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Module

EXERCISE 8

Constraints

(Time: 20 minutes)

The purpose of this exercise is to map constraints that organizations have in monitoring and

evaluation. Abu Dhabi, UAE

In small groups, ask participants to point out areas of the IEA process where their organization
could have constraints that could limit monitoring and evaluation. Compile the constraints,

putting them on an enlarged IEA process chart for later use.

The idea of monitoring and evaluation typically brings about more apprehension than applause.

Negative associations, ranging from the trouble of an extra budget line to the fear of inadequacy, lead to
people not using evaluation results, not learning from them and thus not seeing their value in improving
a process.

Further reasons for disregarding evaluation, especially in the IEA process, lies in mistaking outputs

(i.e., products such as the IEA report) for outcomes (i.e., improved policies for environment and
development), and in seeing little added value in evaluation as long as a tangible, credible and legitimate
state-of-the-art report gets published on time. No wonder that monitoring and evaluation are often
cut out of the work plan and the budget.

Given that, why does it remain important to pay attention to monitoring and evaluation?

Monitoring and evaluating the IEA process attracts attention when you want to make sure your process
gets used, especially in policy improvement. Figure 2 illustrates how improvements in policy making
procedures, policies and in the state of the environment can be driven through monitoring and learning.

In this context, the IEA process is regarded a capacity development mechanism for periodic policy
revision and improvement. This approach acknowledges that information itself is not enough; dedicated
mechanisms (see impact strategies, Module 3) are needed to facilitate the uptake of IEA information by
policy reviews. Moreover, it recognizes that institutional improvement can only happen with concurrent

IEA Training Manual Workshop for the National Reporting Toolkit (NRT) 9