Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a two-part framework for ensuring that a project adheres to its plan and objectives. The act of monitoring is an ongoing examination of whether employees are completing planned activities, and evaluation is the act of assessing whether these activities have produced the intended results. If you work or are interested in working in the development sector, understanding M&E and earning a credential that validates your knowledge can help you make valuable contributions and advance your career.
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In this article, we discuss the benefits of earning a certificate in monitoring and evaluation, list types of professionals who use monitoring and evaluation systems, and introduce you to some specific certificates you may want to consider, with a comprehensive description of each.
What are the benefits of earning a certificate in monitoring and evaluation?
Earning a certificate in monitoring and evaluation can improve your job prospects. Organizations are more likely to hire you for a role if they believe you can add value to them. Certification can persuade potential employers of your value because it validates that you possess the knowledge and skills required to succeed in a particular profession. In the development sector, where monitoring and evaluation practices can greatly influence future planning and funding, having an M&E certificate demonstrates that you’re capable of effective planning, implementation and tracking of projects.
Certification programs can also help build in you the competencies necessary to guide a project to success. Having a high level of competency in monitoring and evaluation allows you to understand whether an endeavor is proceeding as it should. Because M&E is ongoing from the beginning of a project, it functions as an early warning system if the project isn’t meeting the objectives initially planned. Therefore, the assessments you make about the project can help guide it toward success with responsive corrections to the faults you identify throughout its life span.
Who uses monitoring and evaluation systems?
Professionals who use monitoring and evaluation systems are typically in the development sector, which centers on improving issues such as quality of life and economic well-being in underprivileged communities, regions or countries. The development sector comprises organizations such as government agencies like USAID, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, charities, and social movements. Program managers and project managers employed by these organizations are among the specific professions that regularly use monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure that formal organizational efforts proceed according to plan. Donor staff may also use M&E to determine financial allocations.
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9 certificates in monitoring and evaluation
As yet, there’s no universally recognized credential for validating monitoring and evaluation expertise, but there are numerous certification options that can improve your career prospects. Here are nine such certificates for you to consider:
1. Certificate in Evaluation Practice (CEP)
The CEP is a credential given by The Evaluators’ Institute at Claremont Graduate University, an internationally recognized provider of training and certification. The target audience for the CEP includes professionals seeking formal training in evaluation practice, individuals who wish to learn about the current state of evaluation practice, people who want to gain a systematic understanding of it and those who are new to it.
Earning the CEP requires the completion of a 30-day program. The first 15 days center on 11 required courses. The following nine days then cover elective courses in design and analysis, and the final six days cover electives in practice and inquiry.
2. Certificate in Project Monitoring & Evaluation by American University
American University’s Certificate in Project Monitoring & Evaluation program aims to provide participants with the skills required to assess a project or program for performance potential and impact. It consists of four online courses, amounting to 12 credits. The three required courses are:
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Data-driven decision-making
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Principles and theories of evaluation
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Evaluation approaches and designs
The fourth course is an elective chosen among the following options:
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Innovation through new technologies
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Intercultural communication for professionals
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Professional ethics and project leadership
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Client communications and professional consulting
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Teams and virtual teams
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Qualitative methods of evaluation
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Quantitative methods of evaluation
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Project cost-benefit analysis
There are some eligibility requirements for entry into the program. Aside from an application form and the completion of a phone interview with an admissions adviser, an eligible candidate submits a resume, a statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation from professors or employers, college transcripts, and a bachelor’s degree. The university recommends an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 for entry.
3. The Global Health eLearning Center’s Monitoring and Evaluation certificate program
The Global Health eLearning Center, which offers courses for learning about various global health topics, offers the Monitoring and Evaluation certificate program, which consists of 10 courses:
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Data quality
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Data use for program managers
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Demographic and health surveys
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Economic evaluation basics
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Gender monitoring and evaluation
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Geographic approaches to global health
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GIS techniques for monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS and related programs
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Monitoring and evaluation fundamentals
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Measuring malaria through Household Surveys
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Mortality surveillance methods and strategies
Most of the courses are two hours long, except for the 1.75-hour economic evaluation basics course and the three-hour geographic approaches to global health course. Each course covers the definition of and core concepts associated with each topic. If you wish, you can earn certificates for individual courses, in which case the monitoring and evaluation fundamentals course and the economic evaluations basics course would be good starting points.
