Performance monitoring and evaluation are tools that USAID and its partners use to measure achievement of programme results. To this end, USAID/South Africa strives to involve its partners to ensure the excellence and continuously improves the quality of USAID/SA-supported programs and activities in two ways, through: 1) a comprehensive performance monitoring system and, when deemed necessary, 2) intensive and thorough evaluations.

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation

Performance monitoring is an on-going process that allows managers to determine whether or not a program or activity is making progress towards its intended result.* Measurement of performance indicators against baseline data assists program managers and their counterparts to monitor and track progress.

Evaluations seek to answer and/or attempt to explain, at a given point in time, why a program or activity did not move or is not moving towards its intended results, to document lessons learned and to determine the impact of a program or activity.

Analysis of data gathered through monitoring helps to determine whether an evaluation should be performed. The following conditions serve as triggers to alert program managers to the need for an evaluation:

• unexpected result(s)
• inadequate information for key management decisions
• questions requiring resolution or consensus
• program implementation awry or not meeting the needs of customers
• breakdown of a critical assumption
• the program experience is important to future programs (i.e., lessons learned).

The evaluation report will highlight, at minimum, key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. To learn more about the USAID/SA M&E system and activities, please click on the buttons below.

* USAID/SA defines result as a change in the conditions of the customer or changes in the host country conditions, as brought about by the activities of USAID and its development partners. In South Africa, USAID works hand-in-hand with development partners to identify and achieve positive results.