Training on Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment of Policies, Programs, and Projects

Introduction to The Course

Learn how to measure success and report on results, relevance, and effectiveness of a project, program, or public policy that aims to bring about a positive change in the well-being or conditions of a target population. You will also gain practical knowledge on how to measure improvements based on predefined indicators.

As a project or development worker and public-sector manager, you need to create monitoring and evaluation systems. Such systems make it possible to learn from experience and improve program and project performance.

Monitoring and evaluation is, therefore, an essential function for all organizations, programs, and projects, and consequently international and public-sector organizations have for several years been investing in the creation of such structures.

To meet the need for such a requirement of specialist knowledge in this field, Houston Executive Consulting is offering a training program that provides all the technical skills and tools required to ensure effective monitoring of projects and programs and to manage the various evaluations that are part of the programming cycle.

Participants will be empowered to measure change based on indicators and analyze whether the change can be attributed to the development intervention using a variety of techniques, including approaches based on qualitative or quantitative data

Who attends this training?

Monitoring and evaluation specialists; project coordinators; program managers; independent evaluators; donor staff appraising and evaluating projects and programs; non-governmental organization officials involved in monitoring and evaluating

This training program is also intended for technical specialists responsible for monitoring and evaluating, as well as officials from government ministries, and NGOs, and other decision-makers involved in the design and evaluation of public policies. It is also suitable for consultants, the research community involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of development programs.

What topics does this course cover?

• Results-based management
• Monitoring, reporting, and control
• Risk management
• Evaluation of development programs and projects
• Monitoring and evaluation system, methodologies, tools, and techniques
• Evaluations of development cooperation impacts: the recurring dilemma of attribution versus contribution
• Quantitative and qualitative approaches to impact evaluations
• Experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluation design
• Contribution, correlation, and longitudinal studies to evaluate the impact
• Methods of data collection, processing, and analysis for impact evaluations
• Managing and utilizing the impact evaluation for decision making and development of new knowledge
• Economic analysis (cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses).

What you’ll learn

• A body of knowledge on theories of and approaches used to conduct impact evaluations of public policies, development programs, and projects
• Methodologies and approaches to design impact evaluation using both: qualitative and quantitative data-based design
• Criteria to decide which is the most appropriate impact evaluation methodology
• A process to plan, operationalize, budget, and manage an impact evaluation.
• Theories of and approaches to monitoring and evaluation
• The linkages between the monitoring, reporting, control, audit, research, and evaluation
• All about the components of successful monitoring and evaluation system, and how to create one
• Methodologies, tools, and techniques to run a monitoring and evaluation system

What will I be able to do after the training?

• By the end of the training program, you will be able to work better with colleagues to access new resources, hone your skills, and apply them at your workplace:
• Identify and engage relevant stakeholders throughout the impact evaluation process using technical and soft skills
• Select the most appropriate impact evaluation methodology to respond to the unique context of the intervention and to the prevailing constraints of data, time and money, and context.
• Design a customized impact evaluation scheme for the unique context of a development intervention of your choice.
• Build an operational plan to conduct the impact evaluation
• Collect, process, and analyze data to evaluate impact using quantitative and qualitative approaches
• Use impact evaluation results for informing decision-making and economic analyses.
• Engage stakeholders through managerial and soft skills
• Build an M&E plan
• Design empirical project evaluation
• Evaluate impact using quantitative and qualitative approaches
• Develop a communication plan to share results, recommendations, and emerging practices

Why you should join

Houston Executive Consulting is Uganda’s leading provider of industry-recognized certificate training programs. For this particular training programs, there are many benefits including:

• Data analysis and evaluation skills are essential to professionals working in the public and development sectors.
• Employers that sponsor participants obtain the possibility to create an impact evaluation scheme for one of their development interventions.
• Successful Participants receive a professional certification attesting their capacity to effectively design and conduct impact evaluation.
• The program was developed and is implemented by evaluation experts and practitioners, researchers, and development cooperation managers.
• Participatory activities include self-guided modules, webinars, online forums, practical assignments, individualized coaching, and tutoring.
• Participants get permanent access to the e-Campus portal on impact evaluation, training material, and references.
• Monitoring and evaluation skills are essential to professionals working in development.
• Employers that sponsor participants obtain new or revised monitoring and evaluation plans through the course for their organization.
• Successful Participants receive a professional certification attesting their capacity to effectively monitor and evaluate projects and programs.
• The program was developed and is implemented by monitoring and evaluation experts and practitioners.
• Participatory activities include self-guided modules, webinars, an online forum, practical assignments, coaching, and tutoring.
• Participants get permanent access to the training material and a monitoring and evaluation toolkit.

​Detailed Themes

• General concepts and considerations for evaluation
• Selecting the right approach and methodologies to design an impact evaluation
• A step-by-step approach to designing an impact evaluation
• Conceptualization of the impact evaluation scheme: purpose, scope, impact evaluation questions, and methodology
• Plan and use data collection methods and data management in the context of impact evaluations
• Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to assess program or project intervention causality
• Organizing the impact evaluation: contracting and managing consultants
• Reporting, dissemination, and use of impact evaluation conclusions
• Engaging stakeholders in impact evaluations

Summary

Many organizations are looking for competent M&E Experts for impact evaluations for their various projects across the country the world. Training Course in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Impact Assessment is an essential step towards a better career. Please join us for Training on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Impact Assessment of Policies, Programs, and Projects in Uganda.