Course Details

Participatory M&E for Community Projects Training Course

INTRODUCTION

This essential training course provides comprehensive knowledge and practical skills for designing and implementing Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) in community-based projects. Recognizing that genuine community ownership and engagement are crucial for project sustainability, relevance, and impact, this program equips participants with a systematic understanding of principles, methods, and tools that empower local stakeholders. Participants will gain deep insights into fostering active community involvement in defining indicators, collecting data, analyzing results, and making decisions, all crucial for building capacity, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that interventions truly meet local needs. This course is ideal for community development practitioners, project managers, M&E specialists, local NGO staff, and anyone committed to empowering communities in their own development journey.

DURATION

10 days

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is specifically designed for professionals and community leaders involved in planning, managing, and evaluating community-based projects, including:

• Community Development Practitioners and Facilitators.
• Local NGO staff and Project Managers.
• M&E Specialists working in community settings.
• Community leaders and representatives.
• Government extension workers and field staff.

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamental principles and benefits of Participatory M&E.
• Design and facilitate community-led M&E processes.
• Select and adapt appropriate participatory data collection tools.
• Empower community members to analyze and interpret their own data.
• Utilize PM&E findings for adaptive management and community-led decision-making.

MODULES

Module 1: Foundations of Participatory M&E

• Define Participatory M&E (PM&E) and differentiate it from conventional M&E.
• Explore the core principles of PM&E (e.g., empowerment, ownership, learning, capacity building).
• Understand the benefits of involving communities in M&E for project relevance and sustainability.
• Discuss ethical considerations specific to PM&E, including power dynamics and inclusion.
• Examine the historical context and rationale for PM&E approaches.

Module 2: Setting the Stage for PM&E: Building Relationships and Capacity

• Understand the importance of building trust and rapport with community members.
• Discuss strategies for identifying and engaging diverse community stakeholders.
• Explore methods for assessing community capacity for M&E participation.
• Learn about participatory approaches to defining project goals and desired changes.
• Examine techniques for fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Module 3: Participatory Planning: Indicators and Questions

• Facilitate community discussions to identify locally relevant indicators of change.
• Understand how to translate community perspectives into measurable indicators.
• Discuss participatory methods for defining baseline data and targets.
• Explore techniques for formulating culturally appropriate M&E questions.
• Learn about balancing donor requirements with community-defined indicators.

Module 4: Participatory Data Collection Methods

• Understand a range of participatory data collection tools (e.g., community mapping, seasonal calendars, transect walks).
• Discuss visual and interactive methods suitable for diverse literacy levels.
• Explore techniques for facilitating participatory interviews and focus group discussions.
• Examine methods for collecting qualitative data directly from community members.
• Learn about ensuring ethical data collection practices in community settings.

Module 5: Participatory Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Facilitate community-led processes for analyzing collected data.
• Discuss visual and accessible methods for presenting data back to the community.
• Explore techniques for helping communities interpret patterns, trends, and anomalies in their data.
• Understand how to collectively identify the drivers of change and unexpected outcomes.
• Examine strategies for validating findings with community members.

Module 6: Community-Led Decision-Making and Action Planning

• Empower communities to use M&E findings for informed decision-making.
• Discuss participatory action planning techniques based on M&E results.
• Explore how communities can adapt project activities based on their own learning.
• Examine strategies for formalizing community decisions and ensuring follow-through.
• Learn about supporting communities in advocating for their needs based on evidence.

Module 7: Documenting and Sharing PM&E Learning

• Understand methods for documenting community M&E processes and findings.
• Discuss participatory approaches to report writing and sharing results.
• Explore various formats for communicating learning to internal and external stakeholders.
• Examine the importance of celebrating successes and learning from challenges collectively.
• Learn about adapting communication styles for different audiences.

Module 8: Sustaining PM&E and Institutionalization

• Discuss strategies for building long-term community capacity for M&E.
• Explore how to integrate PM&E principles into organizational policies and practices.
• Understand challenges in sustaining PM&E initiatives and how to address them.
• Examine the role of external facilitators in transitioning M&E ownership to communities.
• Learn about fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation in community projects.

CERTIFICATION

• Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

• Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

• Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com