Details

Case

Project Monitoring & Evaluation at Punjab Rural Support Programme

Kamran Ali Chatha

INDUSTRY : Government & Business

AREA : General Management

ORGANIZATION : Punjab Rural Support Programme

LENGTH : 26

LUMS No : 30-120-2010-1

PUBLICATION YEAR : 2010

KEYWORDS:

Project Monitoring,Evaluation,Punjab Rural Support Programme,Pakistan,Monitoring,Evaluation,Operational Changes

DESCRIPTION:

This case emphasizes the importance of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in social development projects. Particularly, it describes two approaches of monitoring and evaluating projects that were used at the PRSP at different points in time. Initially the PRSP used a goal-based approach to monitoring and evaluating projects between the years 1998 to the early part of 2006. However, due to a number of issues pertaining to the execution of core and non-core activities, as well as HR and operational problems, a participatory approach was utilized. The philosophy of the participatory approach was entirely different from its predecessor. The participatory approach brought a number of organizational and operational changes at the PRSP. At the core of these changes was a change in the mindset of the PRSP management specifically the PME&R function at the PRSP. The case describes the changes at length and provides an opportunity to compare the two approaches. As the participatory approach matured at the PRSP it brought its own disadvantages. Among these, were the concerns about the scalability and robustness of the participatory approach.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1) To understand the nature of monitoring and evaluation in the context of scoail development. 2) To compare two distinct monitoring and evaluation approaches i.e., the 'goal-based' and the 'participatory' approaches. 3) To familiarize one with factors that contributed towards the success of the participatory approach. 4) To understand issues involved in scaling up and robustness of the participatory approach.

SUBJECTS COVERED:

Management