Step 1: Review your M and E framework and data collection tools

In this topic, you have learnt the following:

1. Before you start building your real-time M and E dashboard, review your M and E frameworks and develop your data collection tools.
2. M&E frameworks provide structure and guidance for tracking project progress, including project activities, expected results, indicators, data sources, targets, data disaggregation, data collection schedules, and responsibilities.
3. M&E frameworks consist of impact, outcomes, and outputs, which are different levels of the results of the activities in our project. Since outputs are usually observed immediately after an activity has been done, they are the best to be tracked on an activity-level real-time M and dashboard. To track higher level of results like outcomes, you may need to develop a different data collection tool that may need to be reported at monthly or quarterly basis
4. Data sources indicate where the information for each indicator will come from, such as the activity forms.
5. Targets provide a benchmark for comparing actual progress against desired results.
6. Data disaggregation enables comparison of indicators across different categories like gender or district.
7. For our case study, we have developed a reporting form designed to capture essential data for tracking project progress based on the M&E framework.