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What does a good monitoring and evaluation framework look like?
So, I thought this recent example was worth sharing.
I recently came across Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the National Carer Strategy 2024–2034, developed by the Australian Institute of Family Studies for the Department of Social Services, on Australian Policy Online. At just over 30 pages, I think its a really useful example.
What I particularly like is how clear and coherent it is. It describes the overall Strategy and then shows how the Outcomes Framework, successive Action Plans and M&E Framework fit together.
It is also clear about what the framework is for. It is a strategic roadmap, not an operational plan. It sets out the broad approach, principles, questions, timing and responsibilities for M&E without trying to propose exactly how M&E activities should be undertaken over the Strategy's ten-year life.
There are lots of practical touches I like too: plain-English definitions, principles for choosing measures; headline indicators, clear evaluation questions, a simple timeline and defined governance arrangements. It even identifies where the data aren't currently good enough and priorities for improving them.
It also explains the resources and guidance that informed its development, including referencing the Australian Evaluation Society.
This also raised a general question for me: How much detail should an M&E framework actually contain?
This also raised a general question for me: How much detail should an M&E framework actually contain?
There's often a temptation for frameworks to become detailed documents containing every indicator, data source, collection method, reporting requirement, responsibility and timetable. They can look impressively comprehensive but become difficult to use and potentially become obsolete quite quickly, especially for long-term and complex programs.
What I like about this framework is that it doesn't try to do that. It makes choices about what needs to be established now and what can be worked out later as the strategy is implemented
Perhaps there is an often-overlooked part of good framework design: knowing what needs to be establish early, and what can develop and evolve over time. A good rule of thumb is to start small, adapt and build, rather than start with an overly designed and rigid plan that doesn't get used.
What do you think makes an M&E framework genuinely useful? And how much is too much?
One to bookmark - https://apo.org.au/collection/330588/evaluation
This post was written by Carina Calzoni, AES Policy Officer
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