Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluating for Results

This publication aims to support the use of monitoring and evaluation of development results. It is intended to support United Nations Development Program (UNDP) country offices in aligning their monitoring and evaluation systems with a results-based management methodology, specifically in tracking and measuring the performance of UNDP interventions and strategies and their contributions to outcomes. The monitoring and evaluation framework contained in this handbook was guided by three objectives: to align the monitoring and evaluation system with results-based management; to promote evaluative knowledge and learning around results; and to simplify policies and procedures. It aims to provide simple, flexible and forward-looking tools.

The Handbook is organised as follows:

• Part I presents the conceptual and operational framework for monitoring and evaluation in a results-based context. It introduces the elements of the new framework, defines the key concepts of outcome monitoring and outcome evaluation, and delineates their scope and purposes.
• Part II is the main body of the Handbook, intended for daily use. It provides practical guidance on the planning, organisation and conduct of monitoring and evaluation processes focused on development results (outcomes and outputs). It provides approaches and methods that can be used to measure performance through monitoring and evaluation. The corresponding tools are featured in annexes.
• Part III discusses performance measurement and the use of indicators in monitoring and evaluation.
• Part IV addresses the role of evaluative evidence for organisational learning and knowledge management.
• The Annex includes samples and optional, flexible formats for selected monitoring and evaluation tools, such as sample terms of reference and an annotated outline for an outcome-level evaluation report, which will be available electronically for easy adaptation. Also in the annex are the glossary, a list of acronyms and a bibliography.

All users of this handbook are encouraged to provide feedback on the publication as well as lessons learned from experience to the Evaluation Office of the UNDP, to help continually improve the monitoring and evaluation framework.

Click here to download the handbook by chapter in English, French or Spanish.