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A step-by-step guide to project monitoring

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Managing a single task is straightforward enough — you put in the work and submit it for review when it’s finished.

In reality, a typical project consists of many moving parts that must work together to meet deadlines. Just one part breaking down can cause delays and financial losses.

Keeping everything on the right track isn’t easy. This is why every project needs to have a system in place to monitor and evaluate its progress.

It sounds obvious enough, but how do you actually do it?

In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth look at what project monitoring and evaluation is, why it’s important, and how to implement it in your organization. We’ll also give you an actionable template you can customize and put what you’ve learned into practice.

What is project monitoring and evaluation?

Project monitoring and evaluation is used to measure a project’s progress. It’s important because it lets you keep tabs on a project and identify potential problems.

Let’s take a closer look at these two concepts.

What is project monitoring?

Project monitoring is the process of keeping a close eye on the entire project management life cycle and ensuring project activities are on the right track.

The success of a project depends on a clearly defined structure. Not having a plan would be like building a house without a blueprint — possible, but incredibly difficult with tons of room for error.

A lack of goals and measurable objectives ( 37% ) is the primary reason why projects fail.

A graph showing project monitoring statistics

( Image Source )

Goals are important for any project because they act as a guide. But just setting an objective isn’t enough. You need to make it a point to check if you’re actually meeting them.

Project monitoring is all about comparing actual performance to the goals you set. If you’re not hitting milestones (e.g., delivering a prototype within a specified time), the project has a high chance of failure.

A project can be divided into five phases in the project management lifecycle : Initiating, Planning, Executing, Closing, and Monitoring and Control.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these phases:

  • Initiation: The project initiation phase outlines the steps and processes that must be approved before any planning begins.
  • Planning: The project planning phase determines the project scope and details the processes for the execution phase.
  • Executing: The project execution phase involves carrying out the activities defined in the planning phase.
  • Closing: The project closeout phase finalizes the project and its completion is communicated to all stakeholders.
  • Monitoring and control: The monitoring and control phase involves making sure the project is on track and incorporating any necessary changes. This happens at the same time as the planning and execution phases.

Project monitoring is the ‘monitoring part’ of the monitoring and control phase.

It involves measuring project-related details (e.g., budgets, schedules, scope, etc.) against your goals to ensure you’re on the right track.

Now let’s take a look at project evaluation.

What is project evaluation?

Project evaluation is the ‘control’ part of the monitoring and control phase. It involves looking at the information you gather from monitoring and making decisions based on it (e.g., do we need to adjust schedules or fast track certain processes to meet deadlines?).

Not every project goes according to plan. Costs might exceed the initial budget, team members might miss their deadlines due to scope creep , a stakeholder may suddenly back out, etc.

But project issues are also perfect learning opportunities to identify where things in the project plan started to go awry.

This is what a project evaluation framework is all about. Evaluating why a project is heading off course allows time for intervention.

Best case, you discover an issue early enough to get back on course. Worst case, you gain valuable insights that you can use to improve future workflows.

The evaluation process happens throughout the project — not just after project objectives are met. There may also be more in-depth evaluations at big milestones, like the retrospective at the end of a sprint.

Companies waste an average of 11.4% of their investment on projects due to poor performance. Project monitoring and evaluation is a tool to help you improve a project’s overall efficiency by catching and resolving issues before it’s too late.

Let’s look at how you can get started.

How to get started with project monitoring and evaluation

Project monitoring and evaluation enables you to make better decisions about ongoing and future projects. Here’s some framework and steps you can follow to get started.

#1: Create a plan for monitoring and evaluating your projects

The first step is to create a process for how you will monitor and evaluate your projects. Start with the following steps:

  • Organize your projects: You need a platform or system to capture and organize your data in one place. Use project management software to keep tabs on different phases of a project. Here’s an example of how teams are monitoring the project scope in monday.com:

A screenshot showing the project management software from Monday.com

  • Identify responsibilities: Who will be responsible for monitoring each phase of the project and conducting evaluations? How will they determine and measure project success? Designate stakeholder roles as early as possible and create a checklist of their responsibilities.
  • Record project bottlenecks: What were some issues that you or your project team experienced? Make sure to record those incidents, including how you addressed them and what the outcome was.
  • Create an evaluation plan: Will you conduct evaluations every week or after each phase of the project is complete? Collect feedback from your team to get their thoughts on how workflows can be improved.

#2: Monitor performance in real-time

Whether you’re managing a construction project or launching a new product, you need a real-time view of what’s happening to monitor your projects and make informed decisions.

Here’s an example of how the team at monday.com monitors and manages project implementation in real-time:

A screenshot of the marketing workload from Monday.com

Monitoring performance in real-time enables you to track each team member’s progress and allocate resources accordingly.

The last thing you want is to work with outdated information, which is exactly the kind of issue that M Booth, a digital PR agency in New York City, experienced.

Their team was copying and pasting information from Basecamp into a spreadsheet to see everything in one place. But problems arose when one platform was updated and the other wasn’t. This meant that some employees were working with outdated data.

Click here to read M Booth’s story and access the template they now use to monitor everything in one place.

#3: Evaluate project reports

Was the project delivered on time? Or were there unexpected setbacks?

Answering these questions is what project monitoring and evaluating is all about. But you need to collect the right data and assess the results to find the answers.

Pull reports from an ongoing or completed project and evaluate your key performance indicators (KPIs) — metrics that gauge your project’s performance.

Reviewing reports can help you understand how your team is performing against their goals and pinpoint where timelines started to deviate.

Here’s a quick glance of a project report created in monday.com:

A project report in the form of a pie chart from Monday.com

#4: Improve workflow processes

If a project didn’t meet the deadline, dig deeper to find out why. What were some of the setbacks? How were they eventually resolved?

Don’t stop there though. Use our incident management template to record any incidents and how you addressed them.

An incident management template from Monday.com

If anyone on your team runs into a similar issue for future projects, they can refer to the board for a solution.

#5: Focus on learning and improving

Project monitoring and evaluation lets you keep tabs on projects, evaluate their progress, and improve processes. Just making one change can have a huge impact on future projects.

For example, the team at monday.com turned hours of tedious meetings into a single 20-minute session just by adding more boards.

But we also recognize there’s always room for improvement, so the team is constantly focusing on learning and improving. That’s the additional reward of project monitoring and evaluation.

Even after implementing a new change, don’t celebrate just yet. Continue learning from and optimizing your evaluation system to make your work processes even more productive.

In a perfect world, all of your projects would go according to plan. Everything would be completed on time and within budget.

But that doesn’t always happen in reality — employees may miss deadlines due to personal emergencies, external stakeholders may back out without explanation, etc.

Project monitoring and evaluation enables you to identify and mitigate issues that may impact the project scope, quality, timeline, or budget. You can then take those insights and use them to optimize processes for future projects.

Use this project tracker template to monitor projects and get a high-level view of where everything stands — all from one place. You can easily customize the template and create a tailored plan that fits your workflow.

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Project monitoring guide: process, types, tools & techniques.

Project management involves more than just assigning and reviewing assigned tasks. It also includes workload management , risk management , resource allocation , project reporting , and more.

Project monitoring is another essential project management phase, helping to measure project performance at each stage of a project’s life cycle.

In this article, we’ll explore the role of project monitoring and explain how it aids project managers and key stakeholders in tracking project milestones.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

“We have become 20% more profitable because everyone is in the habit of time tracking.” – Richard Wingfield, Head Geek at Envision Design

What is project monitoring?

Project monitoring is an ongoing process that helps track progress, control processes, observe, and measure the project’s performance and progress against its previously defined objectives and plans.

For project monitoring and control (aka project controlling) purposes, project managers must collect and analyze data and project-related details to ensure that the project stays on course, follows timelines, and meets its goals.

The real-time insights project monitoring tools provide are crucial for project stakeholders and managers to make proper decisions during the entire project’s life cycle .

project monitoring

Importance and benefits of project monitoring

Efficient resource optimization.

By continuously monitoring and controlling how resources are allocated and used, a project monitoring process helps optimize the allocation of manpower, finances, and materials.

It helps a project manager to assign tasks and align the project schedule according to the workload and timelines.

Identification of issues

Project monitoring helps detect potential issues, risks, or deviations from the project plan, sometimes very early in the game, helping avoid more significant problems. 

By continuously monitoring the project’s progress, a project manager can avoid scope creep and going over budget.

Efficient communication

Regular project monitoring and control, as well as project reports at different stages of a project’s execution phase, promote effective communication with team members and stakeholders involved in the project. It provides up-to-date information, building trust and promoting confidence in the project’s progress.

Quality control

Proper project monitoring techniques ensure that project deliverables meet quality standards and help project managers address quality issues as soon as they arise.

More flexibility and adaptability

Projects are dynamic, and external factors may impact multiple projects along their journey. Project monitoring streamlines project planning and allows teams to adapt to scope or market conditions changes, ensuring that the project aligns with evolving circumstances.

Performance evaluation at every step

Project monitoring facilitates the evaluation of team and individual performance.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Types of project monitoring

1. process monitoring.

Process monitoring, or activity monitoring, mainly aims to track resource utilization and inputs while understanding how outputs and results are delivered.

2. Beneficiary monitoring

Focused on tracking the beneficiaries related to the project. It may also include complaints and satisfaction related to this project.

3. Compliance monitoring

Compliance monitoring checks if the project complies with the grants, local laws, contracts, ethical standards, and overall compliance with the entire project plan.

4. Financial monitoring 

As its name suggests, this monitoring tool is used to track the financial efficiency of the project. Additionally, it analyzes the expenditure of the allocated project budget.

5. Result monitoring

It helps to determine and evaluate whether the project is on the right path to achieving the expected result. It also helps collect data regarding the project’s overall impact and effects.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

What is the role of project monitoring in project management? 

Project monitoring plays a pivotal role in the broader context of project management, especially by helping identify and mitigate risks since it provides insights into potential challenges.

The data gathered from monitoring supports project managers in decision-making processes and identifying areas requiring improvement.

Project monitoring and control also serve as a tool for measuring project performance against key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring alignment with organizational goals, and maintaining adaptability and good communication.

Read also: How to do a project profitability analysis

What are the key components of an effective project monitoring process?

Establishing project milestones and objectives.

  • Defining SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These goals provide a clear roadmap for the project team and measure success.
  • Aligning project goals with the organization – establish a strong connection between project goals and broader organizational objectives to ensure the successful execution of the project. This alignment ensures that the project contributes meaningfully to the organization.

Developing a project monitoring plan

  • Comprehensive monitoring plan – Start the planning phase by outlining a detailed project monitoring plan with specific steps, activities, and timelines. This plan serves as a roadmap for project monitoring and aids project managers with the controlling process.
  • Identifying KPIs – Select relevant KPIs for the project objectives. These measurable indicators help evaluate the actual progress and the project’s success.

Read also: How to create a project timeline

Data collection and analysis

  • Methods and tools – Implement methods and project monitoring tools to review project status. This may include, for example, regular status meetings, purchasing project management software, and running surveys to capture data.
  • Analyzing data – Employ the necessary analytical processes to interpret collected data. This analysis not only evaluates performance against KPIs but also identifies trends, potential risks, and areas for improvement.

Reporting and communication

  • Clear and concise project management reports – Develop project monitoring reports that are clear, concise, and tailored to the needs of the stakeholders.
  • Robust communication – Maintain effective communication channels for sharing project performance information with stakeholders. Open communication fosters transparency and trust among stakeholders and team members.

These components collectively form the foundation of an effective project monitoring system.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

How to create a project monitoring plan

Creating a project management monitoring and control plan is essential. It guarantees your project stays on track and meets its objectives.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you develop an effective project monitoring plan:

  • Define the project’s goals

How are you defining the project’s success? Clearly articulate the project’s goals and deliverables. Picture what success looks like for your project so that you can establish a baseline for the monitoring and control process.

  • Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs)

Determine the KPIs that align with the project’s goals . These could include time, cost, quality, scope creep, and other relevant factors.

  • Establish metrics

After identifying all the tasks and KPIs, set metrics for each point. This serves as a reference point for measuring progress and variations in general throughout the project life cycle.

  • Define monitoring methods and tools

Choose the methods and tools for monitoring the project’s progress. This may include methods like regular status meetings and progress project reports , and tools, including a time tracking app or your project management software.

  • Determine the frequency of monitoring and control

Usually, project managers monitor their projects on a daily basis. However, a standardised control phase will may vary based on project timelines, complexity, and the criticality of certain tasks. Regular, monitoring and control phase ensures that issues are identified promptly.

  • Distribute responsibilities

A project manager would usually assign roles and responsibilities for the entire project monitoring process. Designate individuals or teams responsible for tracking specific KPIs and reporting on progress.

  • Integrate risk management

When you implement a project monitoring process, integrate risk management into the monitoring plan. Identify potential risks, develop mitigation strategies, and establish a process for monitoring and addressing risks as they arise.

  • Define a process to handle changes 

Define a project controlling process for managing changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget. Effective change control is crucial for minimizing project risks.

  • Implement space for continuous improvement

Create mechanisms for capturing lessons learned throughout the project. Regularly review monitoring and controlling data to identify areas for improvement.

  • Review and update the plan as needed

A project monitoring plan is a dynamic document. Regularly review and update the plan as the project progresses. 

project monitoring process

Best practices for project monitoring and controlling

Regular monitoring and evaluation.

  •  Importance of continuous monitoring throughout the project lifecycle

It’s crucial to highlight the significance of ongoing monitoring throughout the project lifecycle. Regular oversight ensures the identification of problems and facilitates proactive decision-making.

  • Conducting periodic evaluations for corrective actions

Periodic evaluations help to assess project performance. Use evaluation findings to optimize the project’s trajectory. Periodically review and update the monitoring plan based on project progress and changes in scope. 

Real-time tracking and reporting

  • Utilizing project management software for real-time tracking

Take preference for a tool with real-time tracking features and implement project management tools that offer these capabilities. These tools provide instant visibility into project status, enabling proactive decision-making.

  • Automated reporting for efficient communication

Define clear reporting protocols, including the frequency and format of project monitoring reports. Reports should be concise, highlighting key metrics and explaining any deviations from the original plan.

  • Implementing risk management strategies

Integrate risk management into the monitoring process. Identify potential risks, and develop mitigation plans.

Stakeholder engagement

  • Involving stakeholders in project monitoring activities

Engage stakeholders actively in project monitoring activities. Their involvement ensures alignment with the project’s goals.

  • Addressing concerns and feedback from stakeholders

Foster transparent communication within the project team and with stakeholders. Regularly share project status updates, challenges, and successes to maintain a collaborative environment.

project monitoring techniques

Project monitoring techniques

Monitoring a project involves employing various techniques. These are the most commonly used.

Gantt Charts

Charts that visually depict project schedules, all the tasks, and dependencies. They serve as effective tools for tracking project tasks and progress , identifying blockages, and managing timelines.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Measurable metrics are utilized to gauge project performance objectively. They offer quantitative data for evaluating progress and pinpointing areas that require improvement.

