Picture of Purvi Dass
Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Purvi Dass - Friday, 28 March 2014, 9:46 AM
 

Dear Binoy Bhai

Welcome to this course as Guest Faculty!

I and my students are privileged to be able to interact with you and learn from your perspectives of various issues of PM&E.

This forum is open and looking forward to rich understanding on the subject by you and the students.

With warm regards,

Purvi

Note for students: I have worked with Binoy bhai since 1995. In Northern India `Bhai’ means brother in positive connotation. In my life and many others he is a true brother.

 
Picture of Mr. Binoy Acharya
Re: Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Mr. Binoy Acharya - Sunday, 30 March 2014, 9:43 PM
 

Thank you Purvi ji for your kind words. It is my privilege to interact with the course participants on participatory monitoring and evaluation. today is Sunday. I do not see any question. If I am missed them, please send a mail to me.

Best regards

Binoy 

Picture of Krupskaya Anonuevo
Question on demonstrating impact
by Krupskaya Anonuevo - Tuesday, 1 April 2014, 10:09 AM
 

Dear Binoy and Purvi,

As I mentioned before, I am Kay of Checkmyschool Philippines and I would like to ask your perspective re evaluating education-related programs (such as Checkmyschool, which capacitates citizens to monitor their schools' services and facilities).

Many programs want to demonstrate how their program contributes to an increase in academic performance... Despite other people telling them that impact can only be measured after a while(7-10 years), they insist on trying to show impact after a year, or, in our case, 3 years.

How do I convince stakeholders that impact cannot be shown yet and that perhaps student performance is not the best dependent variable for evaluating the program?

Thanks,
Kay

Picture of Chandni Singh
Re: Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Chandni Singh - Wednesday, 2 April 2014, 10:33 AM
 

Dear Binoy ji,

My name is Chandni and I am a researcher with expertise in rural livelihoods and natural resource management. 

My question is regarding managing participant expectations during M&E exercises. Often I have found that in spite of clear introductions and explanations of the aims of PM&E, participants are hopeful of immediate benefits from their participation. For example, if one discusses water availability in the village, there are expectations that the facilitator, who is often an outsider, can help improve the condition in some way (maybe help sanction a handpump!). I was wondering, do you have any suggestions about how one can effectively manage participant expectations during participatory M&E. 

Thank you very much and I look forward to learning from you.

Warm regards,

Dr. Chandni Singh

Picture of Mr. Binoy Acharya
Re: Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Mr. Binoy Acharya - Wednesday, 2 April 2014, 12:35 PM
 

Dear Dr. Chandini Singh

The question you have asked about the expectation of participants in a participatory monitoring and evaluation is a pertinent one. I must tell you, if subsequent to a participatory monitoring process, if you have observed that there is  people's expectations to solve the problem, it means you have facilitated an authentic process. As you know in a participatory process people are actively engaged in examining the context and conditions, analyse the situation and prepare to take action. In a PME exercise on drinking water, it is very natural that people have expectation to improve the situation. It is people who have to take action. You are only a facilitator. enable people to find out action from their own analysis. It may be improvement of catchment taken up from govt. prog. like MGNREGS, asking the local industrialist to reduce off take water from the local sources and the like. Action has to be local specific.

I would like to engage in a dialogue on this issue.

Binoy  

Picture of Chandni Singh
Re: Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Chandni Singh - Friday, 4 April 2014, 3:11 PM
 

Dear Binoy ji, 

It is encouraging to hear that increased expectations must not be seen as a negative outcome of participatory M&E. I guess as a facilitator, channeling such expectations towards appropriate actors (e.g. govt. departments or even institutional options like MNREGS) is crucial. 

However, from my experience, I feel that in reality often the facilitator has a clear mandate of monitoring a certain project and is unable to continue the process beyond that. In such a situation, continuous facilitation is impossible and communities may be left halfway. 

Thank you for your reply. 

Chandni

Picture of Mr. Binoy Acharya
Re: Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Mr. Binoy Acharya - Wednesday, 2 April 2014, 12:22 PM
 

Dear Kay

Your question of measuring impact of the school program is important. Please check your log-frame. You may observe that you have outcome level indicators like level of student enagement in the class, reduced drop outs etc. I would like you to share with us your impact level indicators. I think some impact you may be able to observe at the end of the first year itself like improvement in the performance in the key sectors.

The stakeholders who are supporting the program can not wait for long to see the impact. Please make your impact indicators achievable in shorter time frame. I do not know any thing about your project. However, if you write your project objective and mention your impact indicators, I may be able to make some concrete suggestion.

Binoy 

Picture of Krupskaya Anonuevo
Re: Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Krupskaya Anonuevo - Thursday, 3 April 2014, 10:11 AM
 

Thanks, Binoy, for that new perspective.

The book I am reading on logframe insists that impact is long-term, while outcomes can be short- or medium-term.

Actually, we don't have an impact statement (I only came in two months ago ), but our two most important outcome indicators for the year are 1) citizens are empowered to influence policies and programs on education, and 2) greater government and citizen ownership of the CMS program.

Perhaps our vision statement can help: public schools with quality services and better education performance enabled by involved citizens, empowered communities, and responsive government.

I will also upload a one-pager about the program so you have a better idea odd the program.

Thanks for all your help,
Kay

Picture of Krupskaya Anonuevo
Re: Welcome Binoy Bhai!
by Krupskaya Anonuevo - Thursday, 3 April 2014, 10:16 AM
 

Here is a brief description of Checkmyschool (CMS) for your reference: 

Checkmyschool.org (CMS) is a participatory monitoring initiative which aims to improve service delivery in public education by promoting social accountability and transparency. It uses a blended approach by combining digital media and community mobilization.

The digital media are composed of the website, social media, and mobile technology which allow people to share information and send feedback.

Its community mobilization approach involves partnership building with different stakeholders such as the school stakeholders, local school board, the private sector, academe and government agencies.

Started in 2011, CMS was established as a joint initiative of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific (ANSA-EAP) and the Department of Education (DepEd). CMS makes use of the ANSA-EAP's formula to exact social accountability through constructive engagement and citizen monitoring. CMS works closely with the Department of Education (DepEd) and other relevant government offices in the resolution of issues through empowering citizens to engage the government offices in dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. School communities are engaged in monitoring the services of the Department of Education through data collection, making the data & feedback collected available, and issue resolution.