Target Participants

This training is designed for professionals in projects/programs who want to apply GIS to improve their monitoring and evaluation systems.

What you will learn

By the end of the course the learner should be able to:

• Gain an understanding of key concepts in M&E and GIS
• Appreciate the new technologies being adopted in project monitoring and evaluation
• Learn about the working of M&E information management systems
• Learn how to collect data using mobile phones and GPS
• Learn how to integrate existing M&E data with GIS
• Learn how to analyze and visualize M&E data with the aid of GIS techniques
• Learn how to integrate GIS into M&E activities

Course duration

10 days (two weeks)

Course Outline

Module 1

Introduction to Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation

• Definition of monitoring, learning, and evaluation
• Why monitoring, learning, and evaluation are important
• Key principles and concepts in monitoring, learning, and evaluation
• Monitoring, learning, and evaluation processes

Results-Based Management

• Introduction to a results-based management approach
• Steps in results-based management
• Application of results-based management in project design
• Understanding the results chain approach

Project Analysis

• Problem analysis
• Objectives analysis
• Strategy analysis

Module 2

Project Logic Design

• Introduction to problem analysis
• Understanding M&E causal pathway
• Developing the project results levels: goal, outcomes, and output
• Formulating activities

Project Indicators

• Indicator development
• Predefined indicators
• Linking indicators to results in programs
• Indicator matrix
• Program indicator performance tracking

Completing the M&E Tools

• Completing the logical framework
• Developing a theory of change
• Completing the performance measurement framework

Project Monitoring

• Types of monitoring
• Monitoring strategies
• Tools for monitoring and performance measurement

Module 3 

M&E Reporting

• Introduction to reporting
• Key elements in progress reporting
• Reporting schedules

M&E Plan

• Introduction to M&E system and M&E Plan
• Components of the M&E Plan
• Developing the M&E Plan
• Implementing the M&E plan

Baseline Studies in Results-based M&E

• Importance of baseline studies
• Process of conducting baseline studies
• Baseline study vs evaluation

Module 4 

Project Evaluations

• Introduction to project evaluation
• Types of evaluations
• Process of conducting evaluation
• Project evaluation criteria
• Developing evaluation questions
• Developing evaluation matrix
• Evaluation Reporting

Overview of Impact Evaluation

• Introduction to impact evaluation
• Project attribution for the outcome of interest
• Impact evaluation designs

Module 5 

Reporting in M&E

• Reporting on progress toward outcomes to stakeholders and participatory dissemination.
• Communication activities to partners and stakeholders
• Lessons learned
• Key activities and results that need planning
• Using the information for the action-learning process and reporting 

Learning in M&E

• Introduction to learning
• Documentation of lessons learned and best practices
• Use of learning to improve and strengthen projects
• M&E Results dissemination

Module 6

Introduction to GIS and remote sensing software

• Software for GIS
• GIS system installation and setup
• Data sources and types in GIS 

Spatial data collection techniques

• Using GPS
• Using GPS utility software for managing and downloading and managing data
• Working with data from different sources
• Attributes manipulation in GIS
• Using Mobile Phones for GIS data collection
• Importing GPS data to Quantum GIS 

Key Options of Geospatial Data Representations

• Data and layout view
• Layer order and transparency
• Symbology and label
• Annotations

Module 7 

Visualizing project data

• Understand map layers in GIS
• Composing a GIS layout from GIS layers
• Difference between a map and a layout
• Navigate maps
• Bringing tabular/spreadsheet data into a GIS (Excel, SPSS, Access etc)
• Connecting visual map features and tabular data
• Selecting subsets of map features from geo processing
• Finding map features
• Use data sorting records and labeling features to produce information
• Key elements of a map
• Composing a map
• Case study 

Module 8 

GIS and GPS for M&E

• Integrating M&E and geographic information systems (GIS)
• Deciding if M&E -GIS is appropriate for specific projects
• Developing an M&E -GIS system for projects
• Creating maps supporting monitoring and evaluation systems
• Defining the data requirements and key indicators
• Defining the data collection process
• Designing and creating the data input table
• Map making; Creating the thematic map

Module 9 

Styling geographical features

• Basic vector styling
• Basic raster styling
• Raster mosaicing and clipping 

Producing final map

• Spatial Analysis
• Point pattern analysis
• Heatmap in QGIS
• Graduated point map
• Density maps
• Offset point location

Module 10 

Buffer and Join analysis

• Spatial join
• Table join
• Spatial query

M&E-GIS data system and Reporting

• Updating data in the M&E-GIS system
• Getting periodic reports from the field
• Preparing monitoring and evaluation reports /communicating results
• Preparing the working project reporting maps
• Case study