The role of monitoring and evaluation in project cycle

Monitoring and evaluation is important because:

• It provides the only consolidated source of information showcasing project progress;
• It allows actors to learn from each other’s experiences, building on expertise and knowledge;
• It often generates (written) reports that contribute to transparency and accountability, and allows for lessons to be shared more easily;
• It reveals mistakes and offers paths for learning and improvements;
• It provides a basis for questioning and testing assumptions;
• It provides a means for agencies seeking to learn from their experiences and to incorporate them into policy and practice;
• It provides a way to assess the crucial link between implementers and beneficiaries on the ground and decision-makers;
• It adds to the retention and development of institutional memory;
• It provides a more robust basis for raising funds and influencing policy.