Book Review: Title: Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks
| DOI | 10.1177/1035719X1601600306 |
| Date | 01 September 2016 |
| Published date | 01 September 2016 |
| Author | Lyn Alderman |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
42 Evaluation Journal of Australasia Vol 16 | No 3 | 2016
UNESCO heralded 2015 as the International Year of Evaluation
spearheading a global interest in program evaluation. In Australia,
government agencies have always been interested in understanding
the impact of international aid programs and the new Enhanced
Commonwealth Performance Framework (Australian Government
Department of Finance, 2015) signals a similar keen interest in the impact
of commonwealth entities. As with any movement and growth of interest
in understanding complex contexts surrounding an issue with variable
elements, the literature is a solid source of knowledge.
This book, Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks by
Markiewicz and Patrick, oers evaluators and evaluation theorists an
evaluation-focused approach to the topic. In my role at a university my
portfolio covers both quality assurance and evaluation. There is growing
awareness that these fields are moving closer together as evidenced by the
new education criteria for accountancy courses in Australia to include skill
development in evaluation.
Given this changing context, Markiewicz and Patrick have crafted a
book that supports an evaluation lens that is inclusive of quality assurance
– or monitoring – and evaluation. The approach is from the evaluation
standpoint with the performance indicators developed to support the
evaluation questions. As I know from my experience at a large institution,
it is incredibly convenient to start with the performance indicators you have
and build a framework that utilises what exists. Whereas, the authors are
recommending and supporting a more cohesive approach to build your
evaluation framework, utilising existing data sources and where appropriate
designing new ones.
When I was invited to deliver a unit Evaluative Thinking and Practice
this year, I listed this book as a required text. My student cohort were
all employed within the nonprofit sector, undertaking a Master of
Business (Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies) (Queensland University
of Technology), and interested in developing their capacity in program
evaluation. As you can imagine, every student came with dierent
educational and employment experiences and were interested in very
dierent programs ranging from sporting fundraising events to facility
evaluation for disabled students and intervention programs for the long-
term unemployed. I found that this book was supportive of these program
evaluation topics, oered a structured approach to those new to evaluation
and confirmed to the postgraduate students that each evaluation, while
dierent, can be approached in a structured way.
Chapter 1 Introduction to developing monitoring and evaluation
frameworks and Chapter 2 Foundation concepts set the scene for the
conception framework of the book, its overall intent and foundations of
the topic. The tables that lay out the text structure were extremely useful
in providing signposts for what to expect in each chapter. Chapter 3 First
steps: Scoping the monitoring and evaluation framework, stakeholder
mapping and evaluation capacity building and Chapter 4 Program theory
and program logic as a foundation for the monitoring and evaluation
framework lay out the critical elements of monitoring and evaluation
n Authors
Anne Markiewicz, Ian Patrick
n Publisher/year
Sage Publications Inc, 2016
n Extent/type
312 pages, paperback
n Price
AUS$71.00/NZ$73.04 Footprint Books which
oers a 15% discount to AES members;
phone 1300 260 090 (within Australia) or
+61 2 9997 3973 (from outside Australia),
email
info@footprint.com.au
or visit the
website
http://www.footprint.com.au
for the
latest prices.
n ISBN 9781483358338
Title: Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks
BOOK REVIEW Evaluation Journal of Australasia Vol 16 | No 3 | 2016 | pp. 42–43
Reviewed by Lyn Alderman
Associate Director,
Academic Quality and Standards
Chancellery, Queensland University of
Technology
Email:
lyn.alderman@qut.edu.au
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