As you create an M&E plan and system, it is helpful to consider your capacity, including leadership, staffing and competencies, data management systems and financial resources.
Measure Evaluation offers a set of tools (also available in Spanish) that guide organizations through a process to assess your current (M&E) capacity, identify gaps and plan ways to strengthen their M&E systems. With the Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Assessment Toolkit (MECAT), you can identify weaknesses in your current M&E capacity, establish the actions that need to be taken to address the gaps and weaknesses, and assign a point person to be responsible for each action. From the above link, click on either individual or group assessment to open an Excel spreadsheet that guides you through the assessment. This tool is designed specifically for the health system but could be adapted to other sectors.
In order to build an organization’s internal capacity for M&E, here are a few resources for professional development:
Philanthropy University offers a free online course to the basics of monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Learners who complete this free online M&E course are eligible to receive a Certificate of Achievement through the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Haas).
The Evaluators Institute (TEI) offers training in evaluation for beginning, mid-career, and advanced evaluation professionals
Humentum (formerly InsideNGO) offers a variety of training program, including monitoring and evaluation, around the globe.
The Claremont Evaluation Center provides onsite and online practical and theoretical training workshops in evaluation and applied research.
If you find that your organization does not have the internal capacity for M&E, click here to learn more about hiring a consultant.
