VC M&E Module 1 - Clients of the M&E System

VALUE CHAIN MONITORING AND EVALUATION GUIDE

MODULE 1

M&E System Client Mapping

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GETTING STARTED

OBJECTIVE OF MODULE 1

• Enable CARE teams and partners to identify and prioritize the people or groups that will use information generated by the measurement system.

• Who are M&E System Clients?

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GETTING STARTEDOVERVIEW

Provide information useful to both internal and external clients

Internal Clients External ClientsPurposes Project management, decision

making and planning, integration with other CARE interventions, partner engagement, impact group participation, ensure accountability.

Hold projects accountable for funds, gauge return on investment, determine the effectiveness of development programming, assess achievement of development objectives, decide whether or not to initiate or scale a partnership with the project.

Frequency

Ongoing (Weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc)

Periodic (e.g., every 6-12 months)

Timeframe

Short- and Medium-term Medium- and long-term

Type Quantitative, Qualitative Quantitative (primarily), Qualitative

Formality Formal (Standardized measurement)

Informal (Non-standardized measurement)

Formal (Standardized)

Accuracy Reasonable accuracy Precise accuracyFlexibility Highly flexible in methods

appliedLess flexible in methods applied

Attribution

Expect information to establish plausible attribution

Expect information to establish more scientific attribution

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Flip chart paper

Large note cards

Markers

Tape or ‘sticky stuff’

MATERIALS / INPUTS RECOMMENDED

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

1

•IDENTIFY THE CLIENTS

2

•PRIORITIZE THE KEY CLIENTS

3

•UNDERSTAND THE KEY CLIENTS AND MAP THEIR INFORMATION NEEDS

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 1

PurposeBy identifying the clients we will know who are affected by the project, who have influence or power over it, and who have an interest in its success.

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 1

IDENTIFY THE CLIENTS

Internal Clients External Clients

Project managers Donors

Project staff Value chain actors

Implementing partners Participants (Target groups, impact groups)

Sub-grantees Local communities and community leaders

Country office Business associations

Program managers Community-based organizations

CARE HQ Local and national government officials

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 1

• Engage the participants in a brainstorming exercise to list as many potential clients as possible, both internal and external.

• Add each client to an individual note card (preferably a big one) and make a stack of them

COMPLETING STEP 1

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

1

•IDENTIFY THE CLIENTS

2

•PRIORITIZE THE KEY CLIENTS

3

•UNDERSTAND THE KEY CLIENTS AND MAP THEIR INFORMATION NEEDS

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 2

Purpose•By categorizing clients on 2-by-2 matrix, we will be able to prioritize them by influence and relevance

•How do we measure influence?

•How do we measure relevance?

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 2PRIORITIZE THE KEY CLIENTS

KEEP SATISFIEDUnderstand the key interests of these clients and ensure you keep them informed of

any significant changes (positive or negative) or

potential challenges on those issues.

MANAGE CLOSELYThese are the highest priority

clients of the M&E system. They are central to achieving

your goals and their information needs – including the channels through which the access information and

the formats it comes in – will serve as the focus for the

M&E design process.

LIGHTLY MONITORThese clients are those that may like to know about the

project but do not necessarily need to know about the project. Typically, your

communications to other M&E clients can ensure you reach

this audience without spending too much time on it.

KEEP INFORMEDThese clients need to be kept

adequately informed. They can often help inform tactics and often represent actors you are trying to influence

(firms beyond your partners, local government agencies,

etc.) to get them more engaged in the project.

Relevance

High

Low

High

Influence

Low

Assign influence and relevance to each client as per the grid below:

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 2

COMPLETING STEP 2

• Create 2-by-2 grid on the wall using masking tape.

• Participants place the index cards with potential clients on the grid base on the level of priority.

• Facilitate a discussion and remain open to changes in client prioritization.

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

1 •IDENTIFY THE CLIENTS

2 •PRIORITIZE THE KEY CLIENTS

3 •UNDERSTAND THE KEY CLIENTS AND MAP THEIR INFORMATION NEEDS

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PurposeAfter this step, we will know:

•More about clients’ specific information needs and expectations.