Earned Value Management (EVM)

Integrates project costs, project schedule,, and performance data to assess project progress in one place. By comparing planned and actual performance, it identifies forecasts for project outcomes.

Risk Assessment Matrix

Risk Assessment Matrix aids in the identification, prioritization, and ongoing monitoring of project risks. These matrices assign probabilities and impacts to risks, enabling proactive risk management.

Milestone Tracking

Enables project managers to monitor progress and ensure completion in time of key deliverables. This technique ensures that the project stays on its pre-defined path.

Read also: Examples of milestones in project management

Critical Path Method (CPM)

It breaks down the project into different progress phases using charts. The critical path is the longest sequence of tasks that need to be completed before the project concludes.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Project monitoring tools

Project monitoring software and tools are crucial in keeping projects on track and ensuring efficient collaboration. Here’s an overview of some popular options, comparing their features.

Timeular: Track time in the most effortless, smart and secure way

Timeular is a project time tracker that allows you to easily monitor project progress, identify bottlenecks, allocate resources efficiently, and ensure your projects stay on schedule and within budget.

  • Automatic time tracking : Fill in your time sheets automatically based on app usage, visited websites and scheduled calendar events.
  • Billable hours tracking : Automatically calculate billable hours based on hourly rates and hours worked.
  • Productivity tracker : Track the productivity of your team by tracking how much is dedicated to each task. Identify time-wasting activities and move resources to revenue-generating tasks.
  • One-click time reports: Create your timesheets with a single click!
  • Integrations with top project management tools , i.e. Jira, Asana, ClickUp, and more.
  • Optional time tracker hardware to foster a time tracking habit. A physical Tracker is an 8-sided dice. You can assign over 1,000 activities to it and flip it to track your activity’s time. Personalize it with stickers and pens and track time with a simple flip.
  • Budget monitoring: Monitor your project budgets automatically and receive alerts when you are approaching a limit.

Track your project’s progress in the most effortless way

“My time spent on revenue-generating projects has increased by ~10% each week and time in meetings decreased by about 1-2 meeting per week.” – Angela Morisette, SVP Business Operations at Scratch Financial

Trello is a widely used visual collaboration tool that organizes projects into boards. It is one of the best work prioritization tools that uses cards and boards to track project tasks and progress.

  • Intuitive Kanban-style interface
  • Customizable boards and lists
  • Task assignment and due dates
  • Integration with various third-party apps

Asana is a project management tool that helps teams organize and track work. It offers features for task management, collaboration, and project tracking.

  • Task assignments and due dates
  • Project timelines and calendars
  • Communication and collaboration tools
  • Integration with other productivity apps
  • Suitable for large and small teams

Read also: How to track time in Asana

Jira is a powerful project management and issue-tracking tool widely used in software development projects.

  • Agile project management
  • Customizable workflows
  • Advanced reporting and analytics
  • Integration with development tools

Related content: Jira time tracking

Monday.com is a platform that powers teams to run projects and workflows with confidence.

  • Customizable boards and views
  • Work automation
  • Collaboration and communication tools
  • Integration with popular apps and services

TIP: Discover the best Monday.com time tracker

ClickUp is a full project management software platform offering a wide range of tasks management, collaboration, and productivity features.

  • Customizable workspaces and views
  • Task management with due dates and priorities
  • Intuitive reporting
  • Integrations with various third-party apps

Read also: Time tracking in ClickUp

Each project monitoring tool has its unique features or benefits. Choosing the right tool depends on the project’s specific needs, the size of the team, and the preferred project management methodologies.

When selecting the most suitable project monitoring software, it’s essential to consider factors such as ease of use or integration capabilities.

Effective project monitoring, a critical aspect of project execution, is essential for project success. Project managers play a key role in this, especially during the monitoring and control phase, where continuous evaluation is crucial. Project monitoring refers to the ongoing commitment of vigilance, adaptability, and technology utilization to anticipate issues and address problems promptly.

Technology emerges as a vital “ingredient” for successful project management in real-life scenarios. It ensures projects meet goals and adapt to changing conditions, preventing failures, delays, and budget overruns.

To enhance project monitoring, organizations and managers must embrace technology for real-time insights, employing time-tracking tools. Transparent communication among stakeholders and team members fosters active engagement throughout the project.

Project monitoring is not merely a task but a mindset, continually seeking improvement opportunities. This mindset ensures projects navigate challenges, adapt to changes, and ultimately succeed in fulfilling their objectives.

How can project monitoring and controlling help in stakeholder engagement?

Project monitoring enhances stakeholder engagement by allowing for transparency and collaboration. It enables real-time communication, addressing stakeholder concerns as quickly as possible and facilitating their active involvement in the project’s dynamics.

How do real-time tracking and reporting benefit project monitoring?

Time tracking in real-time and reporting significantly contribute to successful project execution, monitoring, and controlling by providing immediate insights into the project’s dynamics.

With up-to-the-minute data, decision-makers such as project managers can make informed decisions, assign resources best, and proactively address challenges.

You might be interested in:

  • How to track costs in project management
  • The best PMP certification programs
  • Project manager roles and responsibilities
  • Time tracking in project management
  • The best AI tools
  • What is project billing and invoicing?
  • How to improve project management skills

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8 tools for successful project monitoring

8 tools for successful project monitoring

Table of contents, why is project monitoring important, what do i have to monitor, 1. progress: how much is still to be done, 2. status: where are the issues, 3. milestone trend analysis: can we meet deadline xy, 4. schedule variance: will the project be finished on time, 5. schedule performance index: how much more time do we need for the project, 6. cost variance: are we on budget, 7. cost performance index: what additional costs do we get for the project, 8. contribution margin: is the project profitable for us, systematic solution for your project monitoring.

Project monitoring, or project controlling, is the ongoing monitoring of your projects . Even the best projects never run exactly according to plan. Therefore, it is important to permanently compare the actual state with the target state. Only then can you recognize deviations in time and take countermeasures.

A saying by Peter Drucker says: “What gets measured gets done”. Although this statement is simplistic, it hits the nail on the head. In project management, it is particularly important to take this rule to heart, because it highlights three key points:

Make concrete targets: Very central to project monitoring is to first be clear about what goals you want to achieve with the project. Record these goals in concrete terms. Specifications such as “rapid completion” or “a satisfied customer” are of little help. It is better to formulate the goal as concretely as possible, e.g. “Completion by … at the latest”.

Collect the right key figures: To determine whether you are achieving your project goals, you need a benchmark that tells you the current state of affairs. This metric should be easy to collect and allow you to either make a direct comparison of target and actuals or an estimate for the future.

Prioritize your requirements: Just because you can measure something doesn’t automatically mean you should. With too many metrics, you create unnecessary bureaucracy and lose sight of the big picture. Be guided by your project goals and measure only important requirements.

What tools and metrics should I use for project monitoring?

Most project goals lie within the “Magic Triangle”. This refers to three variables that typically make up the success of a project. Specifically, they are:

  • Time: Can I complete the project on time? That is, within the time frame I have estimated for the project.
  • Cost: Is the cost of the project within the range I have calculated for it?
  • Performance: Does the result of the project meet the requirements I have set for the project in terms of quality and scope?

Does your project monitoring also revolve around these questions? Then the following 5 tools and metrics will help you measure your project success.

Project progress is a percentage that indicates what portion of the work you have already completed in a project. It is calculated based on the information provided by your project team. Completed tasks have a progress of 100%, work packages that have not yet been started have a progress of 0%. Progress can also be specified for tasks that are currently being processed, e.g. 50%.

Based on the progress of the individual work packages, you can derive the progress of your subprojects and the overall project . To do this, simply add up the progress of all the work packages in each sub-project and divide by the number of work packages.

Example: A (sub-)project consists of five work packages, three of which have already been completed, the fourth halfway, and work package five has not yet been started. Then the project progress is currently (100% + 100% + 100% + 50% + 0%)/5 = 70%.

If your project consists of several subprojects, you can add up the progress of the subprojects and divide it by the number of subprojects. In order to be able to draw meaningful conclusions, work projects and subprojects should each be approximately the same size, because the method treats all work packages the same and does not differentiate between small and large tasks.

A spreadsheet program such as Excel can help you with the calculation. It is even more convenient with project management software such as projectfacts. In it, employees can directly enter their current progress, and the system automatically does the calculation for you.

The project progress is particularly meaningful if you compare it with another key figure, e.g. the time already elapsed or the budget used up. The Earned Value (EV) is used for this purpose:

Earned Value (EV) = Project Progress * Project Budget.

Progress and status provide you with an initial overview of the state of your project. Both metrics are as simple as they are meaningful. Although they are related, they mean two different things. While progress is a percentage, status is more or less a keyword that indicates the current state of a task , e.g. “open”, “on hold” or “completed”.

The status thus provides valuable additional information about why a task is not yet complete. In software tools for project monitoring, statuses can usually be freely selected and combined into workflows. Employees can view the current status of a task (e.g., “open”) and set it to a predefined next status (e.g., “in progress”).

Example of a status workflow:

Open > In progress > For approval > Completed.

Statuses can also be assigned a color. This way you set up a kind of traffic light system to monitor the work. Irregularities such as missing material or a waiting approval then draw attention to themselves with a signal color.

Such a traffic light system can be implemented with spreadsheet tools such as Excel. However, a special software solution such as projectfacts is simpler and easier to maintain. In it, you define project statuses freely according to your wishes and, in the case of large projects, can filter specifically for the statuses that are relevant to you.

Milestones are particularly important for project success. They mark important events for the company or prerequisites for the further course of the project. They often have far-reaching consequences for the company itself and possibly also for other project partners. Therefore, the question is obvious whether a certain milestone date can probably be met.

In Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA) , you create a grid in which the milestone dates are plotted on the vertical axis and the analysis dates are plotted on the horizontal axis. On the far left, you mark the dates by which the milestones should be reached according to your planning. For each new analysis time, you re-estimate when the milestones are expected to be reached based on the current progress of the project.

This results in a progress line for each milestone. If the line always stays at the same level, the project is progressing as planned. If the line rises, it means that your milestones are moving further and further into the future. The project is therefore behind schedule. If the dates jump up and down alternately, there is no systematic delay yet, but it is also uncertain whether the deadline can be met.

Whether a project will be completed on time is probably one of the most common questions in project management. Many large projects show that even professionals struggle with this question. To ensure that your projects don’t suffer the same fate, we present below two key figures that you can use to quickly identify and even anticipate schedule deviations.

One method of detecting schedule delays makes use of budget planning. This involves comparing the current earned value (EV) with the planned costs (PC) estimated for the work already completed. Schedule Variance (SV) is calculated as follows:

Schedule Variance (SV) = Earned Value (EV) – Planned Costs (PC).

< 0: The project is behind schedule.

> 0: The project is ahead of schedule.

If the planned cost is greater than the earned value, it indicates that the project is behind schedule. In the opposite case, the project is even ahead of schedule.

A related metric to schedule deviation is Schedule Performance Index (SPI) . It uses the same values, but is calculated slightly differently than schedule deviation.

Schedule Performance Index (SPI) = Earned Value (EV) / Planned Costs (PC)

< 1: The project takes (100/SPI)-100 % longer than planned.

> 1: The project takes only (100/SPI)-100 % of the planned time.

The special thing about the schedule performance index is that it gives you an indication of how much your project is delayed. For example, if you get an SPI of 0.8, that means an expected delay of (100/0.8)-100% = 25%. So you should allow a quarter more time for your project than originally estimated. Of course, it is easier to let a project monitoring software do the calculation for you than to do it manually.

Also for the budget some key figures help you to evaluate your project. The simplest form is also here the target/actual comparison. The Cost Variance (CV) is obtained by subtracting the actual cost (AC) from the earned value (EV).

Cost Variance (CV) = Earned Value (EV) – Actual Cost (AC)

< 0: The project is above budget.

> 0: The project is within budget.

If the result is negative, the actual costs are greater than the current earned value. The project is therefore above budget. A positive result indicates that the costs are within the set limits.

Similar to project time, you can use the earned value and actual costs to estimate whether the budget is sufficient for the project overall. If you divide both values, you get the Cost Performance Index (CPI) .

Cost Performance Index (CPI) = Earned Value (EV) / Actual Costs (AC)

< 1: The budget is exceeded by (100/CPI)-100 %.

> 1: The budget is only needed by (100/CPI)-100 %.

For example, if you have calculated a cost performance index of 0.75, the budget will probably not be met. If the costs continue to develop as before, additional costs of (100/0.75)-100% = 33% will be incurred. The project will therefore be one-third more expensive as things stand.

The contribution margin is an absolutely central business parameter. However, especially in projects it is often treated stepmotherly, because tracking all revenues and costs is time-consuming – at least if you try to do it with pen and paper (or Excel). Project monitoring software like projectfacts relieves you of much of the work.

Labor costs: Decisive for labor costs is the time your team invests in a project. With projectfacts project time tracking, all your project members can track working hours on those tasks you have worked on. For billing, the software automatically accesses the appropriate internal hourly rate. Surcharges for night and weekend work are also automatically taken into account.

Material costs: This generally refers to costs incurred by third-party suppliers, often for materials, but possibly also for personnel or expertise. You can track the related invoices digitally with projectfacts by photographing them or dragging and dropping them into the system.

Project revenues: The project revenues are usually the easiest to determine, because they are usually based on the order value of the customer. In projectfacts the order is directly linked to the project.

Costs and revenues are automatically summarized in projectfacts and the contribution margin is calculated. From this you can see whether your project has been economically worthwhile. In addition, you also receive a variety of other information and options for analysis , for example …

  • Which work packages cause particularly high costs?
  • With which project tasks is your team most busy?
  • In which project phase do the largest target/actual deviations occur?
  • And much more.

With our tools, you can keep an eye on your projects and ensure that your project is a success. Especially if you manage several projects in parallel, the investment in a professional software solution is worthwhile. projectfacts offers you everything you need for multi-project management.

Test the software for 14 days free of charge and convince yourself of the advantages of our project monitoring software.

Martin Moosbrugger

Martin Moosbrugger

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

In this article.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Monitoring and Evaluation Tools: A Comprehensive Guide

Monitoring and Evaluation Tools are methodologies, software, and procedures used to assess the performance and impact of projects, programs, or policies. These tools are essential for tracking progress, ensuring accountability, and optimizing outcomes. They enable organizations to gather, analyze, and report data to measure effectiveness and guide decision-making.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) are critical components of project management, enabling organizations to track progress, assess the effectiveness of initiatives, and make informed decisions. This article explores M&E tools, discussing their importance, components, popular tools, implementation strategies, and future trends.

Basics of Monitoring and Evaluation

At its core, M&E involves assessing various aspects of a project or program to ensure it meets its objectives. Monitoring collects and analyzes information to track progress, while evaluation assesses data to determine project success and impact.

Effective M&E is crucial for project success. It helps identify potential issues early, ensures efficient use of resources, and provides accountability to stakeholders. It also aids in learning and adapting strategies for future projects.

