Course Details

GIS for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Training Course

Introduction

In the fields of development, public health, humanitarian aid, and project management, effective Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) are critical for demonstrating impact, ensuring accountability, and enabling adaptive management. Traditionally, M&E has relied heavily on tabular data and statistical analysis. However, a significant portion of project data, from beneficiary locations and intervention sites to resource distribution and impact areas, has an inherent geographic component. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides a powerful and often underutilized lens for enhancing M&E, enabling a more robust and spatially informed understanding of project performance, reach, and impact. GIS allows M&E specialists to visualize project locations, track progress over time, identify spatial patterns in outcomes, assess accessibility to services, and communicate results more effectively through compelling maps and dashboards. Without leveraging GIS, M&E initiatives risk missing critical spatial insights, leading to less targeted interventions, inefficient resource allocation, and an incomplete picture of project success or failure. Many M&E professionals have strong logical and analytical skills but often lack the specialized geospatial knowledge to truly integrate location intelligence into their monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

Conversely, mastering GIS for M&E empowers professionals to conduct spatially explicit assessments, identify underserved areas, pinpoint successful intervention models, and present evidence-based results that are more transparent and impactful. This specialized skill set is crucial for transforming raw project data into actionable geographic intelligence, leading to more effective and sustainable development outcomes. Our intensive 5-day "GIS for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)" training course is meticulously designed to equip M&E specialists, project managers, program officers, data analysts, researchers, and development practitioners with the essential knowledge and practical skills required to confidently apply GIS and geospatial technologies to enhance their monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes.

Duration

5 Days

Target Audience

The "GIS for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)" training course is ideal for a wide range of professionals involved in project management, development, humanitarian work, and research who seek to integrate spatial analysis into their M&E frameworks. This includes:

• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialists: Seeking to enhance their analytical and reporting capabilities.
• Project and Program Managers: Overseeing development, health, or humanitarian projects.
• Data Analysts: Working with project data and aiming to add a spatial dimension.
• Researchers and Academics: Conducting evaluations and impact assessments.
• Development Practitioners: From NGOs, international organizations, and government agencies.
• Humanitarian Aid Workers: For needs assessment, logistics, and post-crisis evaluation.
• Public Health Specialists: Monitoring health interventions and disease patterns.
• GIS Analysts: Wishing to apply their skills specifically within the M&E domain.
• Grant Managers: Requiring spatial insights into project performance and reach.
• Anyone responsible for tracking project progress and demonstrating impact.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of the "GIS for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)" training course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamental concepts of M&E and the added value of integrating GIS.
• Acquire, manage, and integrate diverse geospatial and attribute data relevant to M&E indicators.
• Design and implement data collection strategies for spatially enabled M&E.
• Perform core spatial analysis techniques for assessing project reach, impact, and equity.
• Utilize GIS to track project progress, visualize outcomes, and identify spatial patterns and disparities.
• Create compelling maps, dashboards, and reports to effectively communicate M&E findings to stakeholders.
• Understand data privacy, ethical considerations, and data quality in GIS for M&E.
• Formulate a plan for applying GIS to a specific M&E framework or project.

 Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to M&E and the Role of GIS

• Overview of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) concepts: Inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, impact.
• The M&E cycle and where spatial data fits in.
• The "Where" factor in M&E: Understanding the geographic context of projects.
• Benefits of integrating GIS into M&E: Enhanced visualization, deeper analysis, improved communication.
• Case studies of successful GIS applications in M&E across different sectors.

Module 2: Geospatial Data for M&E: Acquisition and Management

• Types of spatial data relevant to M&E: Project sites, beneficiary locations, infrastructure, administrative boundaries, natural features.
• Sources of M&E data: Field surveys (GPS), administrative data, remote sensing, open-source data portals.
• Data collection tools for M&E with spatial capabilities (e.g., mobile apps like Survey123, KoboToolbox).
• Geocoding project and beneficiary addresses for spatial analysis.
• Data cleaning, standardization, and quality control for M&E datasets.

Module 3: Designing Spatially Enabled M&E Frameworks

• Integrating spatial indicators into Logical Frameworks (LogFrames) and Theories of Change.
• Developing spatially explicit M&E questions.
• Defining baselines and targets with a geographic component.
• Designing sampling strategies for spatially representative data collection.
• Ethical considerations for collecting and mapping sensitive M&E data.

Module 4: Spatial Analysis for Project Reach and Coverage

• Mapping project intervention sites and beneficiary locations.
• Proximity Analysis: Assessing accessibility to services (e.g., clinics, schools, water points).
• Service Area Analysis: Delineating areas served by particular interventions.
• Catchment Area Analysis: Understanding the geographic reach of project activities.
• Calculating population served within specific distances or travel times.

Module 5: Tracking Progress and Visualizing Outcomes

• Mapping key M&E indicators (e.g., vaccination rates, school enrollment, crop yields).
• Visualizing changes over time: Time-series mapping, animated maps.
• Comparing baseline vs. endline data geographically.
• Creating thematic maps (choropleth, graduated symbols) to show performance indicators.
• Using GIS to monitor project implementation progress against planned activities.

Module 6: Impact Assessment and Identifying Spatial Disparities

• Overlay analysis: Combining project data with socio-economic or environmental layers.
• Identifying "hotspots" or "coldspots" of project impact or need (e.g., using cluster analysis).
• Assessing equity: Analyzing whether interventions are reaching vulnerable or underserved populations.
• Measuring impact based on spatial changes (e.g., land cover change, access to resources).
• Using GIS to identify confounding factors or external influences on project outcomes.

Module 7: Communicating M&E Results with Maps and Dashboards

• Principles of effective cartographic design for M&E reports.
• Creating compelling static maps for M&E publications.
• Designing interactive GIS dashboards for real-time M&E monitoring.
• Using web mapping applications to share M&E results with stakeholders.
• Storytelling with maps: Presenting a narrative of project progress and impact.

Module 8: Advanced Topics, Data Sharing, and SDI for M&E

• Introduction to advanced spatial statistics for M&E (e.g., spatial regression).
• Integrating remote sensing data for outcome verification (e.g., crop health, urban growth).
• Utilizing crowdsourced data or citizen science for M&E.
• Developing an M&E-focused Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI).
• Ensuring data privacy, security, and ethical data sharing in M&E.

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