equal access to career

development opportunities?• Are there clear lines of accountability for achieving

effective gender mainstreaming and impact on gender equality?


Examples of M&E Gender IssuesOrganizational (continued)• Is strong leadership and role modelling on gender

mainstreaming being shown by the management?• Is data disaggregated by sex?• Are resources allocated to gender equality work?• Is there collaboration/communication with external

groups working on gender, especially women’s groups?• Is the working culture of the organisation conducive to

the empowerment of women or do discriminatory attitudes and practices exist?

• Do family-friendly organizational policies exist e.g., flexible working hours, childcare?


Examples of approaches to M&E for gender results

• gender budgeting• gender audits• gender specific monitoring and evaluation • gender specific research


What is an Indicator?An indicator is a:

• fact• figure• feeling or perception • judgment

that lets you measure a change in a situation or condition and which confirms progress towards achievement of a specific result. It’s a pointer.


• it is a planning, monitoring and evaluation instrument

• use of indicators promotes measurement of results based on evidence instead of random judgment

• can have input, output, outcome, impact, risk and process indicators

• indicators can be quantitative or qualitative

What is an Indicator?


• key to gender aware M&E• sex disaggregated• measure gender related changes over time e.g.,

status, roles, access and control • qualitative and quantitative

Gender Sensitive Indicators


Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators• Quantitative indicators are numerical

measurements of change, such as the number of women receiving loans for the second time.

• Qualitative indicators are people's perceptions, such as opinions regarding changes in social status. They can, however, be quantified.

• Identifying sources of information are useful in distinguishing between quantitative and qualitative indicators.


• Qualitative measures measure longer term changes, are more detailed and are variable in content than quantitative measures

• Analysis is difficult because responses are not standardized or systematic. But the richness and depth of information far exceeds quantitative measures

• Qualitative assessments are labour intensive, hence data is expensive to collect

• It is better to use both types of indicators to complement and cross-validate each other.

Qualitative Indicators


Types of Indicators and the LFA

• Impact: a mixture of quantitative and qualitative indicators may be used.

• Outcomes: qualitative and quantitative (or qualitative information could be expressed in a quantitative format)

• Process: quantitative (e.g., between outputs and outcomes) and qualitative (e.g., perceptions and judgments)

• Outputs: quantitative

• Input: quantitative, concerns resources

• Risk: quantitative and qualitative (e.g., perceptions and judgments)


Limitations of Indicators• Project performance cannot be measured solely

in terms of performance indicators• Indicators are no substitute for sound judgment

and management of project accomplishments• Several different indicators may give conflicting

signals for the same result• Indicators are one of several M&E tools. There

are limitations to their use, particularly when there is a need to analyze social and gender processes and relationships


Limitations of Indicators

• Indicators are signals, prompting a manager to ask questions about a projects' progress, particularly why a project is succeeding or failing. Answering these questions calls for a much wider level of analysis

• Indicators are a step towards a wider analytical process; they should be developed and selected on this basis

• Indicators are only as good as the result statements (SMART), and gender analysis;

• Base line data is key


Other things about Indicators• Indicators should be limited in number. Too much

information can lead to paralysis.

• Indicators should be developed collaboratively with all the stakeholders drawing on their collective knowledge

• Indicators will initially be developed at the design stage (broad), confirmed at the inception stage (made more specific) and be continuously monitored

• The main focus of indicators through the project cycle should be on outcome indicators, because they best measure results


Selection Criteria for Indicator Development

• Validity• Usefulness• Reliability• Simple and not costly• Easily collected• Timely


Validity• Does the indicator really measure the result?• Could the indicator be affected by things other

than the result?• What are the uncertainties about how this

indicator measures result?• Do the data mean what they are thought to mean?


Will the information be useful for decision-making?

Does the information provided by the indicator meet the needs of its target audience?

Usefulness


Does the indicator permit you to measure the result over time?

Will it consistently produce the same result if it is applied repeatedly to a situation that has not changed?

Reliability


• Can you afford to measure this indicator, given the need for timely, accurate information?

• Is the information you will get worth the cost?• Could these resources be better used for other

indicators?• Does this indicator allow a relatively easy

analysis of the result?• Does it make it easy to communicate the status

of the result?

Simple and not costly


• Is the data available?• What are the data collection procedures

related to this indicator?• Can data collection, compilation and analysis

be conducted in a consistent and rigorous manner?

• Do you have people with the skills needed to collect this data?

• What equipment and/or expertise is needed?• What are the sources of information?

Ease of data collection


Will the indicator provide the information in a time frame that allows it to be useful?

If there are several actors who require the information provided by this indicator, does it meet their different timing needs?

Timeliness


Performance Measurement Framework

• planning and communication tool that outlines the what, who, when and how of monitoring (but also informs evaluation)

• key is establishing gender sensitive performance indicators


Performance Indicators

Data sources

Collection methods

Frequency/Timing Responsibility

Development Objective/Impact

Outcome

Output

Activities

Gender Aware Monitoring and Evaluation. Amsterdam, The Netherlands Presentation overview This presentation is comprised of the following sections:

Documents

gender issues project

gender equality

evaluation slide

gender aware monitoring

gender issues organizational

gender results indicators

gender balance of staff

accountability slide