Project monitoring and evaluation: A method for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of aid project implementation

Aid agencies are required to conform to stringent project reporting requirements in order to satisfy the wide range of stakeholders. Project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) information systems (IS), frequently a requirement for funding, are believed to inform the reporting process. The logical framework approach (LFA) is widely used throughout the aid industry for project design and appraisal, and although much of the literature also promotes the use of the LFA for the purposes of M&E, it has proved inadequate. This article reviews the key limitations of the conventional LFA for M&E and proposes an extension to the LFA matrix (the "logframe") in order to facilitate its application beyond the design phase. This is achieved by adding a time dimension, more precisely defining the elements of the project MIS, and integrating other project management tools. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd and IPMA. All rights reserved