Objective: New university graduates and development practitioners often ask what qualities and skills are needed for success in monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Junior M&E professionals are keen to know what skills and directions for professional development would best advance a career in M&E. Others ask what career options might await those who become skilled and experienced in M&E. This first Raise Your Game brief offers insights and answers to these questions from several decades’ international experience in M&E.
Qualities and Skills Needed for Success in M&E: Monitoring and evaluation is a field of practice and not an academic discipline. Successful M&E professionals come from any and all academic backgrounds in the arts, sciences, social sciences, and technical skills. Their abilities and professional success in M&E derive chiefly from their work habits and personal qualities rather than their previous studies. In interviewing and recruiting candidates for M&E positions, these are the chief qualities I look for:
- Curiosity to know more, to seek greater understanding and insight, and ask questions.
- Keen interest in data, reflection and interpretation of data, its analysis and reporting.
- Strong attention to detail, accuracy, precision, and completeness of collected data and information.
- Sympathetic manner, sensitive social skills and friendly, out-going manner that puts respondents at their ease, encourages their cooperation and generous sharing of opinions and insights.
- A generosity of written reporting: providing notes and comments wherever useful so that others may appreciate the nuances and additional insights.
- Good, systematic record-keeping and data management.
- Clear, concise written and verbal communication.
These qualities and work habits are far more predictive of a quality M&E practitioner regardless of their field of academic study.
Core Skills and Options for Junior M&E Professionals: Different fields of practice (education, health, agriculture, organizational development) will offer their own, specific options and technical directions for the professional development of junior M&E practitioners working in these fields. The core skills and options for M&E professional development presented here will enhance professional standing and advancement of junior M&E professionals in any field. An M&E practitioner should seek to develop their skills and strengthen their experience in at least two of the core skills and options identified here. An M&E professional with enhanced skills and professional proficiency in any of these areas will be more valued, more appreciated and advance further in their careers.
- Qualitative research skills: The art and science of preparing interview scripts, conducting and reporting individual and group interviews and focus groups, and “thick description” of field and participant observation.
- Design of Data Collection and Survey Instruments: Good instrument design enhances the quality and reliability of data collection. Learn to prepare effective observation, survey and data collection instruments in different formats for different purposes, to prepare clusters of self-validating questions, and learn key principles and design features of quality instrument design.
- Choice and Design of Progress and Results Indicators: Quality monitoring & evaluation requires clear, measurable indicators of what is to be monitored and how monitoring data will be collected. Learn how to precisely define a result with clearly-stated indicators for which reliable data can be collected with minimal difficulty or complication.
- Preparing Datasets in Excel: The great majority of M&E practitioners use Excel to prepare and analyze the sets of data that they collect. Learn how to prepare high quality datasets in Excel for analysis by you or others. This is a core M&E skill to be mastered by all junior M&E professionals keen to advance professionally.
- Quantitative Analysis of Excel Datasets: Mastering a limited set of just 5 to 7 Excel functions for quantitative analysis of datasets is another core skill of M&E professionals. Future Raise Your Game tutorials will provide explanation and practical exercises to apply core functions in dataset analysis. Mastering other, more complex Excel skills would further strengthen your proficiency.
- Planning, Budgeting and Logistical Management of Data Collection and Assessments: Data collection campaigns and assessments in multiple locations by teams of personnel require detailed planning, budgeting and logistical management. Management mastery of medium- to large-scale data collection and assessments is a distinguishing capability of M&E professionals.
- Ethnographers of communities, social practices and attitudes: M&E professionals who acquire in-depth, nuanced and detailed knowledge of sub-regions, communities and institutions, social attitudes, and social practices (KAP) in their service areas distinguish themselves from their peers. Assessing interventions and results is greatly served by such knowledge. M&E professionals who are good ethnographers are always highly valued.
- Statistical Indicators: Junior M&E professionals are strongly encouraged to become familiar with basic statistical indicators (correlation, standard deviation, tests of significance, etc.) of quantitative analysis. Understanding the rationale and use of core statistics and learning to interpret results on specific indicators is an important area of M&E competency.
- Preparing Excel Charts and Pivot Tables: Junior M&E professionals are well advised to become competent in preparing different types of Excel charts, selecting the best chart type for presenting specific results, and the design features of clear, attractive charts that meet formatting requirements. Professionals skilled in creating Pivot Tables in Excel are well valued.
- Technical Report Writing: Good technical report writing is highly valued in M&E professionals. The ability to organize and write clear, well-structured and concise reports of M&E plans, activities, results and recommendations is a highly valued area of professional competency. Continuous practice makes the best writers!
Career Options and Directions for Mid-level and Senior M&E Professionals: This brief addresses options and skills that would best serve new hires and junior professionals in M&E positions. A separate Raise Your Game brief will speak to career options and directions for: i) M&E professionals with at least 5 years’ experience who wish to advance their careers with more developed professional and technical skills, and ii) professionals in other fields (e.g. IT, finance) considering a career move into M&E.