4. The International Training Center’s Monitoring and Evaluation Certification Programme
The Monitoring and Evaluation Certification Programme is an online certification course offered by the International Training Centre, the training wing of the United Nations International Labour Organization. This program aims to provide professionals with the technical skills required to monitor projects and manage evaluations effectively. The course covers the following topics:
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Monitoring and evaluation systems, theories, approaches, techniques and tools
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Results-based management
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Risk management
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The characteristics of successful monitoring and evaluation systems
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The evaluation of development programs/projects
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The relationships between monitoring, evaluation, reporting, research, auditing, and control
Ideally, a candidate who successfully completes the course possesses the competencies to create a monitoring and evaluation plan, determine the impacts of a project both quantitatively and qualitatively, and communicate effectively with stakeholders.
5. Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation by the NYU School of Professional Studies
New York University’s School of Professional Studies offers the Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation, which consists of five courses designed to be completed over two semesters. These courses are:
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Introduction to monitoring and evaluation
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Program design for monitoring and evaluation
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Quantitative methods in evaluation
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Qualitative methods in evaluation
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Reporting and presenting results
The program aims to provide participants with core knowledge about program design and implementation and teach them various techniques for measuring the progress of a project. Successful completion of the program indicates you can understand the concepts of monitoring and evaluation, design monitoring and evaluation frameworks, determine appropriate performance indicators, comprehend qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, and write reports related to your monitoring and evaluation efforts.
6. Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation
Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation is a free online course provided by the online learning platform Philanthropy University. The course is self-paced and estimated to require approximately one to two hours per week. It consists of the following five modules:
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Introduction to monitoring and evaluation
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Linking monitoring and evaluation to project design
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Identifying indicators and targets
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Data collection
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Roles and responsibilities
According to the providers, this course is most useful for project managers, researchers, and monitoring and evaluation specialists who’ve already started the process of designing a project. Those who score greater than 50% on all of the course’s assessments and assignments receive a digital certificate of achievement through UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
7. RedR UK’s Monitoring and Evaluation certificate
RedR UK is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to post-disaster rebuilding efforts through training, support, and aid work. The organization offers its Monitoring and Evaluation certificate through an online course with the objective of developing skills required for M&E practice in humanitarian and development efforts. The specific dates of the course vary depending on the year, but it often takes place multiple times. It spans five sessions across five nonconsecutive days, totaling about 18 hours. The topics include:
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The linkages between monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning
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The design and planning of M&E activities
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Bias and ethics in M&E
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Designing monitoring indicators
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Methods of data collection
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Techniques for data analysis
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Planning and managing evaluations
In addition to the live sessions, there’s also individual or group work between session periods. The interstitial components amount to about eight hours of work.
8. Results-Based Project Management: Monitoring and Evaluation
Provided by the University of the Witwatersrand through edX, a provider of massive open online courses, Results-Based Project Management: Monitoring and Evaluation is a free, self-paced course that teaches you to implement a results-based approach to overseeing programs in the public sector. Per the provider, the estimated length of the course is about eight weeks, with three to four hours of learning per week. Each of these weeks focuses on a particular topic or activity, as follows:
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The definition and importance of results
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The results chain
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Results statements
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Performance indicators, baselines, and targets
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Assumptions and risk
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Monitoring systems
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The purpose of evaluations
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Wrap-up/assessment
9. Unite for Sight’s Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation
The Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation offered by the nonprofit Unite for Sight centers on achieving outcomes related to global health intervention. The program educates participants on topics such as disease surveillance and how to evaluate the impact of a public health program. Anyone, whether a professional or a student, is eligible to enroll in this self-paced course, which consists of the following modules:
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Global health outcomes
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Evaluation of global health programs
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Surveillance and detection of diseases in developing countries
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Strategies for improving health outcomes
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Research, monitoring, and evaluation tools
For each module, participants submit a one-paragraph response, which the provider’s faculty reads and grades according to a four-tier system.
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