Degree Name

MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management

First Advisor

Dr. Marla Solomon

Abstract

This paper examines the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system of a large international non-profit organization, Save the Children. An internship was used to support the central M&E unit and work on projects related to its needs. Projects included cataloging evaluation reports from the past two years and evaluation plans for the upcoming year, interviewing key informants about technical resource utilization and validating evidence about known gaps in Save the Children’s M&E system. A review of evaluation literature showing the evolution of the development evaluation practice is followed by a description of the mechanisms in Save the Children’s M&E system and the analysis and findings of the research. The analysis showed that Save the Children’s evaluation policies and procedures were thoroughly documented and grounded in international standards. However, research confirmed what M&E personnel believed to be the case: that there is a limited skill level for country level personnel to adequately follow the procedures. Furthermore, there was not uniform storage of evaluation reports. Evaluation plan summaries were catalogued as expected but those products were of limited use. At the time technical resources and tools were not organized well and were not generally accessible by country office level personnel who need them the most. Recommendations include adding administrative personnel and expanding the functionality of the central M&E unit to develop metrics to rate the M&E system that would increase executive oversight of the M&E system. This could incorporate an audit of the M&E system using a peer-review assessment method developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Disciplines

International and Area Studies | Organization Development | Other International and Area Studies | Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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