PROPOSED TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATION TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (TWG)
1.0 BACKGROUND
The Government of Tanzania recognizes that the overall goal of improving the quality of life of Tanzanians is hinged on education sector, both the National Development Vision 2025 and National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (MKUKUTA) regard education as a strategic tool for mindset transformation with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes which will enable them to competently and competitively cope with both national and international challenges caused by globalization.
In order to assess the effectiveness and impact of education programme it is of paramount importance that each programme robustly monitors and evaluates its activities. The programme will definitely have outlined its aims, outputs and desired outcomes in its application. So the purpose of this document is to provide direction in the process of designing and implementing a monitoring and evaluation framework which reports progress in Education Sector Development Programme.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
Monitoring and Evaluation
2.1 The main Objective
The main objective of the proposed Monitoring and Evaluation TWG is to put in place a system that will support all those involved in managing education programmes, monitor outcomes and impact of the education and training.
2.2 Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of TWG monitoring and evaluation will be:
• To assess programme results: to find out if and how objectives are being met and are resulting in desired changes.
• To improve programme management and process planning: to better adapt to contextual and risk factors such as social and power dynamics that affect the research process.
• To promote learning: to identify lessons of general applicability, to learn how different approaches to participation affect outcomes, impact, and reach, to learn what works and what does not, and to identify what contextual factors enable or constrain the participatory research.
• To understand different stakeholders' perspectives: to allow, through direct participation in the monitoring and evaluation process, the various people involved in a research project to better understand each others views and values and to design ways to resolve competing or conflicting views and interests.
• To ensure accountability: to assess whether the project/program/policy is effectively, appropriately, and efficiently executed to be accountable to the key agencies supporting the work (including, but not exclusively, the donors) (Estrella and Gaventa, 1998).
Purpose:
To assess how:
· Changes have taken place in the education system in terms of reforms and policies.
· Quality of education delivery is attained in terms of affective provision of teaching/learning materials and infrastructure.
· Effective national and international goals are achieved, etc
3.0 MEMBERSHIP
The M&E Technical working Group will be comprised of experts /stakeholders from MOEVT, PMO-RALG, DPS and TENMET.
The Director of Inspectorate will be the chairperson of the meeting/group.
However the following institutions will be consulted or invited when required.
These include:
· Tanzania Commissions for Universities
· NACTE
· TACAIDS
· NBS
· MCDGC
· VETA
4.0 ROLES OF TWG
The General Role: The major role of the Monitoring and Evaluation TWG is to provide technical oversight and guidance to enhance the overall quality of monitoring and evaluation across the education sector in Tanzania through plans and practices.
4.1 Specific Roles
The Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Working Group will specifically have to:
(i) Oversee the continued development of an agreed conceptual framework for monitoring and evaluation across the education sector ESDP, including linkages among different sources e.g. research, inspection reports, house hold survey data and administrative data.
(ii) Ensure effective co-ordination of documented progress against agreed
sector targets, including that related to the Aide Memoire and Annual
Milestones so that the Education Sector has the appropriate data and analysis to carry out an effective annual Education Sector Review.
(iii) Oversee implementation of the ESMIS master plan (2008-December 2010), by the National Technical Team (NTT) identifying strategic option where required, and mainstreaming its capacity building components.
(iv) Oversee the development analysis and dissemination of data in relation to learning outcomes e.g. National examinations.
(v) Identify key challenges and gaps in essential data and analyses and recommend for research and evaluation that address these gaps.
(vi) Draft and review TOR of M&E in collaboration with other TWG for approval by ESDC
(vii) Assess the progress of Programs/Projects.
5.0 THE WORKING SCHEDULE
· The Technical Working Group Will Meet at least 5 Times a Year preferably in February, April, June, September and December; and when required.
· To incorporate the Annual M & E in the field activities.
· Develop of sector reports.
6.0 THE CONCEPT OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Monitoring and Evaluation are two distinct concepts but related processes with complementary activities. They are both an integral part of the project/program/policy management cycle.
6.1 Monitoring
Monitoring is the process of collecting information that helps us/stakeholders answer questions about a project/program/policy.
It is the systematic and continuous process that allows us/stakeholders to critically observe events related to our/their work and to track indictors, thereby enabling us/stakeholders to check the project’s/program’s/policy’s progress. Through monitoring we/stakeholders are also able to document our activities and also to adapt these activities to ever changing conditions.
The information should be collected at specific times e.g. daily, monthly or quarterly and at key milestones of a project/program/policy. The information you collect could be about activities or services, your users and about outside or other factors affecting an organization or project/program/policy.
At some point the information needs to be gathered in order to answer questions such as:
· How well are we doing?
· Are we doing the right things?
· What difference are we making?
When you begin to use the results of your monitoring to answer these questions you are starting to evaluate.
6.2 Evaluation
Evaluation is the systematic assessment of a project’s/program’s/policy’s relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact on the target population and beneficiaries. Evaluation draws on data collected during the monitoring process and can be supplemented by additional data from surveys and studies to assess the project’s/program’s/policy’s achievements based on its set objectives.
Evaluation prompts questions such as:
· Why are we doing it?
· Who is the evaluation for?
· What are the key issues to address?
Such questions will help us to think about what we want to focus on. For example, this could be:
· How your organizational structure works?
· How you carry out your services or activities?
· How users experience the project/program/policy?
· What changes or benefits the project/program/policy brings about?
· To conduct a research.
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