Defining monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are integral and distinct parts of strategy and implementation. They are critical tools for forward-looking strategic positioning, organisational learning and for sound management. In terms of M&E with and for youth there are two key areas to focus on:

1) Donor agencies’support, encouragement and advocacy for the continued development of international youth development indicators and a set of targets on key areas for youth development: see the Commonwealth/UNDESA case study 18.

2) Direct engagement working with young evaluators, monitoring and assessing interventions: see case study 19 and case study 20.

Young people can be engaged in a variety of ways including designing indicators and methodology, data gathering, report writing and participating in review processes.

Added value of working with youth

• Involving, training and supporting young people who are the target of a programme to take a lead in monitoring and evaluation can produce more accurate data (often youth respond better to youth).
• Employing young people and supporting them in roles as volunteers or interns can be cost effective. Young people’s contributions often outweigh the financial implications.
• If they come from the target community, young people can be important communicators, promoting community support and engagement.

“Participation of young people in evaluations may lead to issues being identified which might otherwise be overlooked. For example, in the evaluation of the Families Orphans and Children Under Stress (FOCUS) programme in Zimbabwe, children and young people identified stigma and sexual abuse as major issues.” Family Health International

The barriers and how to overcome them

Initially, young people, no less than adults, will probably lack technical M&E skills. It can be effective to hold training sessions with adults and young people together in order to simplify and clarify M&E terminology and to build the adult-youth partnerships, which can foster discussion and collaboration.

Some stakeholders will be sensitive about discussing faults or failures with young people, i.e., those perceived to be junior or inferior in status. It is therefore important to emphasise/introduce the skills that a young evaluator can bring, for example, the ability to reach out to other peers and use of local languages that can help minimise social barriers.