Monitoring; Into Action; Watching Where We Are Going
 by
Phil Bartle, PhD

Training Handout

An often overlooked element of projects; we need to see where we are
going if we want to stay on track and achieve our objectives

 Earlier it was noted that monitoring is important, and needs to
 be included in the project design. Now that the project is underway,
 you need to ensure that it takes place. Monitoring is as important
 as the action being monitored. See the training document:
 "Monitoring."

 Remember the analogy of riding a bicycle? If pressing the pedals
 is the action, then watching where you are going (monitoring) is as
 important, if you do not want to go off track and fall down. You say
 that the people working on the project at the time can see what is
 going on, but that is not enough. The whole rider is riding the
 bicycle, not only the eyes. The eyes must send reports to the brain
 which sends adjustment messages to the rest of the body. Different
 people work on the project in different ways and at different times,
 but the whole community (and donors) must know what is going on
 overall.

 Now that the project is underway, it is your job as mobilizer to
 remind the executive
 that monitoring is part of the project design, is important, and
 must be carried out.

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 http://www.scn.org/cmp/

Updated: 2003 May 11