Project Monitoring And Evaluation In Agriculture

Monitoring and evaluation: a management perspective; Monitoring and the management information system; Monitoring of physical and financial progress; Beneficiary contact monitoring; Follow-up diagnostic studies for monitoring; Communicating information; Evaluation: substantive focus and types; Measurement of production increases: methods and limitations; Special topics in impact evaluation.

The handbook has been prepared in conjunction with Guidelines for the Design of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for Agriculture and Rural Development Projects. In the Guidelines, issues of significance to the establishment and operation of such systems are introduced without elaboration: this handbook provides further discussion of these issues and sets out recommendations for dealing with them.

This book is written for students taking courses in monitoring and evaluation both in college and at the university .The outstanding feature of the book lies in its organization. The chapters are arranged in chronological sequence to correspond to the classic steps in monitoring and evaluation systems. By looking at the monitoring and evaluation steps, the reader is presented with a logical & integrated framework. The principles and ideas expressed herein are relevant to any monitoring and evaluation programme.

The paper provides guidelines for managers and technical staff in extension agencies who plan, organize, implement and utilize monitoring activities and, when necessary, subsequent evaluations. It defines the information needs of extension managers, discusses administrative and logistic requirements, and reviews techniques for data collection, analysis, presentation and dissemination which experience has shown to be realistic and timely for extension agencies. The Training and Visit approach to agricultural extension services facilitates the organization and utilization of a monitoring system because of its detailed work programs, intensive training and supervision of field agents, and systematic feedback from the farmers to management. The paper focuses on extension agencies using the T & V approach but is of general application for any extension method.