Evaluating M&E tools

Setting clear objectives and measurable indicators is the foundation of effective M&E. Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). At the same time, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide a quantifiable measure of progress.

We organize monitoring and evaluation tools into distinct categories based on the type of organization and the potential value they offer:

  • M&E Tools for Stakeholder Insight : These include strategy development, surveys, and AI analytics.
  • M&E Tools for Small/Medium-Sized NGOs : Focused on survey-only tools with limited resources
  • M&E Suites : Comprehensive platforms designed for diverse data collection, aggregation, analytics and dashboards
Future of M & E is power of now! Stakeholder-first, data collection and analytics from months to minutes, no deep tech skills needed! Just need passion to continuously learn and improve- Unmesh Sheth

M&E Tools for Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholders are essential to any social purpose organization. Typically, understanding them starts with qualitative analysis through stakeholder surveys. However, while widely used tools like Nvivo have helped thousands of impact practitioners, this approach can take hundreds of hours for analysis and still introduce biases in reporting.

Enter modern platforms like Sopact. These platforms have revolutionized the evaluation of qualitative data, making longitudinal studies and analysis for different funders much more efficient and consistent. This reduction in variations marks a significant improvement in the field.

We strongly believe that this particular category of M&E tool is the future of monitoring and evaluation. Therefore, we will start with this category first, examining a few traditional tools and illustrating how modern approaches are changing the game.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Monitoring and Evaluation Software ( M & E Software )

In the digital age, software tools have become integral to M&E. These tools offer features like real-time data analysis, dashboard visualization, and automated reporting. People still use manual tools like surveys, interviews, and observation techniques.

Implementing Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

Implementing M&E tools requires careful planning, integration into existing systems, and stakeholder training. Planning and support can overcome common challenges such as resistance to change, technical issues, and limited resources.

The Future of Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

New technologies like AI, big data analysis, and cloud computing shape the future of media and entertainment tools. These innovations promise to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of M&E practices.

Qualitative Analysis Tools

Qualitative analyzing tools are software applications designed to facilitate the analysis of non-numeric data such as text, video, audio, and images. These tools help understand social sciences, market research, customer feedback, user experience research, and healthcare.

Leading Qualitative Data Analysis Tools

project evaluation and monitoring tools

  • Description :A widely used tool that supports deep qualitative data analysis, offering features like coding, text analysis, and visualization.
  • Benefits : NVIVO supports various data types, has strong data organization capabilities, and offers advanced data coding and analysis features. It is particularly useful for handling large volumes of data.
  • Limitations : It has a steep learning curve and can be quite expensive. The complexity of its features might be overwhelming for new users.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

  • Description : This tool is known for its ability to manage and analyze textual, graphical, audio, and video data.
  • Benefits : Atlas.ti offers robust data coding options and is user-friendly, making it suitable for beginners. It also supports a variety of data formats. ‍
  • Limitations : It can be costly, and some users may find its interface less intuitive than other tools.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

  • Description : MAXQDA specializes in qualitative and mixed-methods data analysis, offering text analysis, coding, and data visualization.
  • The software can handle different data types and has advanced analyzing features, known for its easy-to-use interface.
  • Limitations : It can be costly and have too many features for some users, like other tools for qualitative analyzing.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

  • An online tool for studying and analyzing different types of research using text, photos, audio, videos, and data.
  • Benefits : Dedoose is budget-friendly, offers cloud-based collaboration, and is accessible from various devices. Suitable for team-based projects.
  • Limitations : It depends on internet speed and may not be as powerful as standalone software for large data sets.

Benefits of Using Qualitative Analyzing Tools

  • Efficient Data Organization: These tools help systematically organize large volumes of unstructured data, making it easier to analyze.
  • Deep Insights enable researchers to delve deep into the data, uncover patterns, and extract meaningful insights.
  • AI and machine learning in platforms like Impact Cloud revolutionize qualitative data analysis with a fresh approach.
  • Time-Saving: Automates labor-intensive tasks like coding and analyzing themes, saving significant time.
  • Collaboration Features: Many tools offer collaborative features, making it easier for teams to work together on complex projects.

Limitations of Qualitative Analysis Tools

  • Cost: Many of these tools are expensive, which can be a barrier for individual researchers or small organizations.
  • Learning Curve: These tools often require effective training, which can be time-consuming.
  • Relying too much on software for analysis can limit the depth of manual analysis and interpretation.
  • Technical Issues: Being software, they can encounter technical glitches and require regular updates and maintenance.

Qualitative analyzing tools are important for researchers working with non-numeric data, providing efficiency and in-depth analyzing benefits. However, their cost, learning curve, and the potential for over-reliance are factors that users must consider.

Monitoring and Evaluation Survey

While tools like Kobotoolbox (Free), SurveyCTO, and Commcare are popular in resource-constrained NGOs, they often overlook a critical aspect: the skill required for effective M&E strategy design, data collection, and analytics. This gap can delay success in terms of quality and time. Here, modern platforms like Sopact emerge as significant game-changers.

Comparatively, tools like SurveyCTO, ActivityInfo, and Toladata might seem more affordable, but the overall value of modern tools like the Sopact Impact Cloud (Sopact Survey) is unparalleled. The Sopact Survey specializes in integrating strategy, data collection, aggregation, and business intelligence, making it ideal for organizations seeking a comprehensive solution from data handling to analysis. It also aligns with popular data collection tools such as Kobotoolbox, SurveyCTO, Dimagi, Survey Monkey, Google Forms, and Microsoft Forms.

KoboToolbox stands out for its ease of use and robust features, particularly suited to basic mobile data collection in humanitarian and research sectors. SurveyCTO offers a secure and scalable data collection platform, ideal for situations where data security and scalability are key.

The addition of ActivityInfo and Toladata to this mix brings more options to the table. ActivityInfo specializes in flexibility and adaptability, perfect for organizations needing customizable data collection and reporting. Toladata, on the other hand, excels in donor management and reporting, catering to NGOs requiring robust donor engagement and reporting capabilities.

Each tool has its unique strengths, making them suitable for different types of organizations and data collection needs. Sopact Survey is the go-to for organizations desiring an all-in-one solution, while KoboToolbox and SurveyCTO are excellent for basic data collection needs.

In summary, the future of M&E is embodied in the power of now with tools like Sopact – emphasizing a stakeholder-first approach, transforming data collection and analytics from months to minutes, all without the need for deep technical skills.

Sopact Impact Cloud stands out for its comprehensive suite of features, AI analytics, and extensive system integration capabilities, making it a robust choice for organizations looking for an all-encompassing data solution. KoboToolbox and SurveyCTO, while more focused on basic data collection and security, respectively, cater well to specific needs within the humanitarian, research, and NGO sectors.

M&E Tools Suite

A "Monitoring and Evaluation Tools Suite" encompasses a comprehensive set of software solutions tailored to assist organizations in effectively tracking, assessing, and managing their projects and programs. In this comparison, we will explore three prominent tools within this suite: Tola Data, ActivityInfo, and DevResults. These tools play a pivotal role in helping organizations monitor progress, evaluate impact, and make data-informed decisions. Each tool brings its unique strengths to the table, catering to the diverse needs of NGOs, humanitarian agencies, and development organizations. In this analysis, we will delve into the features, benefits, and limitations of these tools to assist you in selecting the one that best aligns with your organization's monitoring and evaluation requirements.

Monitoring and Evaluation tools are indispensable for effective project management. They provide crucial insights, enable informed decision-making, and ensure accountability. These tools will become even more integral to successful project outcomes as technology evolves.

Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

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What is the difference between monitoring and evaluation, how do m&e tools handle data privacy and security, can other software integrate m&e tools, related articles.

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Guide to Project Monitoring and Control Phase of Project Management

By Kate Eby | March 8, 2022

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Monitoring and control provide project managers with real-time status reporting that informs decisions and maintains communication among stakeholders. Project managers use monitoring data to determine if work is on task, on budget, and delivered on time.

Included on this page, you’ll learn how to create a project and control plan and best practices for implementing the plan .

What Is Project Monitoring and Control?

Project monitoring and control helps you measure project performance. Use the process to look at the project plan, review project status, identify potential problems, and implement changes when necessary. This phase coincides with the execution phase of the project lifecycle.

You can use this phase to keep a project on schedule and within budget while also managing risk and avoiding scope creep. At the end of the monitoring and control phase, the customer accepts the completed project deliverables.

What Is the Main Purpose of the Project Monitoring and Control Phase in Project Management?

The primary purpose of monitoring and control in project management is to identify problems before they occur and make adjustments. These changes may require reevaluating and updating the project plan.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Alan Zucker, Founder of Project Management Essentials, LLC , who has more than 25 years of project leadership and management experience in Fortune 100 companies, identifies the purpose of monitoring and control: "Project managers regularly track performance focusing on cost, schedule, and scope. If the project is off-track, the project manager takes corrective action."

Importance of Project Monitoring and Control

Project monitoring and control are essential to completing a project on time, on budget, and within scope. Monitoring and control processes identify deviations from the project plan. Project monitoring and control ensure that performance is seamless, efficient, and on track. 

Alan Zucker describes the importance of project monitoring and control for delivering a successful project: "Project managers know that no project proceeds perfectly according to plan. We must be diligent in tracking performance to see if it meets our expectations for success. If not, we must determine what is needed to keep the project on track."

Project Monitoring and Control Process

The monitoring and control process tracks performance metrics to keep a project on schedule, on budget, and within scope. The process helps project teams discover problems before they occur. 

  • Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Monitoring KPIs keeps project deliverables on track and performance up to date. Project managers use data on timelines, budgets, and quality to enable better decisions, make changes to avoid problems, and capitalize on opportunities. 
  • Monitor Change Requests: Measuring project performance data helps reveal whether the project is on track or if changes are necessary. If the project is off course, then a change request will be submitted and implemented to make a course correction. 
  • Monitor Project Scope: This step helps ensure that any changes to the project scope are verified and documented. You’ll need to update any relevant documents, such as a project scope statement and work breakdown structure . You’ll also want to determine any timeline and cost adjustments that are relative to a scope increase that can cause a shift in strategy.
  • Identify Risks: Ideally, risk identification should occur throughout a project; when risks arise, you have the relevant information available to make the right decision. 
  • Communicate with Team Members, Stakeholders, and Clients: Maintaining regular communication keeps projects on track and helps avoid misunderstandings that cost time and money. It’s vital that stakeholders and team members receive all relevant information in a timely manner.

How to Create a Project Monitoring and Control Plan

A project monitoring and control plan integrates factors such as success, scope, schedule, resources, risk, and costs. The plan is developed during the  project lifecycle’s planning phase . 

  • Outline the project. Establish scope, schedule, and budget baselines for benchmarking according to the project plan. The plan defines project goals, resources, and milestones. 
  • Break down the project into subtasks or units of work . A work breakdown structure is a useful tool that project managers can use to create subtasks and manage work. This visualization helps project managers track and simplify performance and deliverables. 
  • Execute the project plan, and report and analyze to identify variances. Determine if variances are acceptable and continue to monitor them. Find the cause of unacceptable variances and make adjustments.

How to Implement Project Monitoring and Control

Project managers use three to five key performance indicators to report monitoring data and define objectives to keep the project on track. KPIs must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

  • Monitor Project Parameters: The project plan will include the scope of the project and measurements for success. Project managers use KPIs to track schedule, effort, and cost and to ensure they align with the project plan. 
  • Monitor Stakeholder Involvement: By positioning and communicating with the project team, management, and clients, you keep everyone engaged and on task. 
  • Monitor Risk: When you complete risk assessments throughout the life of the project, you avoid issues and enable mitigating negative impacts on the project timeline and budget.
  • Monitor Project Performance: Project managers use KPI dashboards to identify problems and measure work progress.
  • Take Corrective Action to Control Progress: Project managers use the project plan as a baseline to control progress and track changes until resolution or the project enters the closure phase.
  • Monitor and Manage Data Documentation: Documenting performance and changes in the project keeps stakeholders involved, mitigates issues, and informs future projects.

Project Monitoring and Control Best Practices

Project monitoring and control best practices require constant attention to detail. These best practices can empower project managers and teams to balance time, cost, and budget.

  • Define Project Management Team Roles: Make sure that team members know the expectations and the timelines to meet.
  • Identify a Point of Contact: When problems arise, there should be a dedicated person who is responsible for tracking, documenting, and monitoring any issues. 
  • Determine the Frequency of KPI Reporting: When developing the project plan, decide how often you’ll conduct KPI reporting and stick to that schedule. This data is essential for monitoring and control performance.
  • For schedule variance (SV), subtract planned value (PV) from earned value (EV). 
  • For budget variance (BV), subtract the money spent from the planned budget for each line item and divide it by the original budget to calculate the percentage.
  • For cost variance (CV), subtract actual cost (AC) from earned value (EV).
  • Determine if Variance Cause Is Common or Unique: Work continues without change under expected and acceptable variance. If the variance is caused by the unexpected, identify and implement the proper change. 
  • Scrutinize Change Orders: Review documented change requests with the project team to approve or reject them.
  • Monitor and Control Scope Creep: Mitigate scope creep to maintain project parameters and recognize that project change may impact outcomes.
  • Conduct a Rigorous Approval Process at Completion: Make sure to document and file all approvals appropriately.

Zucker adds, "Soft skills are often missed, so focus on communication and effectively maintaining stakeholder interest. Projects can benefit from a fresh perspective, and an advisory board of specialists provides oversight and guidance for project managers."

Project Monitoring and Control Techniques

Project managers depend on monitoring and control to track, review, and report on project performance. They rely on this phase to make informed decisions, avoid crises, and maximize performance and opportunities. 

Project monitoring and control techniques address three areas in project management:

  • Project Plan Monitoring: Use the critical path method (CPM) to identify essential project milestones and keep deliverables on schedule.
  • Project Budget Monitoring: Use earned value management to assign project tasks according to their cost.
  • Project Status Monitoring: Use project status reports to standardize the reporting process and identify completed tasks, key takeaways, risks, and real-time progress.

Project Monitoring and Controlling Strategy

Successful projects require diligence and precision in monitoring and control, so having the right strategy can make all of the difference. A good monitoring and control approach looks at quality, risk, and stakeholder engagement levels and communicates all project outcomes.

These tips can help you adhere to a project monitoring and control strategy:

  • Establish a cadence and well-defined process for managing change requests. 
  • Tailor performance reporting to project needs. 
  • Do not overburden the project team with information requests. 
  • Position stakeholders where they are needed most according to their expertise. 
  • Prioritize performance data that is actionable and requires a decision. 
  • Take into account how decisions impact the schedule, budget, and scope. 
  • Establish a transparent decision-making process and communicate and document outcomes.

Project Managers Rely on Smartsheet for Project Monitoring and Control

From simple task management and project planning to complex resource and portfolio management, Smartsheet helps you improve collaboration and increase work velocity -- empowering you to get more done. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover a better way to streamline workflows and eliminate silos for good.

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  • A detailed look at Various tools for project monitoring

Monitoring a project can sometimes become a tedious job, which is why we need a project monitoring tool. However, few of us still wonder what is project control and monitoring. All your queries would be answered in this write-up, which aims to educate you about how to monitor and control project work .

