Monitoring: The slow cousin of evaluation, or an equal partner?
| Author | Marc De Boer |
| Published date | 01 December 2001 |
| Date | 01 December 2001 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X0100100204 |
| Published By | Sage Publications, Inc. |
| Subject Matter | Evaluation-Monitoring |
8Evaluation Journal of Australasia, Vol. 1 (new series), No. 2, December 2001
Monitoring
The slow cousin of evaluation, or an equal partner?
Marc de Boer is Senior Research and
Evaluation Analyst with the Centre
for Operational Research and
Evaluation in the NZ Ministry of
Social Development.
Evaluators often regard monitoring as playing a
secondary and relatively simple role compared to
evaluation proper. This paper argues that this view
underestimates the potential of monitoring information in
enhancing the value of evaluative work, in particular to
increase the ‘half-life’ of evaluation findings. Moreover, it
suggests the possibility of a more dynamic interchange
between monitoring and evaluation. Specifically,
monitoring complements the fragmented and ad-hoc
nature of evaluation work, so that the process of
monitoring presents an opportunity to develop a
framework within which individual evaluations can exist.
Drawing on program logic and CMO theory, the key to
this interchange is to build of systematic body of
knowledge and theory that drives, and is in turn informed
by, evaluation and monitoring. The work within the
Department of Work and Income New Zealand provides
an example of an attempt at implementing such a
framework.
Marc de Boer
Introduction
Over the past 25 years, two approaches have emerged to provide empirical
information to decision makers on the effectiveness of social programs. One is
evaluation, which uses principles of social science research to assess the concept,
design and implementation of programs (Rossi & Freeman 1994). The other is
monitoring1, which provides decision-makers with timely information on a program’s
progress, often against set goals or benchmarks.
Several authors within the discipline of evaluation have raised concerns over the
apparent independence of these two approaches and how they often come into
conflict within the decision-making process (Bernstein 1999; Blalock 1999). The
challenge these authors pose is how to marry the different information approaches of
evaluation and monitoring. This paper shows one attempt, focussing particularly on
the contribution that monitoring can make in the generation of organisational
knowledge.
evaluation – monitoring
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting