Strengthening monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity is vital for any organization that wants to make smarter decisions and show real impact. Rather than being a one-off activity, developing M&E skills and systems helps teams learn from experience, adapt programmes, and build confidence with partners and donors.
- Organizational Capacity Development for M&E
- The first step in building M&E capacity is understanding where your organization currently stands. Conducting a thorough needs assessment helps identify strengths and gaps in existing systems, staff skills, and infrastructure. This gives leaders a clear starting point and a roadmap for improvement.
- A robust internal M&E system ensures that data collection, analysis, and reporting become part of everyday work, not an afterthought. This involves setting up clear procedures, data standards, and tools that staff can rely on.
- Training Staff on M&E Practices
- Investing in people is at the heart of capacity building. Offering regular training on core M&E concepts, data collection methods, and analysis techniques equips staff with the practical skills they need to do quality work. Pairing formal training with hands-on practice reinforces learning and boosts confidence.
- Mentorship, peer learning, and communities of practice also help staff stay curious and connected to new approaches and tools. Encouraging participation in conferences or professional networks exposes teams to fresh ideas.
- Strengthening Evaluation Teams and Leadership Skills
- Strong evaluation teams are more than technically capable: they are confident, collaborative, and trusted within the organization. Developing M&E leadership skills among managers ensures that evaluation is prioritized and resourced. Leaders can champion evidence-based decision-making and model a learning mindset that trickles down throughout the organization.
- Institutionalizing Monitoring Processes
- To make M&E sustainable, it must be woven into the fabric of the organization. This means institutionalizing monitoring processes so they are routine, not optional. When teams regularly collect and review quality data, they can monitor progress over time, spot early warning signs, and make timely adjustments.
By combining solid systems, trained people, and a culture that values evidence and learning, organizations can build lasting M&E capacity that strengthens programmes, fuels improvement, and delivers real results.
List of recommended resources #
For a broad overview #
Monitoring and Evaluation Training: A Systematic Approach
Chapter 3 of this book by Scott G. Chaplowe and J. Bradley Cousins discusses capacity building in its relation to M&E training and describes the use of levels analysis in the M&E capacity building context at the level of individuals, organizations, and the external environment.
Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) through Capacity Building
This article by EvalCommunity gives a broad overview of M&E capacity building in organizations. It discusses the key elements for an effective capacity building in M&E, its core principles, as well as some best practices of the field.
For in-depth understanding #
This guide by Anne LaFond and Lisanne Brown first introduces the various concepts, definitions, and attributes of capacity and capacity building, and tries to look at monitoring and evaluation capacity building interventions.
Monitoring and Evaluating Capacity Building: Is it really that difficult?
This paper by Nigel Simister and Rachel Smith for INTRAC discusses the key concepts in M&E of capacity building as well as the various organisational tools and approaches used for M&E of capacity building.
Case study #
Building Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity in the Republic of Yemen
This note by Ingrid Ivins and Helena Hwang highlights lessons from a World Bank–supported project in Yemen aimed at building monitoring and evaluation capacity for the poverty reduction strategy and reform programmes. By establishing a dedicated monitoring unit, organizing a study tour to Uganda, offering focused international training, and simplifying indicators, the project generated practical insights for other countries seeking to strengthen their M&E systems.
This note by Robert Lahey studies key stages of national monitoring and evaluation systems’ (NMESs) development in different country contexts and argues for tailored approaches to building M and E capacities.
References #
Assessing Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation
Building Systemic Change: GEI’s Comprehensive Approach to Capacity Building
