Results Matter June 2007
Online Discussion on Readiness Assessment for Results-Based Monitoring and
Evaluation
By Aldalyn Nada-Bere, Results Management Officer, SPRU
and Therese Ng, Consultant, SPRU
Community members at one of the CoP’s face-to-face eventsThe first online discussion of the Community
of Practice on Managing for Development Results (CoP-MfDR), focused on Enabling
Environment and Readiness Assessment For Results-Based M&E, ran from March
to May of this year. The topic is the first part of the 2007 discussion series
on “Establishing a Results-Based M&E System in Asia-Pacific.”
This umbrella theme was agreed upon by the CoP members who attended the action
planning meeting held in late 2006 in Singapore.
Online Participation
Twenty-four CoP members from 9 countries (Bangladesh, People’s Republic
of China, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the
United States) participated in the 3-month discussion, resulting in over 70
messages on the subject. Majority of the participants were working-level practitioners
of M&E in their countries and generously shared country practice, progress,
challenges, and opinions.
Ray Rist, results-based M&E expert, led the discussion. Community members
were also given access to the e-file of Mr. Rist’s popular book, Ten
Steps to a Results-Based M&E System.
Discussion Themes
The discussion centered on the following themes:
• Defining results-based monitoring and evaluation (RB-M&E)
• Traditional M&E and RB-M&E
• Incentive and political will for moving toward an RB M&E system
• Enabling environment for RB-M&E
• Process to establish the RB-M&E system in Asia
• Readiness assessment tools and reports
• Good practices in RB-M&E systems
In Viet Nam, we want to build a results-based M&E system to enhance government
agencies' transparency and responsibility. However, we are concerned about our
readiness. If compared with the steps and questions you proposed in Chapter
1 of your book, we have just answered some requirements. Should we then apply
a results- based M&E system in all ministries, sectors and provincial agencies
in parallel with strengthening organizations and government's capacity and organization
reform? Or it will only be an experimental application until the readiness level
is maximized, and then we extend to all over the country?
—Nguyen Thi Phu Ha, Viet Nam
I am not suggesting a “whole of government” approach to implementation.
Start small, start with your allies who want this change, and build on small
successes. There will be some part of the government that will be slow to accept
results-based management for political reasons or lack of capacity. So be strategic,
pick allies to work with, and go from there. You do not have to wait until all
preconditions are met. But you need to meet enough pre-conditions so that you
do not fail as soon as you start. The two that you have to have are political
will and champions. Without these two, you can go nowhere on a sustainable basis.
—Ray Rist
For more information or to participate, log on to http://cop-mfdr.adb.org
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