Basically, project management tools are sophisticated software built with the sole objective to help project managers. They can plan, monitor, organize and manage the tasks more efficiently with the help of these tools. There are various tools available, and one they are supposed to be accessed through relevant software.

This article will focus on useful project management tools like Gantt Chart, calendar, timeline, PERT chart, WBS diagram, status table, HOQ, and mind map. However, lets first start with the advantages of using these tools for monitoring the project:

Advantages of using tools for monitoring a project

  • One of the most important reasons to use project management tools is that it helps you to plan and schedule things properly. In order to make your project successful, one needs proper planning and delegation. These tools are very useful to help you assign tasks to your team members.
  • Another great advantage that these tools offer is proper collaboration. With the advent of large-sized projects, email does not always provide an opportunity for proper communication between teams or users. These tools can be used to expedite the communication process through its dashboard.
  • By using these tools, you can easily keep track of your documents and avoid complications. These tools let you store files and edit them as and when required.
  • Reporting and evaluation become very easy with these tools. Managers can work on multiple projects and get immediate reports on specific tasks that can improve productivity and help you track progress.

Tools for monitoring a project

Project managers are often on the lookout and wonder which project management software exists that would help them get better monitoring control over their projects. Good project management software can help you save time and also allow you to use your resources more efficiently. You can be assured of timely completion of your projects and improve productivity. So without much ado, here is the list of top project management software:

network-diagramme

1.     Network Diagrams

Network diagrams are considered to be very important tools in project management and can be very useful in monitoring the project. They are also called "arrow" diagrams, since multiple arrows are used to demonstrate precedence or interdependence between various project activities.

There are various assumptions while making a network diagram.

  • The first assumption is that all the pending work has been completed before the commencement of the new ones.
  • The second assumption is that arrows represent logical priority, and therefore, a proper sequence based on depiction must be followed in order to execute the project tasks.
  • The final assumption is that the network diagram must start and end with a single event.

An important feature of the Network diagram is Slack time, representing additional delay time for the task to be completed.

2.     Critical Path Method or CPM

The use of CPM or critical path method is very common amongst project managers for monitoring the project. It also allows the managers to assess the actual progress of the project in real-time. One can easily predict if the assigned projects are running late or if they would be finished within the assured timeframe.

To make it easier for you to understand, the project's critical path is the longest sequence of activities performed on a network diagram. Since all the possibilities of additional timeframe are calculated in it, there is no slack time in CPM. This also means that if there is any delay in CPM activity, the entire project would be delayed.

When you use CPM you can easily set  follow-up meetings if you find any deviation or hurdle in the project. Project follow-up meetings are essential to the successful completion of all tasks. CPM empowers you to not only monitor your project, but also take appropriate actions as and when required.

Zero slack time can be good to keep project managers or users on their toes since they understand that there would be no additional time. They can look out for, keeping the errors at bay that can delay any project. Also, they can easily divert their resource or teams on projects that are high-priority or have a closer deadline. Optimum utilization of resources can be attained using zero slack time.

3.     Gantt Chart

If you are a project manager or hold a position in management, you should be aware of the Gantt chart. A Gantt Chart is a dexterous way of breaking or diving a large project into smaller tasks and keeping them organized so that they can be collaborated and delivered properly.

Every task has a specific deadline, which is represented by a horizontal bar. The left side shows the start date, and the right indicates the completion date of the task. Some even call these divisions of tasks milestones, which are marked by small diamond shapes.

It is very easy for one to determine the sub-tasks and their details. As a manager, you can easily monitor the progress using the Gantt charts. The visual overview obtained through Gantt charts can help you track the project progress easily.

4.     PERT Chart

PERT is an abbreviation for" Project evaluation and review technique." It is one of the most important tools to help you monitor your project. You can plan and schedule entire projects with the help of PERT charts.

You can check the task division, time allocation, and deliverable dates using the PERT charts. The PERT chart does not use bars, but instead shows data as a network model of boxes and arrows. The boxes contain tasks, and arrows show dependencies.

calendar-milestones

5.     Project Management Software for Calendar

A calendar is a date or time-based tool that is very easy to understand. It gives you the advantage for personal time management as you can easily set daily, weekly or monthly schedules. One of the most notable features of this tool is the possibility of adding more to-do lists. It gives reminders on what you can do every day and help you finish the tasks before the deadline.

6.     Project Management Software for Timeline

You can monitor the progress of your project using the timeline. It can help you track the progress of your projects. You can visualize the approximate time that is required to complete the tasks using the timeline. It is not as popular as its counterparts like the Gantt chart as it cannot show dependencies or completion. Timeline is a more sequential way of looking at tasks over time.

7.     Project Management Software for WBS Diagram or Work Breakdown Structure

WBS is a very common project management tool that helps you determine the scope of work. It is a free tool that divides the projects into individual components which are effectively scheduled.

WBS structure is tree-like, and the overall tasks are on the top, and the various sections of the sections are shown under it. The components in WBS are linked logically and can be explained using boxes or texts.

8.     Project Management Software for Mind Map

Another powerful project management tool to help you with project monitoring is a Mind map. It is a less formal tool that is flexible enough to let you manage the projects. It allows you to divide the project into smaller, easier-to-do tasks. You can analyze any issues with these problems. Mindmap also allows you to insert pictures, link specific files and focus on the important segments of your project, which is one of the major advantages of using a Mind map.

9.     Project Management Software for Status Table

When you want to be more aggressive in tracking the progress of your project and monitoring it, the Status table can help you do so. It helps you focus on status and project completion. One of the most notable features of the Status table is that it lets you include the people heading the task. It allows the project heads to properly evaluate employee performance and address the issues as and when needed.

10. Project Management Software for HOQ of House of Quality

The final tool we describe in this article is HOQ. It is a free tool that is very useful in defining the relationship between consumer expectations and product capabilities. HOQ is used in quality function deployment to help in group decision-making. An easy way to create HOQ is using Edraw, which has all the components like the roof, matrix, legend box, and markers.

A project is an undertaking that requires extreme vigilance and supervision. Monitoring the project is never easy, especially when the projects are big. You need to ensure that your timeframe adheres to the pricing of the project. It is important to make use of various tools to help you finish the project efficiently. More important is deciding which tool you could use to monitor your project in the best possible way.

This write-up focused on important and commonly used project monitoring tools to help you with better supervision and monitoring.

  • Why is Project Control So Important?
  • Project Monitoring in Project Management
  • What is monitoring and controlling the project?

How to Do a Project Evaluation (With Tools)

You can evaluate a project to determine if it achieved its objectives, impacts, and overall goals. Here are the steps to do it.

Project managers evaluate their projects to see if the projects meet the company and team's goals and objectives. Evaluating projects after completion can help you better understand the impact and identify areas that need improvement.

Project evaluation is vital to any project since it can provide insights and lessons for future projects. Once you complete the project evaluation process, sharing your findings with stakeholders and your team members is essential. While there are many methods to evaluate a project, here are the basic steps that you need to take, regardless of the way you choose.

1. Develop an Evaluation Plan

Image of planning process

As you create your project, you should consider the objectives and goals you want to achieve and share them with your team, providing them with a clear path forward. The goals and objectives you determine can help you choose the project evaluation method you want to use.

For example, if the project goal is to increase team productivity, you may want to review data regarding task completion as a tool to evaluate productivity rates. You might be interested in learning how to set project milestones for increased productivity .

2. Select Source of Evaluation & Prepare for Implementation

Image of the word data with connections in the background

The first step is to choose how you want to collect the data for the evaluation. You can decide to use interviews, focus groups, surveys, case studies, or observation. Choose an evaluation tool that will suit the people you're looking to get info from, which means identifying the people you want to include.

Whether you plan on interviewing or surveying people, you must prepare the questions ahead. If you use a focus group, you must send invitations, select a date, and list questions.

After you choose your source of evaluation and are ready for implementation, you should share a detailed schedule and delegate duties, so your team is prepared for the next step. If you're uncertain about establishing who does what, you may be interested in learning the best tips for defining team roles and responsibilities .

3. Implement Project Evaluation

Image with the words Make things happen written with paint tubes

While the project is in progress, monitoring all the elements is critical to ensure it is within budget and running on schedule. It is helpful to create status reports you share with the team, so everyone is clear on the project status.

The implementation process differs based on the evaluation tools and methods you choose. It would help if you focused on:

  • Pre-project evaluation : This is where you develop project goals and objectives that you will use to determine the project's viability.
  • Ongoing evaluation : Monitor details like the budget, quality of work, and schedule.
  • Post-project evaluation : Measure the project's success based on outcomes and impact.

4. Review the Data

Image of word statistics with a hand holding a magnifying glass

Once you gather the data for evaluation, it's time to analyze it for weaknesses, strengths, and trends. It's also an opportunity to verify if the project came close to meeting the objectives and goals set out at the start. You can use the team's objectives and goals to translate the data received for the next step.

5. Create a Report for Your Team

Image of reports

After you complete your data analysis, it's necessary to summarize the evaluation results. You should choose a format that meets the needs of the reader, which are your stakeholders and team members.

After completing every project, providing a report on your project evaluation is a valuable habit. It can bring attention to areas that need improvement, feature intentional and unintentional impacts, and determine whether or not the team met its goals and objectives. Before writing your report, you might be interested in learning the best types of project management reports you should know .

6. Discuss Next Steps

Image of arrows showing progress

The final step in the project evaluation process is discussing the next steps based on the findings. It's essential to initiate a discussion about the results of the evaluation.

A discussion can inspire innovative ideas to improve the team, strengthen communication, and prompt suggestions on improving future projects. If you want your report to stand out to stakeholders and get your team's attention, you may want to see how you can incorporate the best tips to make your project reports stand out .

Tools You Can Use for Project Evaluation

The following are tools that you can use for your project evaluation. You may find that some of more suitable for your project than others.

Graphic of someone completing a survey on a tablet

Surveys are an evaluation tool that allows you to determine how a group of people feel before a project starts and then survey them afterward. This evaluation process can measure various things, including self-esteem, preferences, achievements, and attitudes.

It would be best if you surveyed members of your target audience. You get to see if people's feelings shift positively after the completion of the project, and if that was the project goal, then you know you achieved it. You can survey in numerous ways, including by phone, paper, or electronically.

2. Observation

Image of square image observing other square images and taking notes

Observation allows you to assess or monitor a situation or process while documenting what the observer sees and hears. Seeing behaviors and actions in a natural context can provide insight and understanding about the object you are evaluating. When using observation, it's critical to use a consistent and systemic approach as you gather data.

3. Case Studies

Case studies can provide more depth than other evaluation tools. When you do a case study, you focus on a particular group within a community, village, person, or a subset of a broader group. You can use case studies to illustrate trends or show stark differences.

A case study analysis requires pulling critical themes and results to help predict future trends, highlight hidden issues, or provide an understanding of an essential issue with greater clarity.

4. Interviews

Image of people having a discussion

Interviews can be a qualitative or quantitative evaluation tool, depending on how you use them. The process involves a conversation between an interviewer and the person answering the questions.

You can use interviews to collect narrative information and data to comprehend better a respondent's unique worldview, perspectives, and opinions. There are different types of interview techniques and approaches, including:

  • Structured interviews : These are quantitative investigations, often survey-based research with standardized questions in a questionnaire format. The responses are usually in the structure of a multiple choice list and are not open-ended.
  • Semi-structured : As the name implies, this is a mixed framework of general themes and pre-established questions adaptable to the interview session context. The interviewer is free to omit questions and play with the order of the questions they ask, and the questions are a variety of open and close-ended.
  • Unstructured : This format is informal or conversational, where all the questions are open-ended.

5. Focus Groups

Image of people having a focus group meeting

Focus groups are group interviews you design to explore people's attitudes about a particular subject. They are an excellent way to discover the most common issues for the group or community when information is limited.

To do a focus group, you must ensure you have a capable facilitator and that you've planned it well. Focus groups can deliver detailed information on issues that concern a community or a specific demographic.

Are You Ready for Your Next Project Evaluation?

Evaluations are a vital part of any project, and they help you confirm if you've met your project goals and objectives and can help you establish best practices for future projects. If you don't review what's working and what isn't after each project, you leave yourself open to repeating costly mistakes.

If you're looking for a way to streamline your future projects, you may consider using project management software if you don't already. You may want to read some information on how to get started if trying new software feels intimidating.

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Project Evaluation Process: Definition, Methods & Steps

ProjectManager

Managing a project with copious moving parts can be challenging to say the least, but project evaluation is designed to make the process that much easier. Every project starts with careful planning —t his sets the stage for the execution phase of the project while estimations, plans and schedules guide the project team as they complete tasks and deliverables.

But even with the project evaluation process in place, managing a project successfully is not as simple as it sounds. Project managers need to keep track of costs , tasks and time during the entire project life cycle to make sure everything goes as planned. To do so, they utilize the project evaluation process and make use of project management software to help manage their team’s work in addition to planning and evaluating project performance.

What Is Project Evaluation?

Project evaluation is the process of measuring the success of a project, program or portfolio . This is done by gathering data about the project and using an evaluation method that allows evaluators to find performance improvement opportunities. Project evaluation is also critical to keep stakeholders updated on the project status and any changes that might be required to the budget or schedule.

Every aspect of the project such as costs, scope, risks or return on investment (ROI) is measured to determine if it’s proceeding as planned. If there are road bumps, this data can inform how projects can improve. Basically, you’re asking the project a series of questions designed to discover what is working, what can be improved and whether the project is useful. Tools such as project dashboards and trackers help in the evaluation process by making key data readily available.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

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Use this free Project Dashboard Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

The project evaluation process has been around as long as projects themselves. But when it comes to the science of project management , project evaluation can be broken down into three main types or methods: pre-project evaluation, ongoing evaluation and post-project evaluation. Let’s look at the project evaluation process, what it entails and how you can improve your technique.

Project Evaluation Criteria

The specific details of the project evaluation criteria vary from one project or one organization to another. In general terms, a project evaluation process goes over the project constraints including time, cost, scope, resources, risk and quality. In addition, organizations may add their own business goals, strategic objectives and other project metrics .

Project Evaluation Methods

There are three points in a project where evaluation is most needed. While you can evaluate your project at any time, these are points where you should have the process officially scheduled.

1. Pre-Project Evaluation

In a sense, you’re pre-evaluating your project when you write your project charter to pitch to the stakeholders. You cannot effectively plan, staff and control a new project if you’ve first not evaluated it. Pre-project evaluation is the only sure way you can determine the effectiveness of the project before executing it.

2. Ongoing Project Evaluation

To make sure your project is proceeding as planned and hitting all of the scheduling and budget milestones you’ve set, it’s crucial that you constantly monitor and report on your work in real-time. Only by using project metrics can you measure the success of your project and whether or not you’re meeting the project’s goals and objectives. It’s strongly recommended that you use project management dashboards and tracking tools for ongoing evaluation.

