A list of M&E email lists

Please Note:

  • If you want to add a new M&E email list, please use the Comment facility at the bottom of this page.
  • If you want to join any of these email lists, clock on the link for that list (Don’t use the Comment facility)

General purpose lists

  • MandENEWS
    2600+ Members, Archives: Membership required. The MandE NEWS mailing list is part of the MandE NEWS website at www.mande.co.uk . Visitors to the website are invited to use the mailing list to exchange information with each other about monitoring and evaluation issues, especially as they relate to international development aid. The Editor of MandE NEWS will also use the mailing list to inform list members about significant updates to the MandE NEWS website. The MandE NEWS mailing list is managed by the Editor, Rick Davies (contact email …(more)
  • Eval-Net [link not working] 858 members as of 2006 (please help update this number) Knowledge sharing and learning continue to be a top corporate priority for UNDP. The purpose of the Evaluation Network is to strengthen UNDP’s evaluation knowledge base by disseminating good practices and lessons learned on monitoring and evaluation to a broad constituency and to foster results-based performance at both country and corporate levels. It will also help build UNDP staff capacity in measuring and assessing results. This network specifically aims to: Share and exchange experiences and knowledge and lessons distilled from evaluative work relating to programmes and projects; Mainstream results orientation within the work of UNDP’s six practice areas; Provide a forum for UNDP staff to share and deepen their knowledge of monitoring and evaluation practices and methodologies. This network is open to all UNDP staff members interested in and working on measuring and assessing results and who want to contribute and build their capacity in this area. (posted 16/12/06)
  • XCeval
    880+ Members, Archives: Membership required XCeval is a listserv for persons interested in issues associated with international and cross-cultural evaluation. Initially set up for the International and Cross-Cultural Topical Interest Group of the American Evaluation Association. Many of the postings (average 34/month) are announcements of short-term consultancies or full-time positions in international M&E-related jobs. Also exchanges of ideas of current interest to persons involved in the evaluation of international development. (updated 15/12/06)
  • American Evaluation Association Electronic Lists
    • EVALTALK Listserv 3100+ members An open, unmoderated list for general discussion of evaluation and associated issues sponsored by the American Evaluation Association. To subscribe, send mail to LISTSERV@BAMA.UA.EDU with the command (paste it!): SUBSCRIBE EVALTALK
    • EVALINFO Sponsored by American Evaluation Association (AEA) as the official electronic network for distribution of information to organization members and interested parties. Anyone can subscribe and receive mailings but non-AEA members cannot post to the list. To subscribe, send an e-mail to LISTSERVE@UA1VM.UA.EDU with the message: SUBSCRIBE EVALINFO <Firstname> <Lastname>

Email lists focusing on specific evaluation themes, issues, or methods

  • AIMEnet Listserv 1000+ members, Archives, Membership required In 2004, MEASURE Evaluation teamed with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, USAID, CDC, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank Group, and UNICEF to create the HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Network (AIMEnet) listserv. AIMEnet was initially created so we could stay in touch with participants from several Expanded HIV/AIDS Response M&E workshops. Today, the AIMEnet listserv has been broadened to include anyone interested in sharing technical experiences, tools and information in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of HIV/AIDS programs around the world.
  • “Most Significant Changes” technique. 1100+ members. Archives, Membership required. This is moderated by Rick Davies and Jessica Dart (Melbourne). This egroup was formed to promote discussion about the use of an innovative method of monitoring, called the “Most Significant Changes” approach. This is a non-indicator based approach to monitoring, making use of a diversity of narrative accounts of change which are subject to an iterated, open and accountable selection process. It has already been applied in developed and less developed economies, in partipatory rural development projects, agricultural extension projects, educational settings and mainstream human services delivery. Through discussion we hope to promote the wider use of the method, and further innovation and development in the method itself. Most Significant Changes monitoring is different from common monitoring practice in at least four respects: (a) The focus is on the unexpected, (b) Information about those events is documented using text rather than numbers, (c) Analysis of that information is through the use of explicit value judgements, (d) Aggregation of information and analysis takes place through a structured social process. This egroup will act both as a repository of information about people’s experiences with the MSC method to date, and as a nursery for ideas of how to take the method further- into new environments, where there are new opportunities and constraints.
  • Outcome Mapping Learning Community 700+ members globally, as of 2008. Public. Outcome Mapping is an innovative approach to project and programme planning, monitoring and evaluation with a strong focus on participatory learning. The major innovation is the emphasis on the behaviour change of key actors with whom the programme has an influence, rather than focussing on changes in state that may or may not be attributed to the programme. The community was set up to support users of the methodology and those interested in the concepts behind it. Come and discuss the theory, get advice on applying OM in your case and meet others interested in this approach to P,M&E. See the community brochure for more information or contact Simon Hearn.

  • Systems in Evaluation Discussion List
    290+ members, Archives. EVAL-SYS@LISTS.EVALUATION.WMICH.EDU

  • Theory-Based_Evaluation
    390+ Members, Archives: Public Welcome to Theory-Based Evaluation dicsussion list! In the context where evaluation is challenged by attribution, complex systems and the need for evidences based policies, theory-based evaluation is seen as an effective response to these challenges. The purpose of this list, is to provide a forum where practitioners and scholars can exchange and share ideas, lessons and methods associated with theory-based evaluation. Hence, this discussion list is dedicated to the evaluation of Institutional …(more)
  • Pelican Initiative: Platform for Evidence-based Learning & Communications for Social Change 700+ Members, Archives. Membership required. This platform seeks to bring together development practitioners from different disciplines, specialists and policy makers to explore this question, share experiences, and to push the agenda further on three themes: * Evidence and learning for policy change; * Learning in organisations and among partners; * Society-wide learning among a multitude of stakeholders.
  • LEAP IMPACT 160+ members, Archives. Membership required Leap Impact aims to improve the institutional performance of monitoring and evaluation practice related to information services, information products and information projects. It is a community of practice open to all individuals/organisations interested in the evaluation of information. LEAP IMPACT is a joint initiative of CTA, IICD, Bellanet, and KIT. It is facilitated by Sarah Cummings (KIT ILS), Neil Pakenham-Walsh (HIF-net-at-WHO) and Shaddy Shadrach (Oneworld South Asia).
  • NetworkEvaluation
    280+ Members, Archives: Membership required.The Network Evaluation mailing is an extension of the Networks section of Monitoring and Evaluation NEWS at www.mande.co.uk The focus of the Network Evaluation mailing list is on the exchange of information about: Methodologies for, and experiences of, the evaluation of networks. Including Networks of individuals, groups and organisations, Both face to face and electronically mediated networks The use of social network analysis in international development aid projects In planning, …(more)
  • PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND LEARNING
    60+ Members, Archives: Membership required.This group on Participatory Monitoring and Learning (PM&L) has been created to facilitate interaction amongst a group of researchers, practitioners and others interested in the topic of participatory approaches to monitoring, evaluation and learning.
  • ODAfrica
    50+ Members, Archives: Public. Support group for OD Practitioners working for and in Africa. Initiative of OD Practitioners from Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia who attended a two-year OD Practitioners Formation Programme in 2004/2005.
  • Evaluation Feedback 30+ members, Archives. Membership required. This was moderated by Catherine Cameron, author of Evaluation feedback for effective learning and accountability,
  • EGAD List: Program evaluation, statistics and methodology list 170+ members. To send a message to all the people currently subscribed to the list, just send mail to EGAD@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU. This is called “sending mail to the list”, because you send mail to a single address and LISTSERV makes copies for all the people who have subscribed. This address (egad@listserv.arizona.edu) is also called the “list address”. You must never try to send any command to that address, as it would be distributed to all the people who have subscribed. All commands must be sent to the “LISTSERV address”, listserv@listserv.arizona.edu.
  • Arlist: Action research mailing list.Arlist-L is a medium-volume, multidisciplinary electronic mailing list. It is a moderated forum for the discussion of the theory and practice of action research and related methods. Bibliography of over 50 references on meta-evaluation. References include discussions of technical competence of individual evaluations, critical analyses of evaluations of the impact of evaluations on the less powerful groups, managerial meta-evaluations on the perceived credibility and utility of the evaluation. To subscribe, send an e-mail (no subject) to request@psy.uq.oz.au with the message: SUBSCRIBE ARLIST <Firstname> <Lastname> Or, To subscribe to arlist-L point your browser at http://lists.scu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/arlist-l

  • EDIAIS Forum (Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service) 160+ members Joining the list: email info@enterprise-impact.org.uk You will then receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription. Once you are a member: You will receive all messages sent to the list. To send a message to the list mail it to: ENT-IMP@enterprise-impact.org.uk – use either Reply to respond to the last contributor only or Reply All and your message will automatically be mailed to all list members.

Country specific M&E email lists

  • PREVAL – The Programme for Strengthening the Regional Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation of IFAD’s Rural Poverty-Alleviation Projects in Latin America and the Caribbean owner-preval@mail.rimisp.org 1,400+ members
  • AfrEA
    180+ Members, Archives: Public Information and networking tool of the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) In conjunction with the national associations and committed donors, AfrEA has helped develop the concept of an African evaluation community. This listserv aims to build on this concept, to broaden this community, by further promoting the sharing of information, resources and opportunities. The AfrEA Community listserv serves as a moderated forum for a wide range of stakeholders, from evaluators who are actively …(more)
    • LateNote: This is a new list recently started at Yahoo! Groups to replace the old list at Topica. Moving the members from the old to the new list is a slow process. However, the old list is still active and has 460 subscribers. (message from Lise Kriel, 30/06/6)
  • indo-monev 440+ Members, Archives: Membership required. This is a mailing list to build a network of Indonesian. People anywhere in the world who are interested, dedicated, and professionalised to the work on monitoring and evaluation and other related development issues as well as development aid works, particularly in Indonesia. This network aims to more exchanging of information, more knowledge building and more awareness on the development monitoring and evaluation issue. Please join.
  • IAEVAL:  340+ members, Archives: Membership required The purpose of this listserv is to enhance communication among members of the US-based International NGO (INGO) community about program design, monitoring, evaluation and effectiveness. The target participants of IAEVAL are those of us who are directly or indirectly responsible for INGO M&E. We hope that this will serve to enhance the communication, shared learning and collaboration among us as persons responsible for evaluation in the US-based INGO community.
  • Relac: 480+ Miembros, Archivos: Se requiere suscripción Este es el grupo de discución de la red de evaluacion de America Latina y el Caribe.
  • REMAPP 150+ members, Archives: Membership required. REMAPP is a [UK-based] group of networking professionals concerned with planning, appraisal, monitoring, evaluation, research and policy issues in aid agencies.
  • MandENigeria
    90+ Members, Archives: Moderators only This listserve is for interested individuals and institutions to share knowledge, opportunities, experience and other resources in M & E. It is also an opportunity to access proffessional consultants in Monitoring and Evaluation in Nigeria and Africa. It is an informal medium to support capacity building, strengthening and dessemination of Monitoring and evaluation information in Nigeria under a Network of Monitoring and Evaluation.Evaluators are advised and encouraged to join and participate …(more)
  • IndiaEvalGroup
    30+ Members, Archives: Membership required. This discussion group consists of evaluators from India or evaluators working on Indian projects. The potential benefits of forming and participating with such a group are: 1. Fellowship with others working in a similar area 3. Encouraging sharing of learning across content and context areas
  • MONEV_NGO
    20+ Members, Archives: Membership required. Establish in Jakarta, Indonesia by 2004. It was started from a group of activists that concern about Monitoring and Evaluation skills that need to be developed by NGOs in Indonesia in general. This is an open forum, so please participate in sharing and discussing lessons learnt and experiences in Monitoring and Evaluation.
  • MandE Ghana 30+ Members, Archives: Membership required This email list has been established for people who have an interest in monitoring and evaluation as applied in Ghana. It is open to people living in Ghana and those elsewhere who have a connection with Ghana. Its aim is to: (a) encourage mutual learning between members, through exchange of questions and answers; (b) make opportunities quickly available to members, concerning M&E related training events, conferences, workshops and employment vacancies; (c) enable members to make contacts with other members with related M&E interests.
  • MandEPilipinas 9 Members, Archives: Membership required. This discussion group is meant for Monitoring and Evaluation professionals in the Philippines. It is a venue to network, exchange ideas and discuss new developments about the field with M&E practitioners in the country to promote mutual learning and intellectual growth.
  • EgDEvalNet < 5 Members, Archives: Membership required This discussion-group was established to discuss the evaluation of development activities in Egypt. This includes: Improving development evaluation activities Exchange of experience between evaluation practitioners Providing feedback for improving development planning Discuss the establishment of an Egyptian Development & Evaluation Association Define standards and guidelines for evaluation practice applicable for the Egyptian environment Develop development evaluation criteria and tools …(more)

How to set up an email list

  • Use Yahoo Groups, as used by many of the email lists shown above.
    • Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/
    • Sign up to get a Yahoo ID (you need to give yourself a username and password, once only).
    • Look for Create Your Own Group
      • Click on Start a Group Now, then follow the instructions
  • Or, use Dgroups
    • Go to http://www.dgroups.org/
      • Dgroups currently supports 1818 groups, containing 60690 members.
    • See if you can work out how to join, and set up a group. It is not easy

Conference: Policy and programme evaluation in Europe: Cultures and prospects

Date: July 3 and 4, 2008
Venue: European Parliament – Strasbourg (France)

Last news ! Reduction of registration fee until the 1st June

Registration on line for the symposium: http://www.sfe.asso.fr/fr/strasbourg2008/registration-form.html

Click here for the programme: http://www.sfe.asso.fr/fr/strasbourg2008/programme.html

Pre-sessions: Meetings to improve connections between evaluators

National School of Administration – Strasbourg (France), July 2, 2008

The pre-session programme is available :Click here: http://www.sfe.asso.fr/docs/site/pdf/strasbourg/programme_pre-sessions.pdf
Registration :Click here: http://www.sfe.asso.fr/docs/site/pdf/strasbourg/sfe_pre-session_bulletin_inscription.pdf

The written texts of speakers will be available on our web site in the next few days.

Best regards,
French Evaluation Society

65 Avenue des Gobelins
75013 PARIS
France
00 33 (0) 1 45 41 58 40
Contact : sfe.strasbourg2008@orange.fr
Web : www.sfe.asso.fr

Evaluation Essentials: Methods For Conducting Sound Research

Beth Osborne Daponte
ISBN: 978-0-7879-8439-7. Paperback.192 pages. July 2008, Jossey-Bass
Also available via Amazon

“The book introduces students and practitioners to all necessary concepts and tools used to evaluate programs and policies. It focuses on issues that arise when evaluating programs, using those offered by non-profit and governmental organizations serving different sectors (social services, health, education, social work) as case studies. The author gives the reader a solid background in the core concepts, theories, and methods of program evaluation. Readers will learn to form evaluation questions, describe programs using program theory and program logic models, understand causation as it relates to evaluation, and perform quasi-experimental design, grant writing, outcome measures, survey design, and sampling”

See Table of Contents.

M&E training to be provided by Development Alternatives, India

Date: June 05-07, 2008
Venue:

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning System (MEAL)

Introduction

The principle of Monitor what You want to Manage has implications at two critical levels: one, that each monitoring system should be customized to the needs of the project; and second, the monitoring system should be robust and have the flexibility to adapt to changing capacities of the project over a period of time. Monitoring Evaluation and Learning System (MEAL) seeks to retain the basic principles of project management yet allow the project to identify, develop and evolve their own monitoring and review systems.

Continue reading “M&E training to be provided by Development Alternatives, India”

Basic Necessities Survey versus Schreiner’s Simple Poverty Scorecard

This page compares two simple methods of measuring poverty:

The comparison was prompted by an email to the MandE NEWS email list by Atta Ullah in May 2008 asking for a comparison.
Continue reading “Basic Necessities Survey versus Schreiner’s Simple Poverty Scorecard”

Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in Development Organisations: Sharing training and facilitation experiences

Book by J. De Coninck, K. Chaturvedi, B. Haagsma, H. Griffioen, M. van der Glas

Paperback: 220 pages Publisher: SAGE India (31 May 2008) Language English ISBN-10: 8178298570 ISBN-13: 978-8178298573. Also available on Amazon

Effective planning, monitoring and evaluation (PME) is essential for organisational survival and for sustainable development, but remains a challenge for many development organisations, in spite of countless PME workshops, manuals and interventions of experts. This book presents a rich variety of real-life experiences of 20 PME trainers and facilitators from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe and offers suggestions to support PME processes, with a focus on civil society organisations. The authors seek to embrace a ‘total organisation approach’ to PME, one that looks at an organisation in its entirety, including its financial dimension, its environment, its collaborators and competitors, in a context informed by local and national cultures.

It looks at the implications of the specificities of organisations for their PME practice and systems, in relation to the role they play in society, as agents for transformation or providers of basic services, whether they are young small pioneers or big old and established organisations, assessing the quality of their leadership and learning processes, and finally, the sector they work in. The central message is the need to customise PME support to these specificities. It includes a section on the facilitators approach and attitudes.

The book is meant for use by PME facilitators and practitioners, whether they are working in NGOs, in other development organisations, or as desk officers in donor agencies. It does not pretend to prescribe solutions and pathways, but as a source of inspiration. A section on further reading guides the reader to sources of further reading, the facilitators have found useful.

Authors’ weblinks:

John de Coninck: www.crossculturalfoundation.or.ug

Ben Haagsma: IC Consult: www.icconsult.nl

Khilesh Chaturvedi: www.askindia.org

CDRN: www.cdrn.or.ug (this is the organisation that rendered much support in an initial phase)

ICCO: www.icco.nl

Cordaid: www.cordaid.nl

As to the other two authors: Mariecke is still employee of ICCO, though working in Nicaragua; Hans Griffioen is retired, no website, former colleague of IC Consult.

Systematic synthesis of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) project evaluation reports for evidence-based policy: a proof-of-concept study

Pim Kuipers, Sheila Wirz and Sally Hartley
Published: 6 March 2008
BMC International Health and Human Rights 2008, 8:3
Full text via this page > 1472-698X-8-3.pdf

Abstract
Background: This paper presents the methodology and findings from a proof-of-concept study
undertaken to explore the viability of conducting a systematic, largely qualitative synthesis of
evaluation reports emanating from Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) projects in developing
countries.

Methods: Computer assisted thematic qualitative analysis was conducted on recommendation
sections from 37 evaluation reports, arising from 36 disability and development projects in 22
countries. Quantitative overviews and qualitative summaries of the data were developed.
Results: The methodology was found to be feasible and productive. Fifty-one themes were
identified and the most important ones of these are presented to illustrate the significance of the
method. The relative priorities of these themes indicated that “management” issues were the
primary areas in which recommendations were made. Further analysis of themes reflected the
emphasis evaluators placed on the need for enhanced management, organisational, personnel and
administrative infrastructure in CBR projects. Evaluators consistently recommended that CBR
projects should be more connected and collaborative at governmental, organisational, political and
community levels. The synthesis also noted that evaluators questioned the emphasis in CBR on
project expansion and income generation.

