Assessment on Practice and Challenges of Monitoring and Evaluation in Local NGOs: A Case Study of Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA)

Abstract

At present, NGOs are playing a prominent role in the development sector by filling gaps in the developing world face that the government fails and/ or needs support. The study emphasizes the assessment of practice and challenges of monitoring and evaluation in local NGO's: as a case study of Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA). The purpose of this research is to assess this practice and the challenges that NEWA is facing while implementing M&E. The target population of this research is 38 employees of NEWA operating in development and advocacy projects and 22 employees were selected by purposive sampling. A questioner survey was distributed to all these sampled employees and 21 respondents filled in and returned the questioner properly. This research employs a descriptive research design for the acquisition of quantitative data. The data is analyzed using SPSS v. 17 and interpreted in percentage, and frequency and were presented in the graph to enhance the data presented. The findings of this study revealed that: relevant M&E staff working in NEWA had received the necessary training in monitoring and evaluation either formally or through in-service training, have a written M&E plan that is easily adjustable. On the contrary, the research revealed insufficient baseline data, shortage of expertise, and lack of sufficient funding especially for M&E as challenges that are facing M&E implementation. Furthermore, this study showed developing an M&E plan continuously, increased the role of management participation, and computerizing the M&E system contribute to mitigating the existing challenges. In general, this study shows that although NEWA has good M&E practice, the company also faces numerous challenges when implementing M&E. Finally, there is a need to further support, facilitate and improve the M&E implementation with a computerized system and developing an easily adaptable and continuous written M&E plan, and increasing the role of top & middle management participation are presented to remedy the challenges of M&E.