Project Dashboard Template

3. Post-Project Evaluation

Think of this as a postmortem. Post-project evaluation is when you go through the project’s paperwork, interview the project team and principles and analyze all relevant data so you can understand what worked and what went wrong. Only by developing this clear picture can you resolve issues in upcoming projects.

Project Evaluation Steps

Regardless of when you choose to run a project evaluation, the process always has four phases: planning, implementation, completion and dissemination of reports.

1. Planning

The ultimate goal of this step is to create a project evaluation plan, a document that explains all details of your organization’s project evaluation process. When planning for a project evaluation, it’s important to identify the stakeholders and what their short-and-long-term goals are. You must make sure that your goals and objectives for the project are clear, and it’s critical to have settled on criteria that will tell you whether these goals and objects are being met.

So, you’ll want to write a series of questions to pose to the stakeholders. These queries should include subjects such as the project framework, best practices and metrics that determine success.

By including the stakeholders in your project evaluation plan, you’ll receive direction during the course of the project while simultaneously developing a relationship with the stakeholders. They will get progress reports from you throughout the project life cycle , and by building this initial relationship, you’ll likely earn their belief that you can manage the project to their satisfaction.

project plan template for word

2. Implementation

While the project is running, you must monitor all aspects to make sure you’re meeting the schedule and budget. One of the things you should monitor during the project is the percentage completed. This is something you should do when creating status reports and meeting with your team. To make sure you’re on track, hold the team accountable for delivering timely tasks and maintain baseline dates to know when tasks are due.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on quality. It doesn’t matter if you deliver the project within the allotted time frame if the product is poor. Maintain quality reviews, and don’t delegate that responsibility. Instead, take it on yourself.

Maintaining a close relationship with the project budget is just as important as tracking the schedule and quality. Keep an eye on costs. They will fluctuate throughout the project, so don’t panic. However, be transparent if you notice a need growing for more funds. Let your steering committee know as soon as possible, so there are no surprises.

Implementation plan for project evaluation

3. Completion

When you’re done with your project, you still have work to do. You’ll want to take the data you gathered in the evaluation and learn from it so you can fix problems that you discovered in the process. Figure out the short- and long-term impacts of what you learned in the evaluation.

4. Reporting and Disseminating

Once the evaluation is complete, you need to record the results. To do so, you’ll create a project evaluation report, a document that provides lessons for the future. Deliver your report to your stakeholders to keep them updated on the project’s progress.

How are you going to disseminate the report? There might be a protocol for this already established in your organization. Perhaps the stakeholders prefer a meeting to get the results face-to-face. Or maybe they prefer PDFs with easy-to-read charts and graphs. Make sure that you know your audience and tailor your report to them.

Benefits of Project Evaluation

Project evaluation is always advisable and it can bring a wide array of benefits to your organization. As noted above, there are many aspects that can be measured through the project evaluation process. It’s up to you and your stakeholders to decide the most critical factors to consider. Here are some of the main benefits of implementing a project evaluation process.

  • Better Project Management: Project evaluation helps you easily find areas of improvement when it comes to managing your costs , tasks, resources and time.
  • Improves Team performance: Project evaluation allows you to keep track of your team’s performance and increases accountability.
  • Better Project Planning: Helps you compare your project baseline against actual project performance for better planning and estimating.
  • Helps with Stakeholder Management: Having a good relationship with stakeholders is key to success as a project manager. Creating a project evaluation report is very important to keep them updated.

How ProjectManager Improves the Project Evaluation Process

To take your project evaluation to the next level, you’ll want ProjectManager , an online work management tool with live dashboards that deliver real-time data so you can monitor what’s happening now as opposed to what happened yesterday.

With ProjectManager’s real-time dashboard, project evaluation is measured in real-time to keep you updated. The numbers are then displayed in colorful graphs and charts. Filter the data to show the data you want or to drill down to get a deeper picture. These graphs and charts can also be shared with a keystroke. You can track workload and tasks, because your team is updating their status in real-time, wherever they are and at whatever time they complete their work.

ProjectManager’s dashboard view, which shows six key metrics on a project

Project evaluation with ProjectManager’s real-time dashboard makes it simple to go through the evaluation process during the evolution of the project. It also provides valuable data afterward. The project evaluation process can even be fun, given the right tools. Feel free to use our automated reporting tools to quickly build traditional project reports, allowing you to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of your evaluation process.

ProjectManager's status report filter

ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software that has a suite of powerful tools for every phase of your project, including live dashboards and reporting tools. Our software collects project data in real-time and is constantly being fed information by your team as they progress through their tasks. See how monitoring, evaluation and reporting can be streamlined by taking a free 30-day trial today!

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From good to great: everything you need to know about effective project evaluation.

Sarah Burner

ClickUp Contributor

December 30, 2023

For project managers, each project is like nurturing a baby—it needs constant attention to grow strong and reach its full potential. That’s why monitoring your project’s real-time progress and performance is the secret to consistent success. 

Project evaluation is your best ally in assessing how effectively your project aligns with its objectives and delivers value to stakeholders. Uncovering these evaluation insights will empower you to make smart decisions that significantly improve your business outcomes. 

Eager to discover the secrets of successful project evaluation? You’re in for a treat! 🍬

In this article, we’ll guide you through the five crucial steps to master your project evaluation process . Plus, we’ll delve into the perks and pitfalls of project evaluation and explore its primary types. Buckle up, and let’s begin!

What is Project Evaluation?

What are the main types of project evaluation, what are the benefits of performing a project evaluation, step 1: identify project goals and objectives, step 2: define the scope of the evaluation, step 3: develop a data collection plan, step 4: analyze data, step 5: report your findings, step 6: discuss the next project evaluation steps , common project evaluation mistakes to avoid.

Assessing a project’s success involves project evaluation—a meticulous process that involves gathering detailed project data and using project evaluation methods to uncover areas for performance improvement. 

Project evaluation isn’t just a routine check—it keeps stakeholders informed about project status, opportunities for enhancement, and potential budget or schedule adjustments. ✅

Every part of the project, from expenses and scope to risks and ROI, undergoes analysis to ensure alignment with the initial plan. Any hurdles or deviations encountered along the way become valuable insights that guide future improvements.

Tools like project dashboards and trackers are crucial in facilitating the evaluation process. They streamline access to crucial project data, making it readily available for informed decision-making and strategic adjustments.

In any project’s lifecycle, there are three pivotal moments demanding evaluation . While project evaluation can happen at any time, these particular points deserve official scheduling for a more structured approach.

Pre-project evaluation

Before starting a project, assessing its feasibility for successful completion is essential. This evaluation typically aligns with the development stage the project is currently in, and it’s a cornerstone for its effective execution. In this type of evaluation, you must establish a shared understanding of objectives and goals among all stakeholders before giving the project the thumbs up.

Ongoing project evaluation

Using metrics throughout the project’s lifecycle is important for confirming that completed tasks align with benchmarks. This includes staying within budget, meeting task completion rates, and ensuring overall work quality . Keeping the team focused on the initial objectives helps them stay on course as the project evolves.

Post-project evaluation

After project completion, analyzing impacts and outcomes is your number one priority. Outcomes provide a yardstick for measuring the project’s effectiveness in meeting predefined objectives and goals so you can see what worked and what didn’t. Evaluating impacts helps you effectively address and resolve issues in future projects .

The advantages of conducting a project evaluation span from internal team growth to external triumphs. Here’s a rundown of the main benefits:

  • Tracking the project’s progress: It helps track team performance across projects, providing a record of improvements or setbacks over time
  • Identifying improvement areas: By recognizing trends and patterns, evaluations pinpoint areas for improvement within the project or team processes
  • Measuring impact: Project evaluation quantifies the impact of your project, providing concrete metrics and feedback to measure the success of your endeavors
  • Engaging stakeholders: If you involve stakeholders in the evaluation process, you’ll reassure them of project quality, fostering trust and collaboration
  • Encouraging accountability: Project evaluation promotes accountability and reflection among team members, motivating them to work hard for continuous improvement
  • Informing future planning: Insights you gather from evaluations influence future project plans , allowing for adjustments based on past project performance and lessons learned 👨‍🏫

How to Conduct a Project Evaluation in 6 Steps

Unlocking the path to a successful project evaluation isn’t just about following a checklist —it’s about leveraging the right project management tools to streamline the journey! 

We’re here to provide you with the six essential steps to take during a project evaluation process and equip you with top-notch tools that’ll help you elevate your evaluation game. Let’s explore! 🧐

Crafting solid goals and objectives during your project’s development is like drawing a map for your team— it sets the course and direction .

Goals also play a crucial role in shaping the evaluation process tailored to your objectives. For instance, if your goal is to enhance customer satisfaction, your evaluation might focus on customer feedback , experience metrics, and service quality.

Luckily, the super important step of setting project goals is a piece of cake with an all-in-one project management solution like ClickUp . This powerful tool streamlines your project endeavors and kickstarts your project journey by helping you define clear goals and objectives—all in one place! 🌟

ClickUp Goals

With ClickUp Goals , nailing your targets becomes effortless. Set precise timelines and measurable goals, and let automatic progress tracking do the heavy lifting. Dive in by adding key details—name your goal, set the due date, assign a team member—and you’re ready to roll!

ClickUp equips you to:

  • Establish numerical targets for precise tracking
  • Mark Milestones as done or pending to track progress
  • Keep an eye on financial goals for better budget management
  • List individual tasks as targets to tackle complex objectives

Highlight pivotal moments by tagging them as Milestones and transform large goals into manageable chunks for your team to conquer effortlessly.

The cherry on top? You can group related goals into Folders to track progress across multiple objectives at a glance, leading to simpler decision-making. 🍒

Ready to dive into the evaluation process? First, let’s clarify why you’re doing it, what you’re aiming for, and what exactly you’re measuring. Remember to define the evaluation’s scope, including objectives, timeframe, key stakeholders, evaluation metrics, and methods or tools you plan to use for data collection and analysis.

This clarity in purpose and scope is your secret weapon—it sets the stage for a well-organized and effective evaluation, making your project planning and execution as easy as pie. 🥧

ClickUp has the perfect solution for documenting your scope of work without breaking a sweat. With the ClickUp Scope of Work Template , you get a ready-made framework to plug in all the essentials—covering everything from project background and goals to timelines and budget details.

ClickUp Scope of Work Template

Customize its handy tables to document the ins and outs of your evaluation process. Imagine your evaluation goal is to boost customer satisfaction. Here’s a sneak peek at how you’d document the scope:

  • Objectives: To enhance customer satisfaction by 20% within the next six months
  • Timeframe: Evaluation will be conducted quarterly over the next year
  • Stakeholders: Customer service team, marketing department, and selected customers for feedback
  • Criteria: Metrics include Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer feedback surveys, and resolution time for customer inquiries
  • Methods: Use surveys, feedback forms , focus groups, and analysis of complaint resolutions to gather data and insights on customer satisfaction

In ClickUp Docs , flexibility is the name of the game. You can add or remove sections and dive into real-time collaboration by inviting your team to modify the document through edits and comments. 💬

Each section comes preloaded with sample content, so personalizing your template will be a breeze whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newcomer to using Docs.

Now, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and gather the data that answers your evaluation queries. Get creative—there are plenty of ways to collect information: 

  • Create and distribute surveys 
  • Schedule interviews  
  • Organize focus group observations
  • Dig into documents and reports

Variety is key here, so use quantitative and qualitative data to capture every angle of your project. 

For invaluable insights on areas for improvement , we recommend heading straight to the source—your loyal customers! 🛒

With the ClickUp Feedback Form Template , you get a customizable form that centralizes all your feedback. It’s ready to capture feedback on everything from product features to customer support and pricing.

The template has a tailor-made feedback Form you can easily distribute to your customers. Once the forms are filled in, turn to the Service Rating List view—your personal feedback command center showcasing scores, reasons behind the ratings, and invaluable improvement suggestions.

Plus, you can delve into provider ratings in a dedicated list and explore the Overall Recommendations board to identify areas that need enhancement at a glance.

Clickup Feedback Form Template

Once the data’s in your hands, it’s analysis time! Pick the right tools from your kit—descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, or a SWOT analysis —to unlock insights and make sense of what you’ve gathered.

Tap into ClickUp Whiteboards to orchestrate a dynamic SWOT analysis , perfect for companies with remote or hybrid teams . 

ClickUp Whiteboards

Simply create color-coded squares (or any shape you fancy) representing S trengths, W eaknesses, O pportunities, and T hreats. Then, organize your data effortlessly by creating sticky notes and dragging them to the right square, and behold! Your shareable SWOT analysis Whiteboard is ready to roll! 🎲

ClickUp’s digital Whiteboards are like physical whiteboards but better! You can use them to:

  • Conduct collaborative brainstorming sessions
  • Leverage Mind Maps to break down big ideas into bite-sized portions
  • Create dedicated sections for OKRs , KPIs, and internal data as quick references
  • Share ideas with your team through sticky notes, comments, documents, and media files
  • Solve problems creatively with color-coded shapes, charts, and graphs 📊

ClickUp Dashboards are ideal for visualizing data and making data-driven decisions. Dive into a treasure trove of over 50 Cards, crafting your ideal Dashboard that mirrors your vision. Want to see your progress in a pie chart, line graph, or bar graph ? Take your pick and make it yours!

This panoramic view is excellent for monitoring goals, extracting crucial insights, and effortlessly tweaking your strategies. Rely on Burnup and Burndown charts to track performance against set goals and forecast the road. 🛣️

Whether sharing the Dashboard within your workspace or projecting it full screen in the office, it’s the perfect catalyst for team discussions on key project evaluation points.

ClickUp Dashboards

Once you’ve delved into the data, it’s time to bring those insights to light! Crafting a report is your next move—a clear, concise summary showcasing your evaluation’s key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. 📝

Reporting is all about delivering the right information to the right people, so customize your project evaluation report to suit your audience’s needs. Whether it’s your project team, sponsors, clients, or beneficiaries, tailor your report to meet their expectations and address their interests directly. 

Eliminate the need to start your report from square one using the ClickUp Data Analysis Report Template . This powerful tool provides separate subpages for:

  • Overview: Dive into the analysis backstory, covering objectives, scope, methodology, and data collection methods
  • Findings: Present your study’s results and use graphs and charts to illustrate the findings
  • Recommendations and conclusions: Outline your conclusions and provide actionable steps post-evaluation

The template is fully customizable, so you can tailor it to suit your business needs and audience preferences. Tweak tables or create new ones, adding rows and columns for flawless data presentation. ✨

ClickUp Data Analysis Report Template

Sharing evaluation findings isn’t just a formality—it’s a catalyst for stronger connections and brighter ideas. It sparks discussions, invites innovative suggestions for team enhancements, and nurtures stronger bonds with your stakeholders. Plus, it’s a roadmap for future projects , guiding the way to improvements based on the project’s outcomes and impact. 

