Monitoring and Evaluation Services in East Africa

1. What is the difference between monitoring and evaluation?

Monitoring is the ongoing, systematic collection and analysis of data to track program implementation and progress toward objectives. It answers ‘Are we doing things right?’ Evaluation is the periodic assessment of program relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. It answers ‘Are we doing the right things?’ Both are complementary and essential for evidence-based program management.

2. How long does an M&E assignment typically take?

Timeline varies by scope and complexity. Baseline or endline surveys typically require 2-4 months (inception, data collection, analysis, reporting). Mid-term evaluations may take 1.5-3 months. M&E framework design can be completed in 4-8 weeks. Impact evaluations with rigorous designs may require 6-12 months. We provide detailed timelines during proposal development.

3. Do you work with small NGOs or only large donors?

We work with organizations of all sizes—from small local NGOs to large international donors. We offer flexible engagement models and can scale our services to match available budgets. For smaller organizations, we can provide targeted M&E support such as framework design, training, or streamlined evaluations that meet core needs without unnecessary complexity.

4. What sectors do you have experience evaluating?

Our team has evaluated programs across multiple sectors including health (HIV/AIDS, maternal health, malaria), education (primary, secondary, TVET), agriculture and food security, governance and accountability, economic development and livelihoods, water and sanitation, humanitarian response, gender equality, and climate adaptation. We bring sector specialists for each assignment.

5. Can you conduct evaluations in remote or conflict-affected areas?

Yes. We have extensive experience conducting M&E in challenging environments including Northern Uganda, Karamoja, South Sudan conflict zones, and refugee settlements. We employ context-appropriate methodologies including remote monitoring, third-party verification, and security risk management protocols. Our field teams are trained in conflict-sensitive approaches and Do No Harm principles.

6. Do you provide M&E capacity building and training?

Absolutely. We offer customized M&E training for program staff covering M&E fundamentals, Theory of Change development, indicator selection, data collection methodology, analysis techniques, and using M&E for learning. Training can be delivered as standalone workshops or embedded within evaluation assignments. We also provide ongoing mentorship and technical support to strengthen organizational M&E capacity.

7. What data collection tools and technologies do you use?

We utilize digital data collection platforms (ODK, KoBoToolbox, SurveyCTO, CommCare) for efficient and accurate data gathering. For analysis, we use SPSS, Stata, R for quantitative work and NVivo, Atlas.ti for qualitative analysis. We create interactive dashboards using Power BI and Tableau. All tools are selected based on project requirements, with consideration for offline functionality in low-connectivity areas.

8. How do you ensure data quality and reliability?

We employ multi-level quality assurance including rigorous enumerator training and piloting of tools, built-in validation checks in digital surveys, daily data review during collection, field supervision and spot checks, data triangulation from multiple sources, consistency checks and outlier analysis, and independent verification of key findings. All processes are documented in detailed quality assurance protocols.

9. Can you help us design an M&E system from scratch?

Yes, this is one of our core services. We work with organizations to develop comprehensive M&E systems including Theory of Change, Logical Framework, indicator definitions, data collection tools and protocols, M&E plan and budget, and information management systems. We use participatory approaches to ensure buy-in and sustainability. The process typically takes 6-12 weeks depending on program complexity.

10. What deliverables can we expect from an evaluation?

Standard deliverables include inception report with methodology, clean datasets in multiple formats (SPSS, Excel, Stata), comprehensive evaluation report (draft and final), executive summary and presentation slides, data visualization and infographics, and stakeholder dissemination workshops. We also provide all data collection tools, raw transcripts, and documentation. Deliverable packages are customized to meet specific donor and organizational requirements.