Seminar on Methods of Monitoring and Evaluation in International Development

This grant supported an interdisciplinary seminar that explored the significant field of Monitoring and Evaluation in global development work. Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) has often been a neglected element of program execution, as implementers have prioritized spending funds on program activities that have a direct impact in the communities they serve. However, as international development work has expanded – an estimated 2.3 trillion dollars have been spent on programs in health, media, agriculture, literacy, and civic education over the last few decades – program implementers and donors have come under increased pressure to demonstrate the utility of the programs they develop and fund. This growing demand among development agencies for studies that measure impact has consequences for the university. It drives researchers to think more about the outcomes development programs seek to achieve, to monitor sustainability, and to understand the impact of both successful and failed project objectives within and outside of their discipline.