Monitoring and Evaluation – Significance in Watershed Management
Monitoring and evaluation is an important aspect in watershed management. It is tool that tracks the performance, reveals the gap, provides opportunity for corrective measures and ensures that project implementation is in right track.
Short falls in Monitoring
Quite often, Monitoring and Evaluation of intervention is done but it is not being done in the way it should be monitored. Some time monitoring any interventions is done just for the sake of monitoring. In fact the intervention is just watched under the name of monitoring. That’s how it becomes difficult to draw any valid inference and outcomes.
Reasons for shortfall in Monitoring and Evaluation
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Casual approach in Monitoring
-Casual approach is one of the reason for failure of monitoring
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Lack of technical specialization in monitoring
– Lack of technical skill become hindrance in proper monitoring
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Lack of sufficient time in monitoring
-Mostly, large numbers of interventions are targeted to be monitored in less time. so, the objective of monitoring gets diverted
Monitoring and Evaluation – How to Manage it?
a)Develop formats before monitoring
-When any intervention is under monitoring, then first of all the person under monitoring should have a format containing all related questions concerned to the interventions to be monitored. The format should be standardized according to the geography of the watershed area in question.
b) Provide sufficient time for monitoring -Give sufficient time to monitor interventions.
Different format should be developed for different interventions .The format should be site specific and should be developed considering the geography of the watershed area.
How to develop formats for monitoring
First of all, select the interventions Component wise. In general, the watershed work is executed under these components:-
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NRM (Soil and Water conservation)Component
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Livelihood Component
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Agriculture Component
Within these 3 components, separate formats should be developed for different interventions
Let’s take an example:-
Component– NRM (Soil & Water conservation)
Intervention: Water harvesting Tank
Format (Questionnaire) for monitoring
- Location of Tank justified?……………………………………………………………………
- Dimension /Capacity of Tank?………………………………………………………………….
- What is the cost involved?…………………………………………………………………….
- What is the source of water in Tank?…………………………………………………………….
- Whether the tank was in use or not?………………………………………………………………..
- What is the discharge rate of water from the Tank?………………………………………………
- Whether the capacity of tank is capable enough for fulfilling the need of beneficiaries?…………
- Purpose of Water Harvesting Tank?
- a) Irrigation ……………….
- b) Drinking …………………
- c) Household activities……..
- d) For animals use………….
- Whether a design was prepared before construction of Tank?…………………………………
- Whether the Tank is constructed as per the design? ………………………………………………..
- Is there any system for maintenance of Tank? …………………………………………………….
- Whether Water users groups are formed?………………………………………………
- Whether the investment is justified? ……………………………………………………………