•How best to engage the key clients and communicate with them.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 3

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 3COMPLETING STEP 3

1. Divide key M&E clients (High/High) among small groups.2. Each group answers the following questions about each key client:

PurposeWhy does the

client want information about the project?

Timeframe Is the client interested in short-term,

medium-term, long-term?

AttributionTo what degree does the client expect or need the data to be able to definitively attribute measured results to project interventions? Do they need scientific accuracy or ‘plausible’ attribution?

FrequencyHow

frequently does the

client expect /

need information?

FormalityHow formal do the

information and the information collection

tools need to be?

Type What types of information? Qualitative?

Quantitative? Both?

FlexibilityWhen considering

methods, how flexible will the client be?

Accuracy What degree

of accuracy does

the client expect

or need?

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: STEP 3COMPLETING STEP 3 (cont.)

3. Results are presented and agreement reached on each key client’s information needs and expectations. 4. The blank table provided at the end of the guide is used to capture the information.5. A completed table from the ADAPT project in Zambia on the next slide provides an example of this exercise.

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CASE EXAMPLEIllustrative M&E Client Map from the CARE Zambia

ADAPT ProjectCriteria AGRA Donors Input Suppliers Project StaffMACO Field

StaffAgro Dealers

Purpose

Accountability

Fundraising

Decision making on program scale up & other investments

Decision making on funds allocation

Create interest & buy-in in future projects

Build confidence and credibility

Planning

Marketing

Product stocking & re-ordering

Area to service

Decision making

Reporting

Feedback

Planning

Research

Extension services

Improve business

Provide better service to farmers

Enhanced network & linkages

FrequencySemi-annual

Monthly updates

Periodic Irregular Ongoing Quarterly Ongoing

TimeframeMedium-term

Long-term

Medium-term

Long-term

Short-term Short-term

Medium-term

Short-term

Medium-term

Short-term (info)

Long-term (vision)

Type

Quantitative (data sheets)

Qualitative (human stories, pictures)

Quantitative (provide proof, show results & success)

Quantitative

Qualitative

Quantitative

Qualitative

Quantitative Qualitative

Formality

Formal (semi-annual) Informal (monthly)

Formal (proposals)

Informal (info sharing & dialogue)

*Depends on relationship with donor

Depends on use Formal

Informal

Formal Informal

Flexibility

Inflexible (semi-annual)

Flexible (monthly)

Less flexible (baseline & mandatory indicators)

*Depends on project stage

More flexible Very flexible on some

Less flexible on others

More flexible Very flexible

Accuracy

High accuracy (semi-annual)

Reasonably accuracy (informal)

Higher accuracy (formal)

*Unknown donor or proposal

Reasonable accuracy

Depends on type of information

Reasonable accuracy

Reasonable accuracy

Attribution

High attribution Preference for scientific accuracy but plausible attribution acceptable

Attribution not important

Attribution important but not always necessary

NA (report on outputs only)

Plausible attribution

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COMMON PITFALLS

Discuss what problems the following pitfalls may cause:

•Projects do not prioritize clients nor try to understand their unique information needs.

•Projects fail to consider internal clients and their information needs and how those needs differ with external clients’.

•Projects often develop M&E systems with a single client in mind—the donor, so as to satisfy external accountability requirements.

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TEMPLATES AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

M&E Client Prioritization Matrix

KEEP SATISFIED.

MANAGE CLOSELY

LIGHTLY MONITOR KEEP INFORMED

Relevance

HighLow

High

Influence

Low

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TEMPLATES AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Criteria Client Client Client Client Client Client

Purpose

Frequency

Timeframe

Type

Formality

Flexibility

Accuracy

Attribution

Client Information Needs Worksheet

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QUESTIONS?

COMMENTS?

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Multiple ways to continue the discussion and continue learning:• Initiate a monthly session on the M&E guide

and case studies from across CARE. Contact [email protected]

• Join the Market Engagement Community of Practice on LinkedIn.

• Join a task force to review and refine the universal indicators. Contact [email protected]

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