Traditional monitoring and evaluation processes are typically organised around pre-defined timeframes outlined in the project documents (eg quarterly and annual reports, end of project, new project phase). Integrating conflict sensitivity into the monitoring and evaluation processes and activities may require changes in timing to relate the timing of these processes to significant aspects of the conflict profile, causes and dynamics identified by the conflict analysis.

For example, a project’s regularly scheduled monitoring work may inadvertently take place at the same time as an election or the period leading up to it, but the understanding of the local context gained from the conflict analysis may suggest that this is not appropriate (eg if there is a history of violence during election times, reliable information may be harder to obtain then than at other times). Alternatively, an evaluation trip may be scheduled to avoid monsoon rains or cold winter months in order to facilitate travel, logistics and comfort, but evaluators may then miss important aspects of human interactions and attitudes prevalent at those times and crucial to the assessment. Decisions about when to monitor and evaluate which are dictated by institutional and funding requirements should be systematically reviewed to assess the impact of the preferred timing on the context – that is, through linking the proposed timing to the conflict analysis. Such timing adjustments may prove challenging to both financial reporting requirements and funders.