With ClickUp, you can say goodbye to toggling between project management dashboards and messaging platforms. Dive into the Chat view —your gateway to real-time conversations and task-specific discussions, all in one convenient thread. It’s the ultimate connection hub, keeping everyone in the loop and engaged. 🕹️

ClickUp Chat view

ClickUp Docs ramps up collaboration with team edits, comment tagging, and action item assignments—all in one place. Plus, you can effortlessly turn text into actionable tasks, ensuring organization and efficiency at every turn.

ClickUp Docs

On top of this, ClickUp’s integrations include numerous messaging tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, so you can communicate easily, whether directly in ClickUp or through your favorite messaging platforms! 💌

Identifying potential hurdles in your project evaluation journey is your first stride toward navigating this path more successfully. Relying on ClickUp’s project management tools and pre-built templates for project evaluation can act as your compass, steering you clear of these missteps. 🧭

Here’s a glimpse into some prevalent project evaluation blunders you should avoid:

  • Undefined goals and objectives: If you fail to establish clear, specific, and measurable goals, you can hinder the evaluation process because you won’t know where to place your focus
  • Misaligned focus: Evaluating irrelevant aspects or neglecting elements crucial for project success can lead to incomplete assessments
  • Neglecting data collection and analysis: Inadequate data gathering that lacks crucial information, coupled with superficial analysis, can result in incomplete insights and failure to evaluate the most critical project points
  • Misuse of data: If you use incorrect or irrelevant data or misinterpret the collected information, you’ll likely come to false conclusions, defeating the whole purpose of a project evaluation
  • Reactivity over responsiveness: Reacting emotionally instead of responding methodically to project challenges can cloud judgment and lead to ineffective evaluation
  • Lack of documentation: Failing to document the evaluation process thoroughly can cause inconsistency and lead to missed learning opportunities
  • Limited stakeholder involvement: Not engaging stakeholders for diverse perspectives and insights can limit the evaluation’s depth and relevance

Simplify Project Evaluation with ClickUp

To ensure your evaluation hits the bullseye, rely on our six-step project evaluation guide that guarantees a thorough dive into data collection, effective analysis, and collaborative problem-solving. Once you share all the findings with your stakeholders, we guarantee you’ll be cooking up the best solutions in no time.

Sign up for ClickUp for free today to keep your project evaluation centralized. This powerful tool isn’t just your ally in project evaluation—it’s your ultimate sidekick throughout the whole project lifecycle! 💖

Tap into its collaboration tools , save time with over 1,000 templates , and buckle up for turbocharged productivity with ClickUp AI , achieving success faster than ever! ⚡

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Project Monitoring: Process, Types, Tools & Techniques

Home Blog Project Management Project Monitoring: Process, Types, Tools & Techniques

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Let's say you have been assigned to lead a project. You will first start by determining the goal and making a plan. You will then assign the work to your team members. But when your plan is good but without regular oversight, can you know whether the plan is being executed correctly?  

That is where Project Monitoring is necessary. Project monitoring and evaluation help in assessing a project's success or failure. Thus, being a trained professional in project monitoring could open vast opportunities for you. Earning Project Management training certification could be your first step to becoming a project manager.  

What is Project Monitoring?

Project monitoring refers to surveillance and tracking of the project to ensure that all the tasks are completed on time. It includes steps to figure out the hurdles or gaps and resolve them to increase the efficiency of the project. It is also known as project monitoring and control. As soon as a project starts, so does the project monitoring.  

What Is the Purpose of Project Monitoring in Project Management?

You may wonder what the purpose of project monitoring is. Project monitoring is not the solution but a way to guarantee the plan's effectiveness. If we have an effective project monitoring system, we can see the project's progress. In addition, project monitoring ensures the project is completed on time and within the defined budget.  

Importance of Project Monitoring

Project monitoring plays a vital role in achieving desired results from a plan. Therefore, the project head must pay close attention to all the steps in project monitoring and make modifications if required. Usually, a project involves many tasks that stretch for a long period; only after completion of the first task can we move on to the next. So, Project monitoring ensures that tasks are done correctly and that any doubts or hurdles can be resolved in time. 

The benefits of project monitoring are: 

  • Ensure that the allotted budget is spent correctly and can be altered if needed. 
  • To make sure that the selected task and deadlines are met. 
  • To encourage accountability regarding the task assigned by the members of the team. 
  • To shift the workforce to a particular task if it requires so. 
  • To boost communication between the team members to increase quality and reduce time. 

Purpose of Project Monitoring in Project Management

The primary purpose of the project monitoring in project management is to find the hurdles that might affect the project and overcome them before they occur, this will ensure that we meet the deadline as planned and within the budget to meet a successful project. Every project has several steps such as project initiation and requirement gathering, project designing, execution, testing, project launching and finally support launching and project closing. As project manager we watch keenly over all the steps in the project monitoring and modify them if necessary and make sure that each phase is properly completed before moving on to the next phase. This can improve the project’s effectiveness and guarantee an improved performance of the plan by eliminating the gaps and hurdles in each phase which ensures the project is completed on time, budget and within defined scope. Project management time tracking along with scope and cost plays a vital role in achieving the outcome of the project.

Types of Project Monitoring

Here are different types of project monitoring: 

1. Process monitoring

It is also known as activity monitoring. On the other hand, process monitoring mainly aims to track the resources and inputs while understanding how outputs and results are delivered. 

2. Beneficiary monitoring

The primary purpose of this is to track the beneficiaries related to the project. This may also include their complaints and satisfaction related to this project. They can be either direct or indirect.  

3. Compliance monitoring

It is used to check if the project complies with the grants, local laws, contracts, ethical standards, and overall compliance with the project.  

4. Financial monitoring 

It is used to track the financial efficiency of the project. In addition, it helps in analyzing the expenditure of the allocated budget.  

5. Result monitoring

It helps determine whether the project is on the right path to achieving the expected result. It also helps collect data regarding the project's overall impact and effects. 

Project Monitoring Process

Let us understand the project monitoring process. 

1. Initiation

In this phase, the outline of the project and the steps and process it may involve is made. 

2. Planning

In this phase, the scope and details of the process that must be performed in the execution are made. 

3. Executing

It involves completing all the activities defined in the planning part. 

This phase includes the completion of the project plan and informing the stakeholders 

5. Control and Monitoring

This phase involves ensuring that the project is on the right track and that all the tasks are completed in the defined manner. 

One of the best ways to learn about the project monitoring process and implement strategies is to enroll in the  Project Management Professional (PMP) certification .

How to Create a Project Monitoring Plan [Step-by-Step]

After learning project monitoring, you will learn how to make a project monitoring plan. Here is the step-by-step guide to making a solid project monitoring plan. 

1. Figuring out the goal

Before making any plan, you must identify the project's aim. You need to figure out the project's purpose, the stakeholder's aim, why they want this project, and who your team members will be. 

2. Creating a blueprint

Creating a project monitoring plan is like making a blueprint for a building. You need to consider all the factors like budget, workforce, time, and what the stakeholders expect of you. It is important not to overestimate your and your team's expectations. Overestimation will hurt the project as well as the company.   

3. Collecting and mapping

Now that you have all the information, you can start creating an outline of the project. Finalize all the information into goals, budget, time, deliverables, and scope. You can also include your research on another page.  

4. Share it with your team

Before you send this plan to the stakeholder, it is essential to share it with your team members. Sit down with your team and explain the whole project and your plan.  

Communication gaps between you and your teammates can harm the project. Let them know what standards you expect them to maintain. You may ask for their opinion and incorporate them if that makes the plan more effective.  

5. Finish making the plan

After discussing the plan with your team, you are ready to settle on a plan. You may want to review the plan again, as this will be the one you will present to the stakeholders. You can also add the issues that come up during the plan and what measures you have prepared to counter them. Ideally, you want to assign the tasks to your team in this phase as it will help stakeholders to communicate with team members in case of any queries related to a particular task. 

6. Take the help of a Gantt chart

A Gantt chart can help you track the task's status in detail. You can create this using Microsoft Excel. Update the sheet daily. 

7. Putting the plan to motion

Once the planning part is finished and ready to be sent to the stakeholders and your team members, start implementing the plan. Track the progress daily and mark them off as they are completed.  

8. Project post-mortem

This happens after the project is completed. Here, the main goal is to figure out how the plan went and the issues you faced throughout the process. First, you should analyze this plan with your initial one to see how it turned out. Then, take the important lessons from this project so that all the inefficiencies can be avoided for the next project.   

How to Implement Project Monitoring

Project monitoring happens after the plan is implemented. You need to take a few steps to track the project. First, you need to share the workload according to the capacity of your teammates. You need to figure out the issue you may encounter related to budget and time. Third, you need to share the workload according to the capacity of your teammates. 

1. Tracking the project

For monitoring the project, you need Task tracking. This will help you to record all the activities done by your team. First, you must identify the task that needs to be done and what can be finished later. Next, understand where the budget is being spent. Identify who can work more efficiently and if a particular task needs more time and budget than initially expected.  

2. Communicate with your team

It is an essential tool for project monitoring. Every team member must know what their tasks are. Communicate with your team frequently to check the progress of the tasks. Take regular updates about the progress of the assigned tasks. You may want to create safeguards for your team to have breathing space and do the task correctly. 

3. Post-mortem of the project

You must reflect on your plan and project monitoring techniques and take inspiration from them. See how the project went, what tasks took less oversight, and what required more attention.  

How to Monitor projects? 

Now consider that we are entering the execution phase in a project where we have inputs such as baseline for scope, schedule and Cost. Keeping these as inputs, the project can be monitored against the plan using burn up or burn down charts along with the Gantt chart.

Project baseline confirmation 

The project baseline is the fixed reference for the project, and it is compared with the progress of the project against the original plan. This project baseline should be approved by the stakeholders before beginning the project, this approved data serves as the basis to compare also known as baseline confirmation. 

Work Monitoring and Control 

The Work Monitoring and Control (WMC) process is to provide an understanding on the current project and take the corrective measures when there is a deviation from the Scope of the project. 

Change control Integration 

Change Control Integration reviews the request within the project and implements the required changes. There are different types of change request such as, Preventive action, Corrective action, Defect repair and Updates. This typically helps the managers of the project to have a organized control over the changes in a project. 

Scope verification 

Defining scope is the first step of a project development and is approved by all the stockholders and then they are subject to no changes unless via the scope change control process. It is the process of evaluating whether the development of the product meets the requirements/ specifications as per the scope in each phase of the project until the development product is completed. 

Schedule and cost control 

The baseline of any project depends on these two factors. The plan for the project relies on the budget and resources availability and relates them to each other to develop the project consequently.  

Performace reporting 

 The performance report is based on how the company is working on its operation and whether they met their goals and objectives. This performance report can be taken routinely to make sure some of the factors to improve like progress, financial and trend. It also supports the enhancement of firm in relation to historical performance. 

Quality control 

Quality control is the review of the quality of factors included in the production of a product and improves them, if necessary, which differs from one company to another. Quality control has different ways to perform quality control from investigating the manufactured products, benchmarking and testing the manufactured goods. 

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Project Monitoring Tools for 2024

Here are some tools for project monitoring.  

1. Project meeting

This means meeting with your team to discuss the status of the tasks. It helps identify the timeline of a task. You can also add additional tasks or make adjustments. 

2. Project monitoring software

It involves using tools like Gantt charts, timesheets, resource management, or task manager to record, track and manage the task is done and the workload on each member. This software helps in simplifying task tracking.   

Tips and Best Practices for Project Monitoring

Some best tips and best practices for project monitoring are mentioned below: 

  • Conduct research and meetings to understand the project. 
  • Create a brief description of the project. 
  • Develop a project plan. 
  • Keep clear and constant communication with your team.  
  • Ask for their feedback and add them if required. 
  • Make a resource plan. 
  • Don't create unrealistic expectations for yourself or the team. 
  • Make sure everything is documented correctly. 
  • Please review the project plan and take key lessons from it after it is completed. 

Project Monitoring Techniques

You can use many techniques for project monitoring. Some of them are- 

1. Work Breakdown Structures

It is a way through which the work can be arranged into smaller pieces. It includes a visual representation of all the tasks of the project. You can use it to break down more than just the tasks but also budgets. 

2. Gantt Chart 

It is another way to represent the data visually. However, it provides more application to a project head. Combining the Gantt chart tool makes the whole technique easier. You can schedule multiple projects with Gantt charts. With Gantt charts, the project head can assign tasks to individuals and allow notifications to be sent to them and keep them on track.  

It stands for Program Evaluation and Review Technique. This tool helps with time estimates. Maintaining a schedule is critical. It breaks the tasks into activities, and you can make a map of the activities.  

4. Critical Path Method (CPM)

Here, CPM requires you to create a model that contains all the tasks, the time allotted to complete them, and what are the milestones for the project. Using the information, you can figure out what tasks can start the earliest and can be completed without impacting the project's overall schedule.

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3 Ways to Track and Re-Plan a Project

Here are three ways to track a project: 

  • Give priority to the critical tasks first. Time is a crucial factor, and it calls for prioritizing critical tasks first.  
  • Using effective tools and techniques. Project monitoring tools and techniques will help you track all the activities easily. We have already discussed the tools and techniques for tracking in detail above. 
  • Take regular updates with your team regarding the status of the task.  

Sometimes a plan may not work as expected. You may encounter difficulties and may need to change the whole plan altogether. Here are three ways you can re-plan a project: 

  • Make adjustments in the resources: While it may not be the sole reason for the plan's failure, changing the allocation of resources can revive the plan if the base foundations are strong. 
  • Change the scope of the project: You can change the scope of the project. Remember that changing the scope should not change the project's primary goal. 
  • Communicate the change: Once a new plan is decided, inform the stakeholders and your team members about the changes. 

I believe I have managed to cover all topics related to project monitoring under this article. I also recommend you check out KnowledgeHut Project Management trainings for gaining more insights. Project monitoring is the most vital process which all of us as project managers need to get trained and excel. This Process helps the project to march towards the successful completion of the project through proper review mechanism and effective action plans with execution.  Through proper coaching or training you will also get the right management skills by understanding the concepts and implementing the same. Also, I recommend you go for PMP certification since it gives the recognition as project manager worldwide PMP Course.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. what are suitable methods of monitoring.

As a result, organizational and project monitoring are excellent project monitoring methods. 

2. What are the objectives of monitoring?

Some primary monitoring objectives include efficiency, relevance, causality, impact, sustainability, and effectiveness. 

3. What are the four forms of monitoring?

The four forms of monitoring are as follows 

  • Compliance monitoring  
  • Financial monitoring 
  • Process monitoring 
  • Beneficiary monitoring 

4. What is an example of project monitoring?

Making project-related details like the budget or monitoring any project's success is an example of a monitoring plan of action.  

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Monitoring and Evaluation Tools for Projects

The range of tools available to monitor and evaluate projects is growing. As you apply for funding to implement your project, you will realise how important it is to remain accountable. In many cases, just having the right tools, with the ability to properly monitor your success and impact is a critical part of the application process.

