What is new in M&E – Some Latest Trends

There is no doubt that M&E is a rapidly evolving space. In today’s fast-paced world, M&E tools and approaches are perpetually evolving and being adapted to suit changing motivations and needs. Rapid evaluations date back to the 1990s when rapid appraisals were a key part of participatory development processes. Following the current need for rapid evaluation results, this type of evaluations has resurfaced. Rapid Evaluation (RE) is an intensive, team-based, program-focused investigation that uses multiple methods of data collection; has an iterative process for collection and analysis; and relies on community participation in order to quickly develop a holistic understanding of a programme from both an insider’s and an outsider’s perspective.

There are endless possibilities of what AI could contribute to. The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be most significant in M&E. With the rapid growth of AI, monitoring and evaluation innovations will take different forms to support M&E processes; starting from data collection methods, data cleaning and validation and data processing. Increasingly, modern day M&E is based on various forms of AI to create and adapt more tools that are specifically designed to implement specific tasks that support M&E processes.

Evaluative thinking takes evaluation outside of the purely technical, to seek sense and meaning in the work under review. More and more organisations are embracing evaluation as an opportunity for learning, and programmatic strengthening, rather than simply a system of taking account. While evaluation is a process of doing and undertaking a set of activities to show certain information, evaluative thinking is a way of thinking about one’s work that is reflective, and meaningful. Evaluative thinking has been defined as a practice of critical reflection, which integrates systematic modes of enquiry, and the use of data, into the way an organisation works. It is the difference between finding evidence, and becoming evidence driven. This forum seeks to provoke an insightful and enlightening discussion of all these topics and more.

Proposed facilitators and their topics are as follows:

• Brief overview of the Ghana Monitoring and Evaluation Forum (GMEF) - Mr. Daniel Kotey, Administrator, GMEF. This presentation will provide an overview of GMEF, presenting background information on it and her plans for the future.
• Rapid Evaluation for Rapid Results in a Rapid World - Dr. Thomas Wobill, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. This introductory session on Rapid Evaluation will provide broad insight on what Rapid Evaluation is. It will afford participants the opportunity to engage in a discussion of why and how useful this quest for rapid results is, in a world that is moving at breakneck speed.
• AI in M &E – Generations Impact. This session will provide an overview of the use of AI in M&E in recent times and share some insight on some of the adaptations that practitioners can make to achieve greater impact.
• M&E and Fashion Appraisal – Makeba Boateng, Position in Org and Org name? This session will provide an overview of this new trend where M&E is used in fashion appraisal. One of the few professionals in this field will share an overview, with practical examples for participants to learn from the appraisal of works of famous Ghanaian fashion designers.
• Developing an Evaluation Mind-Set/Evaluative Thinking – Mr. Daniel Kwame Essel, Monitoring, Evaluation and Grants Officer, Transforming Teaching Education and Learning (T-TEL). This session will provide an overview of how to develop an evaluation mind-set, promoting evaluative thinking, whether as an M&E practitioner or someone who is just interested in evaluation and applying it to their daily lives.