Step 2:
Discuss creating the new system with development partners, national staff, and the M&E TWG
Development partners have agreed to use country-level M&E systems. This implies that once a national routine monitoring system is functional, they should draw their data from it instead of instituting parallel monitoring systems. These partners need to be aware of the purpose of developing one harmonized system and need to be informed of the development timetable so that they can participate in discussions and agreements about how to collect the necessary data. Discussing the creation of the new system with development partners at this early stage will also help prevent a scenario in which they do not buy into the new system or keep their own systems once the new system is operational. Deliverable: Agreement (preferable in writing) by development partners and the M&E TWG to use data from one system, rather than using parallel monitoring systems.
Step 3:
Develop an inventory of routine monitoring systems in the country
Chapter 7
The purpose of developing an inventory is to determine which systems already exist for collecting routine monitoring data; the level of functionality of each system; how the data flow works within each system; and the data being recorded through each system. This will enable interested parties to draw data from existing sources and avoid duplication. Developing the inventory involves:
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a)
Making a list of all program data that are required for the indicators in the M&E plan;
b)
Asking stakeholders (i.e., Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education; Ministry of (Child) Welfare or Social Development; Ministry of Local Government; Ministry of Finance; National Coordinating Authorities; Bureau of Statistics; development partners; and national private sector and civil society umbrella organizations) about the existence of routine program monitoring and financial monitoring systems (whether functional or not).
c)
Collecting and sorting the data collection tools (instruments) and guidelines from each of these monitoring systems. The tools can be organized into two types: those for daily data capture and those to report aggregate data that have been summarized (by grouping and adding up the daily values). Ensure that both sets of tools are accessed and obtained.
d)
Sketching the data flow processes for each monitoring system.
e)
Documenting the information products that the systems generate.
Making Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Work