SoPact’s Impact Cloud

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive tool, and one which will streamline your work, but also provide some flexibility to change over time, then this is an excellent, comprehensive digital tool for measuring your impact. Sopact’s Impact Cloud has been purpose build for measuring impact and conducting sound M&E and guarantees systematic analysis (through to dashboarding) while maintaining the ability to change over time as so many project and strategies do!

Google – Sheets, Forms and Drawings

If you have a good idea about the scope of your project, and if you require flexibility as to how to interpret your project thematically, then don’t overlook the Google tools. If you have an M&E plan built and developed in theory, and if you understand the system, then these tools can be really helpful for collaborative data collection, which still allows for oversight and verification. Google Drawings is ranked one of the best, basic digital tools for drawing a LogFrame, and forms can work really well for everything from attendance registers to qualitative surveys.

TolaData is an M&E software specifically designed to monitor an evaluate projects. The tool enables a free trial which is a great way to test whether this tool works at the right level, and with the right degree of detail for you project. TolaData links indicators right from the point of implementation, to linking your work to the SDGs, and is a useful tool for managing a comprehensive M&E workflow.

Logframe Lab

This tool is newer to the market than a range of others but is a powerful new entrant that will guide you through how to properly state your results, how to choose your indicators, and then how to draft your Logical Framework. This tool ensures that your data remains private, and includes a range of work categories, and is pre-loaded with a range of indicators. This tool allows you to scan in your programme material, and then uses technology to scan for themes and keywords to enrich the build and modelling of the indicator framework, an exciting addition to conventional mapping.

This is a free online mind mapping tool, which is really useful for helping groups collaborate around the development of problem trees, High-Level Theoretical Frameworks (Programme Theory), and Theories of Change. If you have a good grasp of how to use indicators, how to allocate them to levels of change, and how to incorporate time into this, then this may be an idea solution which will provide guidance, as well as flexibility.

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Project m&e tools.

A well-planned project monitoring and evaluation strategy allow organizations to get useful and meaningful information that help them learn, adapt and improve. That is why International NGOs and nonprofits are increasingly working on improving their project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes and tools. More specifically, organizations are realizing that web-based information technology can significantly help them measure and report results data across their diverse project portfolio.

If your organization is looking for a project monitoring and evaluation software, LogAlto can help you finally organize your projects’ data. LogAlto offers you the ability to manage data from projects across the globe and implemented by various partners in a centralized and standardized manner.

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Our team can help your organization through this transition from manual processes of project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to a web-based project M&E tool with collaborative forms, reliable data, insightful analytics, real-time reporting, and evidence-based decision making.

We know the process of finding the right project monitoring and evaluation software that will fit your specific needs can be hard. There are a lot of tools to choose from, each one with their own strengths and weaknesses. So, the first step for us is always to do a first meeting with potential clients to see if LogAlto is a good fit for them.  

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Transitioning from paper-based project monitoring and evaluation to web-based M&E may seem overwhelming at first and it can be difficult to figure out how Excel files and word documents can be standardized and transformed into web interfaces and forms. The good news is that our team has dealt with many organizations that have encountered the same problems and we are used to find innovative ways to manipulate, merge, clean, import or organize data.

Once all the data management needs have been discussed and analyzed, LogAlto is fully configured and prepared to become the perfect project monitoring and evaluation tool for your organization.

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The implementation and launch of the project monitoring and evaluation software is actually the easy part. The onboarding of projects and new users requires more planning and guidance. That’s why the LogAlto team has put in place various tools to help user adoption:

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Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): A Step by Step Guide

By Priti Thapa

project evaluation and monitoring tools

If you have worked in the development field or with NGOs for a while, the abbreviation M&E definitely has come across your desk a couple of times. While you probably know that it means Monitoring and Evaluation , maybe you are not quite sure how to go about it and what the benefits are of having a good monitoring and evaluation scheme in place. In this article, we will explain in detail what M&E encompasses, why you need it, how it works and how it can help your fundraising.

What is Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)?

Monitoring and Evaluation is an approach that has mainly been developed to measure and assess the success and performance of projects, programs or entire organizations. Depending on the scope and use it is implemented by project staff, consultants or specialized organizations.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Figure 1: The project circle with the processes of Monitoring and Evaluation.

Monitoring and Evaluation refer to two different processes that are closely tied together and therefore used in the same sentence most of the time. It is important to make a distinction between both of the thought, to clearly understand the terms.

To make it easier to understand and more applicable, in the following paragraphs we will focus on monitoring and evaluation on the project or program level.

Monitoring basically refers to the measuring and documenting of progress, achievements, and results . The main goals of monitoring are to collect data to be able to learn from past experiences to improve present or future actions, to have accountability for the resource used, to be able to decide what works and what does not for the future development of the project and to be able to promote functioning approaches further.

Monitoring starts with the planning of a project when indicators are defined. Basically, monitoring means to collect data about the progress of a project and some predefined indicators and to compare the real-time project progress against the planned progress. The main goal is to be able to see if a project is going by plan or if there is a need for any adjustments.

Monitoring is an ongoing process throughout the lifespan of the project or program.

Evaluation is the second step in the approach, where the data collected during the monitoring process is analyzed and evaluated to be able to determine if the goal or aim of a project was achieved or not. With the results of the evaluation process, project planners decide if an approach is worth repeating or upscaling if adjustments have to be made. They will also be reported to the donor and other stakeholders to prove that resources have been used economically and successfully. A good evaluation strategy gives legitimacy to an organization and its projects.

Why do you need it?

All big organizations have Monitoring and Evaluation schemes for their operations in place, but if you are working for a small NGO , you might ask yourself:

Why do we need it? We have small operations and can keep an overview without a formalized monitoring and evaluation tool.

The first advantage is you will have a big database that you can use if you use a formalized monitoring tool. You will collect formalized data throughout your project that is comparable and will create a big database that you can draw from.

You might think you know how everybody in your project is performing, but do you know in exact numbers?

Do you know how many household members every family has? How much income?

All this information normally is collected in the baseline study for monitoring and can be used in the future also for other purposes. Having exact data at hand also means that it is much easier to write reports , updates, and brochures. Instead of having to go into the field every time you need some information, you can use your existing database and save yourself a lot of work.

Another advantage is that you catch the wrong developments early on in the process. Imagine you are running a project and everything looks good. You continue throughout the project circle, but in the very end, you realize there was a mistake in the setup or some people underperformed drastically so that the success of the entire project is in danger. These developments are difficult to catch unto without formalized data collection and monitoring and can affect an organization’s performance hugely. With an appropriate monitoring scheme in place and milestones along the way, you can see developments and challenges in real-time and react to them immediately instead of seeing their results in the end when it is too late to change anything.

A third advantage is that monitoring and evaluation tools give your organization the ability to be very specific about your impact and your successes. When you report to stakeholders and are able to show improvements throughout the project lifespan against the baseline study , you can use exact numbers and very concrete data to underline this. If you have no monitoring and evaluation in place, you have to rely on feelings and guesses, which makes a much smaller impression on stakeholders than solid data and reliable information.

Particularly when you work with donations or grants, having monitoring and evaluation tools shows professionalism and responsibility, as you are working with someone else´s resources and do your best to report and analyze the rational use of these resources.

How does it help to get funding?

project evaluation and monitoring tools

One part is that you can use solid data in your application from past evaluations and projects. If you can state facts instead of perceptions, it is much easier to convince a donor to fund a project. I.e. it is much more convincing if you can say: “We conducted a project in the past and had result x, y, and z, and they improved x % percent compared to the baseline study, so now we want to scale up or repeat the project” instead of using vague data and perceptions or opinions instead of facts.

Another advantage is that a good monitoring and evaluation scheme shows the donors that you are an accountable partner and use resources responsibly and transparently. Specifically, when working with new project partners, the willingness to objectively evaluate and monitor work can convince a donor of cooperation , as it shows that your organization is self-reflective and willing to do everything to improve project outcomes and impact.

How does it work?

Over the last paragraphs, we have talked a lot about why you need a monitoring and evaluation scheme in place and what your benefits are. But how does it actually work?

In the following paragraphs, we will get to that.

Performance measurement

The performance management is one of the most used tools in monitoring and evaluation and very easy to understand as well. During the planning process for a project, certain indicators are defined that are closely tied to the project’s goals and intended impact. These indicators have two values: the baseline value (the situation as it is right now) and the target value (the situation how it should be after the project). Depending on the lifespan of the project, sometimes also milestones are defined to make it easier to see if the project is performing on schedule or not.

Creating the baseline study 

For monitoring your project, the baseline study is of core importance and should always take place before and project activities begin. The entire evaluation of the project will be based on the baseline study and its quality will determine the quality of the outcomes of the evaluation process as well. Thus, it is very important to take care in deciding upon the indicators and which kind of data you want to include and collect.

In general, it is advisable to set up the baseline study a little bit broader than you might think is necessary. Once in the field, collecting the data it is easy to add one or two questions, but when you realize later that you need that information, it is a big task to go back into the field. Also, once you started the project it is more difficult to get the information again because your activities might already have influenced the data.

Also, think of other uses of the data that you are collecting. It is always advisable to have a broad data pool to be able to use it for different purposes like future applications, reports, and brochures. The more concrete information you can gather about your target population, the better for your representation.

Defining indicators

To measure the performance of a project or program, you need to define a certain set of indicators on which you want to achieve change or progress throughout the lifespan of your project. Normally, these indicators are grouped together for different topics and displayed in the form of a table. If they have been used in a project application, they will be used for reporting purposes throughout the project lifespan.

Figure 2: Example for a table with indicators for the performance measurement (source: own representation) 

As you can see in the example in Fig.2, the performance measurement of indicators gives your organization the possibility to track success and progress and thus makes it easy to identify bumps in the road and challenges. Even if you are not required by the donor to hand in progress reports, it makes a lot of sense to monitor the progress on the indicators for your own use.

If you are required to report about milestones and you underperform in some areas, you should always add detailed information about why and how this happened. This also gives you a chance to revise the setup of the project and point out in an early stage if there are any problems with it and if any adjustments have to be made.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

With the evaluation, organizations want to find out – normally at the end of a project cycle – if the project was worthwhile, achieved its goals and was implemented efficiently. It is also determined if there had been any unintended outcomes and if they were negative or positive.

The evaluation normally comprises a cost-efficiency analysis to see if the money was spent responsibly and effectively.

In the case of underperformance in specific outcomes , the evaluators analyze the reasons for this underperformance to be able to know if they were external or internal.

In general, during the evaluation process, it is determined, what can be learned by the implementation and what could be lessons for the future and for future projects. An evaluation makes it easier to learn from past experiences, as mistakes will not be repeated and particularly unintended outcomes are brought to the surface.

Also Read: How to Write the Evaluation Plan in Your Proposal

Impact measurement .

Although it is relatively easy to measure outcomes, provided the baseline study was well designed, it is very difficult to actually measure impact. It is very difficult to establish a definite connection of cause between project activities and outcomes, as there are many other variables that have to be taken into consideration.

If your organization trained teachers, but at the same time the road to the school was repaired, it is difficult to distinguish between the effect the training had on attendance rate and the effect the better road had. If your target group for enhanced farming techniques is farmers from one village and participation is voluntary, it is very difficult to say if better harvests can be related solely to your program or if the volunteers were the more active and progressive farmers anyways.

Impact assessment can only be implemented when the dataset is very big and some very clear connections can be drawn. Otherwise, outcomes and results can be described without claiming causality.

As you can see, Monitoring and Evaluation are very important tools for projects and organizations of all sizes. If you have a good scheme in place, you show that your organization is reliable, accountable, and a good partner. If you use the results of evaluations strategically, you can improve your project designs and implementations in the future and show potential donors, that you have valuable experiences in your field. During projects, you will be able to detect erroneous trends early on and be able to change and adjust projects early enough. You will have a database that you can draw from for multiple purposes.

Also Read, How to Master KPI Reporting for Your NGO: A Step-by-Step Guide

project evaluation and monitoring tools

About the author

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Priti is a Development Professional with years of experience as a Director of Operations for an American humanitarian organization in Nepal. She is a published writer and researcher focusing on international development funding and grassroots NGOs. She holds a master’s degree in Business. She oversees the team that provides support to NGOs and site users.

guest

I feel at time monitoring and evaluation is not prioritized as it should be in most cases. However, every organization implementing programs must ensure that they have the right staff and budget to carry out these key activities

proposalsforngos

Hi Alexander. Yes, having right staff and budget are the key.

Keneiloe Diale

Most organisations do not understand and value the role of M&E –

Sanu Kaji Shrestha

Very useful.

Oyukutu Valente

I have a Nursery and Primary school with 234 children (140 in Nursery and 94 in Primary level 4). I would like to design a M&E system to monitor their academic performance. Help me do so ………

betty

this article was helpful

Moses Musira

Thank you Eva. You have simplified for me M&E in a single article.

Faizullah Hamraz

please send me information about Advance M&E

Proposals forNGOs

Hello Faizullah: We will be posting more on the subject. Thank you!

jackson muraguri

which are the problematic M&E

Yusuf Abubakar Sadiq

Yes! having M&E officer in place or consultant to that effect is vary important to smoothly actualising of your project & interventions, on data & evaluation techniques

Cornelia Wakhanu

Exactly, we need someone to specifically check on this and direct others. It is an area one can major in. I like data, I like to use it but I have a deficit to some point. Being health personnel, a nurse-midwife, I use my and others’ data to critically thick over it, analyze and learn something from it. It is not only the monthly report but from the first information I get from a patient to the daily, monthly, quarterly, biannually annually, and if project end of the project. Leaning is at every point for that reason. Not at the …  Read more »

Thanks, Priti Thapa. Your information is perfect and this is what I really wanted. The M&E&L incorporated. We monitor, we adjust, we evaluate, and get lessons for duplication. Most firms do not consider this as important. They only have a reporting system in place but using M&E&L could be a step forward for them. I really need the course.

Proposals forNGOs

Dear Cornelia: I am glad you found this article helpful.

Thanks, we meet one day during the training.

Dinesh KC

Well presented. I have only one comment on the Figure 1. Monitoring is not a step in the process. It is a continuous process through the project right from the beginning. So, the learnings is also a continuous process.

Asasash Fantaye

Very important and easily understanding. Thanks

Dear Asasash: I’m glad you found this article helpful! We would love it if you shared this review on our office Facebook page . Seeing positive reviews from existing readers makes others more comfortable knowing they’ll get the support they need on topics related to fundraising and proposal writing. Thank you!

farhia Abdulahi Hussein

it good for monitoring team

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project evaluation and monitoring tools

Monitoring and Evaluation: Tools, Methods and Approaches

The purpose of this M&E Overview is to strengthen awareness and interest in M&E, and to clarify what it entails. You will find an overview of a sample of M&E tools, methods, and approaches outlined here, including their purpose and use; advantages and disadvantages; costs, skills, and time required; and key references. Those illustrated here include several data collection methods, analytical frameworks, and types of evaluation and review. The M&E Overview discusses:

  • Performance indicators
  • The logical framework approach
  • Theory-based evaluation
  • Formal surveys
  • Rapid appraisal methods
  • Participatory methods
  • Public expenditure tracking surveys
  • Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis
  • Impact evaluation

This list is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to be. Some of these tools and approaches are complementary; some are substitutes. Some have broad applicability, while others are quite narrow in their uses. The choice of which is appropriate for any given context will depend on a range of considerations. These include the uses for which M&E is intended, the main stakeholders who have an interest in the M&E findings, the speed with which the information is needed, and the cost.

