This workbook offers a practical introduction to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER) systems. It is designed for management and staff in non-governmental HIV/AIDS programmes who need to more efficiently track and utilise their resources for enhanced effectiveness. The goal is to provide materials to help organisations construct quality systems that are straightforward, affordable, efficient, and useful to the management and operations of the organisation itself.

The workbook contains chapters on the basic principles of MER, results-based MER, indicators, monitoring and reporting. It includes activities and worksheets to reinforce the lessons in each section.

The manual also includes a discussion of the indicator reporting and monitoring requirements for the United States government's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. If an organisation is receiving United States government funds, it must collect certain input- and output-level data, referred to as "Emergency Plan coreprogram-level indicators." These indicators are discussed as a part of the Indicators chapter in this workbook.

Workbook topics are covered in the following chapters:

• Principles - describes the importance of MER systems as a guiding tool for organisational adaptation and learning and as a means to foster public and political cooperation. The chapter defines key terms and outlines essential elements of a MER system.
• Results - Based MER - provides an overview of the shift from monitoring systems that have historically been focused on implementation, to systems focused on programme results. The short, medium and long term results are discussed at four levels:
  1. inputs and processes
  2. outputs
  3. outcomes
  4. impacts
• Indicators - discusses how to identify and select appropriate indicators. This section includes discussion of how to identify the Emergency Plan indicators that may be needed in grant-related reporting.
• Monitoring - discusses monitoring tools that may be useful in management. Tools include a benchmark calendar, an activity-based budget of the benchmark calendar, a comparison chart and a deliverables schedule.
• Evaluation - outlines different types of evaluations, who should be engaged in the evaluation process, and how to develop a learning agenda and evaluation schedule.
• Reporting - discusses the importance of reporting, and the elements and format of a good report.
• MER Review - includes a checklist of the desired elements of a MER plan.

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