Praxis Series Paper No.6. Complex M&E Systems – Raising standards, lowering the bar

In this paper, INTRAC Associate Nigel Simister brings together ideas and thinking on how monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems operate in organisations and complex programmes.

It aims to provide: a theoretical framework for understanding M&E systems in the hope that others will further develop this framework over time; a better understanding of how information and analyses can be summarised across large portfolios of work; and some ideas on how to use complex M&E systems to contribute to management decision-making at programme- or organisational-level.

Drawing on a wealth of experience having designed, supported and maintained complex M&E systems for a variety of civil society organisations (CSOs) over the past twenty years, Nigel’s paper should be useful to M&E practitioners everywhere that have some prior knowledge of the fundamental concepts of M&E.