During the USAID program and project design process, which includes the development of DO level Performance Management Plans (PMPs) and project-level MEL Plans, USAID staff makes a variety of commitment with respect to monitoring progress and gathering evidence about effects and outcomes. Fulfilling these commitments takes both time and resources. This section of the E3 MEL kit for trade facilitation projects includes a range of tools and templates that can make this job easier.

Monitoring and evaluation provide managers with important feedback on the appropriateness and effectiveness of program, project, and activity designs, including the way they have been implemented, and any unanticipated effects that may have emerged. This section of the kit focuses on producing and disseminating high quality monitoring and evaluation products. The following section of the kit (Using MEL to Improve Performance) helps foster learning and the utilization of MEL products once they have been created and disseminated.

Monitoring

Monitoring during evaluation involves three types of activities for which approaches and templates include in this section are designed. Highlights from the monitoring segment of this section are listed below:

• Collecting and Storing Performance Data
• Conducting Data Quality Assessments
  • Data Quality Assessment Worksheet
• Inclusive Performance Reporting

Evaluations

Evaluations undertaken during, in parallel to, or just before or after a program, project or activity ends involve four steps for which approaches and templates are also provided in this kit section including:

• Managing Evaluations
• Evaluation Dissemination Plans
• Evaluation Statement of Work (SOW)
  • Evaluation SOW Outline Template
  • Getting to Answers Matrix for Organizing Evaluation Methods
  • Evaluation SOW Review Checklist
• High Quality Evaluation Reports
  • USAID Evaluation Report Template
  • Evaluation Report Review Checklist

The utilization of monitoring and evaluation results, through learning and other follow-up activities, is the focus of the final section of this kit, under the Using MEL to Improve Performance.