Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Frameworks: Theory of Change, Logframes and Indicators – Dubai, 19–23 Apr 2027

Programme overview

Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Case study

Introduction

Programmes are often approved with ambitious goals but no clear logic for how activities will produce results or how those results will be measured. Indicators are chosen late, baselines are missing and evaluations arrive too late to change delivery, leaving funders and leaders without credible evidence. This Core Concept course equips managers to build monitoring and evaluation systems on recognised frameworks, from theory of change and logframe design to indicators, data quality and evaluation design. Participants apply each method to case material from several sectors and leave with a Programme M&E Framework for their own programme.

Course Objectives

• Build a theory of change and logframe that set out how a programme's activities lead to outcomes and impact
• Select indicators, set baselines and targets, and document them in indicator reference sheets
• Design an M&E plan covering data collection methods, tools, responsibilities, calendar and data quality checks
• Choose evaluation designs and criteria, including the OECD DAC criteria, that answer attribution and contribution questions credibly
• Apply adaptive management and ethical safeguards so that monitoring evidence changes delivery decisions
• Produce a Programme M&E Framework ready for approval by a programme sponsor or funder

Target Audience

• Programme and portfolio managers accountable for reporting results
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning managers building organisational M&E systems
• Strategy and planning managers overseeing multi-year initiatives
• Grant and partnership managers reporting results to funders
• Corporate social responsibility and foundation managers measuring social programmes

Course Outline

Day 1: M&E Foundations and Programme Context

• MEAL Framework: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
• Results-Based Management Principles and the Results Chain
• Problem Tree and Objective Tree Analysis
• M&E System Readiness Assessment Checklist
• Stakeholder Information Needs Matrix

Day 2: Frameworks and Evaluation Standards

• Theory of Change Construction and Assumption Mapping
• Logical Framework Approach and the Logframe Matrix
• OECD DAC Evaluation Criteria: Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact and Sustainability
• UNEG Norms and Standards for Evaluation
• Utilization-Focused Evaluation Principles

Day 3: Building the Monitoring System

• SMART Indicator Selection and Indicator Reference Sheets
• Baseline Study Design and Target Setting
• Mobile Data Collection with KoboToolbox and ODK
• Indicator Performance Tracking Table and Reporting Calendar
• Data Quality Assessment: Validity, Reliability, Timeliness, Precision and Integrity

Day 4: Evaluation Design, Attribution and Complexity

• Evaluation Designs: Experimental, Quasi-Experimental and Non-Experimental
• Contribution Analysis for Attribution Questions
• Outcome Harvesting and Most Significant Change for Complex Programmes
• M&E Ethics and Risk Register: Consent, Data Protection and Do No Harm
• Adaptive Management with After-Action Reviews and Learning Agendas

Day 5: Case Work and the Programme M&E Framework

• Education Programme Case Study: Repairing a Weak Logframe
• Public Health Programme Case Study: Reviewing Mid-Term Evaluation Findings
• Evaluation Terms of Reference Drafting
• Programme M&E Framework Build for an Own Programme
• Peer Review Panel and Framework Defence

Skills You Will Gain

• Results Chain Design
• Indicator Development
• M&E Planning
• Data Quality Management
• Evaluation Design
• Qualitative Impact Methods
• Adaptive Programme Management

Why Attend This Course

• Return to work with a Programme M&E Framework for a live programme, already tested against peer review
• Give funders and leadership results evidence they can rely on, not activity counts
• Commission and manage external evaluations with clear terms of reference and realistic questions
• Compare M&E practice with managers from other sectors and countries running similar programmes

Conclusion

A programme can only show what it achieved if its logic, indicators and evidence were planned from the start. This course moves from the results chain and programme context, through theory of change, logframes and international evaluation standards, to indicators, data systems, evaluation designs and the methods used when attribution is hard. The final day turns that material into a Programme M&E Framework that participants take back to their sponsor or funder, giving them a structured and defensible approach to measuring the next programme they manage.