Measuring Success of a Continuing-Client Strategy

What is Monitoring and Evaluation?

Monitoring and evaluation is a fundamental component of all health programs. It involves collecting key data related to program objectives and operations and analyzing these data to guide policy, programs, and practices.

Program monitoring collects data at a number of points during program implementation to ensure that the program is running smoothly and achieving its objectives according to plan. By tracking changes in performance, managers can fine-tune program operations to reach desired outcomes most efficiently and effectively.

Program evaluation generally involves more rigorous research methods than does monitoring. The purpose of evaluation is often to determine the degree to which changes in health outcomes, such as contraceptive prevalence or continuation rates, are the result of program activities. Evaluations typically include measures both at the beginning and the end of a program and, when possible, include a control or comparison group to help determine whether changes in outcomes result from program activities themselves, not from other influences outside the program (8).

Developing a strong evaluation design requires specialized technical skills that some programs may not have. If resources allow, an evaluation expert can be brought in to provide assistance. In contrast, program monitoring usually can be carried out by program managers themselves.

Managers should develop a plan for monitoring and evaluation during the design phase of a program to ensure strong commitment to and adequate resources for carrying it out. The plan should describe the goals and objectives of the program and include a framework that shows how program components will work together to reach the intended outcomes (8). The plan then should set forth the indicators that will measure these key components. As data about these indicators are collected and analyzed, managers can use them to monitor trends and adjust the program as needed.