Monitoring and Evaluation

One of the key challenges of working on conflict sensitivity is the question of how to monitor and evaluate it. This is essentially a new field, and the project aims to take an experimental approach to identifying options for effective conflict sensitivity M&E. Questions to relate to understanding what to monitor and evaluate when trying to determine how conflict sensitive a programme / project is, and what indicators to use to measure and understand the impact of conflict sensitivity integration into a programme / project. The task of innovating around M&E has been rolled into the implementation pilots so that as well as being innovative projects, these will also test out innovative ways of monitoring and evaluating conflict sensitivity.

The pilot teams in Kenya and Sierra Leone are each working on designing M&E systems and specific indicators to be tested during the pilot implementation. Full sessions of the launch capacity-building workshops have been dedicated to the M&E system development, with exercises notably focused on identifying possible indicators for the level of conflict-sensitivity of the project, interaction between project and context, and impact of CSA inclusion. This work has proven very challenging for consortium members and pilot teams, but has also confirmed the importance of focusing on M&E issues in relation to CSA.

To move forward, the decision has been made to establish a cross-consortia working group, which is mandated to develop a common M&E framework and guidelines for the pilots. This will be taken on and adapted by pilot teams in each country with the continuing support of the group. One of the main overall principles agredd on across the focus countries is to integrate conflict sensitivity M&E as part of the existing project M&E systems rather than as a seperate add-on. Based on the project analysis and the project M&E framework, conflict sensitive (interation) indicators will be introduced at each project output level to document and evaluate the application of CSA and its impact on the project and context.

We look forward to sharing our findings with you in the near future.