Evaluation

Evaluation Capacity Development
Strengthening Results Monitoring and Evaluation in the Philippines

Lessons Identified

• Level of commitment. A TA of this magnitude and strategic importance should be negotiated with the highest executive authority of both implementing agencies in government and the operations department in ADB. TA objectives must match time, resources, staff support, and policy commitments required to attain these.
• Two-stage TA input. To ensure quality at entry, a comparable organizational/policy reform TA should use a phased approach with initial assessment and planning followed by implementation.
• Conceptual complexity of Logical Framework and indicator development. There is need for an authoritative “forum” or focal point to review cases in doubt as logical framework terminology is full of differences, points of view, and “schools of thought”.
• Additional reports and monitoring and evaluation (M&E), especially on a regional basis, are not popular with project management. Results monitoring and evaluation must be “sold” on its value to management as basis for internal M&E, including financial monitoring, and for external reporting. In adopting results monitoring and evaluation, it would be better to introduce it in new projects.
• Review of Logical Frameworks. Critical review of logical frameworks at start-up and during implementation is important. The same is true for regular monitoring of assumptions and risks at every stage of implementation. Institutional preconditions not met at project start-up and even to a certain extent during implementation that adversely affect compliance with targets should be identified.
• Future assistance to the National Economic Development Authority on official development assistance programming and monitoring. This needs to start with an assessment of actual organization and functional set-up, more than the mandated functions.