IT tools to improve quality of impact assessment

THE EXTENSIVE use of different tools of Information Technology in monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in poverty initiatives projects would improve the quality of impact assessment, experts said on the concluding day of the national-level workshop on Evaluation in Poverty Initiative Projects.

The workshop is being organised by the Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project. Experts said the transfer of technology from promoters to actual users must be acceptable to them.

Monitoring and evaluation professionals who attended the workshop said modern tools like Remote Access, Internet, Video Conferencing and Telecommunication could ensure quality assessment of the impact of poverty initiatives with improved infrastructure.

They suggested associating IT professionals with such projects from the preliminary phase and also earmarking separate budget for IT initiatives.

On the issue of participatory monitoring of poverty reduction activities, experts said this would ensure true involvement of the community while paving way for social and resource mapping & situation analysis.

Participatory monitoring will not only empower targeted population but also build ownership over the planning process, which would make participatory decision-making alive, they added.

Regarding collection and sharing of primary data, subject experts strongly recommended developing sensitivity about data saying that two-way sharing of database would bring about greater transparency and accountability.

They also advocated alignment of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms with those of larger mechanisms adopted in the government’s administrative machinery.

Besides, indicator-based monitoring according to some professionals should be qualitative and should not become mechanical. Some said the indicator-based monitoring should evolve with the advancement of projects.

David Radcliffe of the Department for International Development, UK, Technical Cooperation Project Support Unit’s team leader Duncan King, Social Development advisor Shahzad, Jayesh Bhatia of the National MIS for Watershed Programme, Shiv Kumar of CMS Bangalore, coordinators of SPMU, MPRLP and subject experts were present on the occasion.