Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a critical component of IndII given the strategic importance of the programme in delivering financial and technical assistance to address infrastructure constraints, promote greater access to infrastructure facilities and services, and ensuring sound development outcomes.
The IndII M&E Framework (MEF) has recently been updated and strengthened for the four–year Phase II of IndII. The update the IndII MEF seeks is to collect trustworthy and authentic evidence through qualitative and quantitative processes, and typical of most M&E processes, is influenced by the expectations and demands of stakeholders. Despite this, the IndII MEF remains relatively robust in aligning development outcomes to defined facility goals and objectives and a standardised activity-reporting framework.
The major shift has been the introduction of sector specific logic models to aid in planning and coordinating programmes and activities towards common end goals. This approach has assisted technical groups within IndII to identify suitable and appropriate measures to guide implementation and measure impacts and results. The IndII M&E approach utilises a range of qualitative and quantitative data and information supported by in-depth baseline studies. This evidence base provides a more robust and comprehensive approach upon which to derive conclusions and make evidence-based M&E decisions.
An activity level reporting framework remains but is supported by a broader level facility approach which contains thematic areas (policy, partnership, access and governance) along with specific evaluation questions aimed at demonstrating practical result and progress towards IndII objectives.
Activity level M&E involves developing an Activity Design Document with an associated logic model that links specific activity level objectives and outcomes that link to the sector’s end outcomes. This is the link between the activity and facility level M&E. IndII reporting is primarily set at the activity level with additional M&E support (International M&E Adviser and Independent Assessment Team) providing secondary support to measure impacts at the facility level using defined evaluation methodologies (case studies and evaluations).
The IndII MEF is a relatively simple approach aimed at collecting valuable data that can be consolidated into key findings, primarily through case studies and that also feeds into the six-monthly Facility Review and Plan Document (FRPD). The FRPD is a critical report provided to the Technical Team, the Board, as well as AusAID. The information contained from an M&E perspective is derived from the reporting and evaluation processes undertaken during the course of the year.