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Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Toolkit

This is a list of curated tools and resources that can help you plan, develop and integrate Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) into your work throughout the programme cycle, as well as to apply knowledge and adjust the approach gained from evidence generated through MEL. This toolkit encompasses a wide range of guidebooks on the principles and basics of project and programme monitoring and evaluation. It also provides useful resources for developing MEL in humanitarian contexts, as well as for scaling.

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Tools for project planning in community development

Online course module 7 of 9.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Monitoring & Evaluation

This is Module 7 of our free online course, 'Tools for Project Planning in Community Development'. To visit the course homepage, click here .

The terminology Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) describes a group of activities and indicators to measure a project’s ongoing success in relation to clearly defined outputs. 

Incorporating them into your design from the beginning allows you to assess progress and achievements in line with your objectives. 

M&E offers a tangible way to ensure that your project is accountable, transparent, minimizes collateral damage and actively identifies wasteful processes and poor performance. A good M&E strategy is thus ultimately an assessment of your effectiveness, and as such should be considered an essential facet of your design process.

We will release a full, in-depth course devoted to the topic of M&E shortly which will explore in detail the different methods available to help keep track of your development project. In this module though, we aim to provide an overview of what M&E is, and more specifically, how it can be incorporated into the project design phase.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

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project evaluation and monitoring tools

describes the collection and assessment of measurable outputs from project activities to gauge success and analyse impact.

Why should you incorporate M&E in the planning stage? 

Most planning strategies include setting of targets and deliverables, so it is important to understand how your team will keep track of this information. These are not only targets to assess your success at the end of your project, but also to keep track of your progress whilst you are implementing your project. These real-time assessment targets will help guide any changes you make to your project during implementation, helping to improve the way your deliver your services. Thus, by incorporate M&E into your planning, you are actively preparing for and supporting the implementation process. 

Having a robust concept of M&E in place will also contribute to transparency and accountability in your reporting. Not only does this facilitate a culture of learning for the organisation and the wider sector, but it also improves relations with potential donors and supporters. 

Creating your M&E plan in 5 easy steps

Whilst there are many more important processes to effective Monitoring and Evaluation, these five key steps are most important during the planning phase. They will be essential to designing your Logical Framework in the next module that will be the centrepiece of your project. You should have an idea of your Monitoring and Evaluation indicators from your Theory of Change Framework in the previous module.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Before moving on, you should ensure that you have set clear and realistic goals and objectives for your project. Through your Theory of Change Analysis in the previous module, you should have chosen specific interventions to achieve these goals. You can also look at Module 3 for Goal Setting and Module 5 for Solution Analysis to help you identify clear objectives.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Indicators are used to assess the success of your project. They are normally accompanied by a measurable target - often a percentage - to help quantify success. 

There are different types of indicators you can use:

Objectively Verifiable Indicators = quantifiable targets that usually assess quantity, quality or time (the best way to assess the success of your project)

Targets should be specific, usable, measurable and sensitive.

Example: Provide 90% of pregnant women living in the Ecuadorian village of Canoa an antenatal care service at 10weeks, 20weeks and 30weeks gestation between 01/01/18 and 01/07/18

Example: Measuring the happiness of a work force is difficult. An indirect indicator of workplace happiness might be tracking the number of sick days taken by staff members.

Indirect Indicators  = assess the achievement of a target in an indirect way 

These are indicators you can use if the outcome cannot be measured directly ​

Example: 50% of families reported feeling less stressed about their finances.

Qualitative Indicators  = an important indicator when seeking to understand how the ‘process’ of your project is being received by the community.

Give insight into how satisfied beneficiaries are with your project, whether the project has led to sustainable behavioural changes 

Can be hard to analyse → you can still use Objectively Verifiable Indicators (usually a percentage) even if your indicators are qualitative. 

project evaluation and monitoring tools

The SMARTER AND SPICED acronyms can be useful when trying to identify all of the possible indicators our project can use. These work for both quantitative and qualitative indicators.

Smarter = specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time bound, enjoyable, rewarding, spiced = subjective, participatory, indirect, cross-checked, empowering, diverse).

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Helpful Hint

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Next, you need to identify methods of verification to measure your indicators and assess your performance. Then you define a timeline that sets concrete time periods for when you will conduct data collection for your assessment.

Use methods of verification that are cost-effective and readily available 

Example: Instead of visiting each beneficiary of your project individually to conduct a survey, better do the survey at a workshop with a group of beneficiaries at once or hand out survey papers that can be completed and returned at the next meeting. 

This will help you track the success of your project, see which interventions had the best (or worst) effect and make changes to your project during the intervention period.

This means collecting data before your intervention starts (at the very beginning of your timeline!). This is important because without it, the data you capture throughout the project will not bear as much relevance, as you will not see the process you are making. 

Use methods of verification that are already available in your community 

Collect data at multiple times throughout your project

Incorporate baseline measurements into your work (depending on what you are evaluating) ​

project evaluation and monitoring tools

your activities upon one element of the over-arching problem, likely achieving more noticeable change towards your long-term goal.

If your organisation intends to run more than one activity, which we anticipate most would, try to choose short-term interventions that are either from the same outcome pathway or are directly complimentary to one another. this way, you’ll be able to focus.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

To ensure that your M&E strategy progresses smoothly, it is important to assign specific responsibilities to specific members of your team. 

When assigning responsibilities, make sure that:

You are as specific as possible

Use names, dates, times and places where data collection will take place.

You cross check data through more than one person

Mistakes must be identified and verified quickly and unexpected consequences must be acted upon immediately.

You choose an appropriately skilled team member to collect the data

Holding a workshop requires some experience and 1on1 interviews can be daunting for newer team members. ​

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Now it’s time to put all this information together into a succinct Monitoring and Evaluation Plan . This should be done for each specific objective separately. An example can be seen below:

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Example: Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

project evaluation and monitoring tools

You can download a template for this tool here:  ‘ Resource 16 - Monitoring & Evaluation Plan Framework ' . Use this resource as a guide when you are planning your own community development project.

Download Resource

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Finishing Up

With the guide above, you should have a clearer idea about how you can plan to track and assess the efficacy of your project. In the next module, Module 8 , we’ll put all this information together into a logical framework to guide your entire project in the intervention process

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Often you will need more than one method of monitoring. Not all parents might take their children to the doctor. So, while the monitoring strategy outlined above is 100% accurate because a doctor has diagnosed cholera, it might not capture 100% of children who are suffering cholera. As such, a complimentary monitoring strategy could be to count the number of children sick from school to help get a broader picture of the total impact of your project. 

Or download the full project planning handbook here ..

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Download Module

Download this module as a pdf to print and use as a guide when planning local community development projects.

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Move on to:

project evaluation and monitoring tools

Synthesising your Project into a Logical Framework

Learn how to use a Logical Framework Approach (LFA)  create a single ‘master framework’ for your project. 

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project evaluation and monitoring tools

IMAGES

  1. A guide to project monitoring and evaluation

    project evaluation and monitoring tools

  2. Monitoring and Evaluation: Definition, Process, Objectives, Differences

    project evaluation and monitoring tools

  3. Planning Monitoring and Evaluation System

    project evaluation and monitoring tools

  4. What Is Monitoring and Evaluation? A Guide to the Basics

    project evaluation and monitoring tools

  5. Most Useful Project Management Tools and Techniques

    project evaluation and monitoring tools

  6. Improve Your Impact with Powerful Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

    project evaluation and monitoring tools

VIDEO

  1. Project Management

  2. Lecture No 5: Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation / Academia By Dr. Muhammad Iqbal

  3. Monitoring and Evaluation- Unit-4, Code- 6574

  4. Why Monitoring and Evaluation is Important for Economic Development

  5. Investment Appraisal / Project Evaluation methodology for Finance Professionals

  6. DAY 1 MONITORING AND EVALUATION TRAINING COURSE

COMMENTS

  1. A guide to project monitoring and evaluation

    Project monitoring and evaluation is used to measure a project's progress. It's important because it lets you keep tabs on a project and identify potential problems. Let's take a closer look at these two concepts. What is project monitoring?

  2. Project Monitoring Guide: Process, Types, Tools & Techniques

    Project monitoring is an ongoing process that helps track progress, control processes, observe, and measure the project's performance and progress against its previously defined objectives and plans.

  3. 8 tools for successful project monitoring

    What tools and metrics should I use for project monitoring? 1. Progress: How much is still to be done? 2. Status: Where are the issues? 3. Milestone trend analysis: Can we meet deadline XY? 4. Schedule variance: Will the project be finished on time? 5. Schedule performance index: How much more time do we need for the project? 6.

  4. Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

    Monitoring and Evaluation Tools are methodologies, software, and procedures used to assess the performance and impact of projects, programs, or policies. These tools are essential for tracking progress, ensuring accountability, and optimizing outcomes.

  5. Guide to Project Monitoring & Control

    By Kate Eby | March 8, 2022 Monitoring and control provide project managers with real-time status reporting that informs decisions and maintains communication among stakeholders. Project managers use monitoring data to determine if work is on task, on budget, and delivered on time.

  6. Project Monitoring and Control: Tools & Steps

    Project monitoring tools are essential for project monitoring. Project management software has many features that give project managers a window into the project, whether costs, resources or time. There are dashboards that provide a high-level view of the project's progress and performance, detailed status reports and other types of reporting ...

  7. What are the tools for monitoring a project?

    This article will focus on useful project management tools like Gantt Chart, calendar, timeline, PERT chart, WBS diagram, status table, HOQ, and mind map. However, lets first start with the advantages of using these tools for monitoring the project: Advantages of using tools for monitoring a project

  8. How to Do a Project Evaluation (With Tools)

    1. Develop an Evaluation Plan As you create your project, you should consider the objectives and goals you want to achieve and share them with your team, providing them with a clear path forward. The goals and objectives you determine can help you choose the project evaluation method you want to use.

  9. Project Evaluation: Definition, Methods, and Steps On How to Do It

    It includes: Outcome assessment: Measuring the project's outcomes against the initial objectives. Success validation: Determining the success or failure of the project based on the defined criteria. Lessons learned: Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats encountered during the project.

  10. Project Evaluation Process: Definition, Methods & Steps

    Download Excel File The project evaluation process has been around as long as projects themselves. But when it comes to the science of project management, project evaluation can be broken down into three main types or methods: pre-project evaluation, ongoing evaluation and post-project evaluation.

  11. Project Evaluation: Steps, Benefits, and Common Mistakes

    Step 1: Identify project goals and objectives. Crafting solid goals and objectives during your project's development is like drawing a map for your team— it sets the course and direction. Goals also play a crucial role in shaping the evaluation process tailored to your objectives.

  12. Project Monitoring: Process, Types, Tools & Techniques

    18th Jan, 2024 Views Read Time 13 Mins In this article Let's say you have been assigned to lead a project. You will first start by determining the goal and making a plan. You will then assign the work to your team members. But when your plan is good but without regular oversight, can you know whether the plan is being executed correctly?

  13. Monitoring and Evaluation Tools for Projects

    Monitoring and Evaluation Tools for Projects The range of tools available to monitor and evaluate projects is growing. As you apply for funding to implement your project, you will realise how important it is to remain accountable.

  14. PDF Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluating for Results

    Monitoring and evaluation activities in UNDP are responding to the intensified focus on outcomes by shifting towards better measurement of performance and more systematic monitoring and reporting; most importantly, such activities are fostering an organizational culture of learning, transparency and accountability.

  15. Project Monitoring and Evaluation Software for NGOs

    A well-planned project monitoring and evaluation strategy allow organizations to get useful and meaningful information that help them learn, adapt and improve. That is why International NGOs and nonprofits are increasingly working on improving their project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes and tools.

  16. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): A Step by Step Guide

    Monitoring and Evaluation is an approach that has mainly been developed to measure and assess the success and performance of projects, programs or entire organizations. Depending on the scope and use it is implemented by project staff, consultants or specialized organizations. Figure 1: The project circle with the processes of Monitoring and ...

  17. PDF Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Plans: A Guide for Project ...

    Element 1: Project Outcomes - Level and Outcome Statement Element 2: Monitoring and Evaluation Questions Element 3: Define Indicators (or Performance Measures) Element 4: Identify Data Sources and Select Data Collection Methods Element 5: Consider Timing of Data Collection Element 6: Assign Responsibility for Data Collection

  18. What Are Monitoring and Evaluation Tools? (With Tips)

    Monitoring and evaluation tools are programs that help organizations perform assessments. Monitoring and evaluation is a continuous process in which a controlling body gathers and analyzes data to assess whether the subject has reached its stated goals.

  19. Monitoring and Evaluation: Tools, Methods and Approaches

    Monitoring and Evaluation: Tools, Methods and Approaches — ConnexUs Monitoring and Evaluation: Tools, Methods and Approaches By World Bank Uploaded By ConnexUs Staff The purpose of this M&E Overview is to strengthen awareness and interest in M&E, and to clarify what it entails.

  20. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Toolkit

    This is a list of curated tools and resources that can help you plan, develop and integrate Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) into your work throughout the programme cycle, as well as to apply knowledge and adjust the approach gained from evidence generated through MEL. This toolkit encompasses a wide range of guidebooks on the principles and basics of project and programme monitoring ...

  21. Monitoring & Evaluation Tools for Community Development Projects

    The terminology Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) describes a group of activities and indicators to measure a project's ongoing success in relation to clearly defined outputs. Incorporating them into your design from the beginning allows you to assess progress and achievements in line with your objectives.

  22. results-based monitoring and evaluation of projects

    For the past several decades, numerous non-government organizations (NGOs) have used the process of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to track the progress of programs. Likewise, organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank have embedded M&E into their organizational processes to improve performance. But only recently have organizations of all types begun using M&E to manage projects.

  23. PDF Guidelines for Project Monitoring and Evaluation

    This purpose of the Guidelines for Project Monitoring and Evaluation (the Guidelines) is to provide necessary directions for users, including 1) project monitoring and evaluation teams to develop the most appropriate and effective tools to conduct the mission and 2) project steering committee (PSC), implementing agency (IA), the Secretariat incl...

  24. Social Accountability in Ethiopia: Community Score Card Implementation

    By USAIDOn Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at 8 am EST/16:00 UTC+3, D4I will host the first webinar in a series on localization in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL). The webinar, co-hosted by the USAID-funded NPI EXPAND project, will highlight the implementation of community score cards to improve primary health care in Ethiopia.Localizing MERL helps ensure that local actors ...

  25. ImpactMapper on Instagram: " We are thrilled to announce the 2024

    58 likes, 0 comments - impactmapper on January 18, 2024: " We are thrilled to announce the 2024 ImpactMapper Fellows! We are inspired by each one ..."