Conclusion: The application of the synthesis methodology utilised in this proof-of-concept study
was found to be potentially very beneficial for future research in CBR, and indeed in any area within
health services or international development in which evaluation reports rather than formal
“research evidence” is the primary source material. The proof-of-concept study identified a number
of limitations which are outlined. Based on the conclusions of 37 evaluation reports, future policy
frameworks and implementation strategies in CBR should include a stronger emphasis on technical,
organisational, administrative and personnel aspects of management and strategic leadership.

Round Table on Impact Evaluation: meeting and online

The two days gathering entittled Mapping the Measures of Success: An Expert Round Table on Impact Evaluation for Strengthening Governance of WASH Services has been officially opened. This gathering and online discussion will be held until Wednesday 14 of May -2008. IRC will send a hard copy of the Thematic Overview Paper produced using the inputs from this event to the active participants of the Online Discussion.

The purpose of the Round Table is to map the existing knowledge, practices, experiences and challenges related to evaluating the impact of development interventions in the context of governance of WASH services.

Topics

This event will bring together around 30 experts (by invitation) from different organisations and sectors (universities, (I)NGOs, water sector implementing agencies, resource centres as well as representatives of government and financial agencies) to share knowledge, experience and ideas through a round table platform. Through this facilitated learning and sharing event, the organisers seek to give voice to different perspectives on the following topics:

1. Why do we do impact evaluation? Who is the consumer of impact evaluation results and for what purpose do they need the information?
2. What are the main challenges when trying to identify and measure impact of an intervention focusing on development or institutional change?
3. What can be defined as meaningful ‘measures of success’ or indicators of a project that seeks to strengthen local governance?
4. What can be defined as suitable methods of a project that seeks to strengthen local governance?
5. What limitations and gaps exist in the current impact evaluation discourse?

Online discussion

In order to enable the participation of interested parties not in attendance, a facilitated discussion will also be conducted online through a dedicated blog. Through this it will be possible to comment on the ongoing discussion and access the materials and proceedings related to this event. For more information: Deirdre Casella, e-mail, or Sandra Segura, e-mail.

Advancing the Standards, Practice, and Use of Evaluation

Evaluation News, Operations Evaluation Department, Asian Development Bank, 7 May 2008

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – On 21–24 April 2008, the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) met in Tunis. Its
working groups discussed the standards, practice, and use of evaluation vis-vis the private sector, country strategies and programs, technical assistance, and the public sector. They examined rating scales and criteria, the framework for the review of evaluation functions, and communications. A plenary session deliberated these and a workshop looked at public-private partnerships.

The ECG … includes the African Development Bank, ADB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Fund Monetary , and the World Bank Group. The United Nations Evaluation Group and the Development Assistance Committee Working Group on Evaluation became permanent observer members in 2001 and were joined at the meet by three new observers and prospective members: they are the Council of Europe Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Islamic Development Bank.

Miradi – adaptive management software for conservation projects

(Referred to by Richard Margoluis, on Mande NEWS email list, 8 May 2008)

Miradi – a Swahili word meaning “project” or “goal” – is a user-friendly program that allows nature conservation practitioners to design, manage, monitor, and learn from their projects to more effectively meet their conservation goals. The program guides users through a series of step-by-step interview wizards, based on the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation. As practitioners go through these steps, Miradi helps them to define their project scope, and design conceptual models and spatial maps of their project site. The software helps teams to prioritize threats, develop objectives and actions, and select monitoring indicators to assess the effectiveness of their strategies. Miradi also supports the development of workplans, budgets, and other tools to help practitioners implement and manage their project. Users can export Miradi project data to donor reports or, in the future, to a central database to share their information with other practitioners.