The purpose of the M&E seminar is to provide a practical, skill-based introduction to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for international development programming. This seminar is tailored for IDEV students in preparation for their summer field-based internships. It will introduce common program monitoring and measurement practices, including participatory techniques. Students will gain skills in selecting, designing, and using common M&E tools such as logical frameworks, design matrices, and results frameworks to meet program needs and standards of validity, reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness. Through the readings and classroom activities, the course will provide insight into how these methodological choices and the selection of indicators influence the strength of our understanding about program success and the interpretation of results.
The seminar will employ a combination of in-class exercises, plenary discussion, and presentation to practice new skills, to review and compare the M&E practices of major donors, and to critically assess examples of good and bad practice.