If you train (or organise trainings for) colleagues, students, or others in your research community, then you are engaged in “research capacity building” – preparing others to produce high quality scientific research. This is essential work that benefits the scientific community and the communities that benefit from its research. Looking at your activities through the lens of M&E can help you to clearly define your goals and objectives, prepare to achieve them, determine to what extent you are achieving them, and make changes to improve results.

Through this workshop, you will develop a sound understanding of M&E concepts and components, learn how they can be used to improve research capacity building activities, and practice M&E as part of your work in this field (or other related fields).

Although it is necessary to develop a solid understanding and a level of comfort with terminology and concepts related to M&E, this is a practical, not theoretical, learning experience, designed to respond to your professional needs and goals as a developer and provider of research capacity building activities. You should come away from this activity with a working understanding of how monitoring and evaluation are deployed in the context of research capacity building activities and gain hands-on experience in developing and implementing M&E plans.

At the core of the workshop is an individual M&E Framework Project, which will be drawn from your work, past, current or future: i.e., you will learn by using the real data and information from the projects you are undertaking or planning. In this way each workshop is unique and relevant to the professional goals, needs, and interests of the participants.

Learning objectives

There are two principal learning objectives for the workshop. By the end of the workshop, you should be able to:

1. Apply relevant terminology and concepts to describe, discuss, and analyse M&E frameworks and findings; and

2. Generate and implement M&E frameworks for research capacity building activities.

In addition, we have defined specific learning objectives for individual sessions of the face-to-face block of the workshop, which appear in the relevant sections of this guide.

Learning approach

M&E for Research Capacity Building uses a “learning by doing” approach to make sure that at the end of the workshop you do not just know about but know how to do. The training is developed through blended learning, including both distance and face-to-face components. Although the workshop typically involves a block of face-to-face interactions with facilitators and other participants, it begins before and ends after this block. To successfully achieve the learning objectives and enjoy the full experience of the workshop, you will need to actively engage in each of the three blocks, which we describe in detail in the next section.

The facilitator(s) will organise a learning community that will be active throughout the duration of the workshop – including both distance and face-to-face components. There are different technical approaches to developing a distance learning community, and facilitators may choose to do this through an online learning platform, with a shared online drive, or simply over email. In any case, this community, and interactions with facilitators and participants, will be critical during Block One, as you identify and collect data for your individual M&E Framework Project. The learning community will remain an important venue for consultation and communication throughout the rest of the workshop, including Block Three, after the face-to-face training, when you will make the final edits to your M&E Framework Project.

Successfully completing the workshop means that at its conclusion you will not only have the relevant tools to develop an evaluation framework for research capacity building activities, but that you will already have developed an M&E Framework that can be implemented. The completed final project will be used to assess your understanding of key concepts, tools, and processes for monitoring and evaluation based on a rubric (p. 11), which will be discussed during Block One of the workshop.

Overview of the workshop

As we have mentioned, the workshop is developed in three blocks, which take place sequentially over approximately four to six weeks. They are summarised here:

Block One: Introduction to the Workshop and Definition of the M&E Framework Project – distance

During Block One of the workshop it will be important to familiarise yourself with the structure of the virtual learning community of facilitators and participants as workshop communications, readings, exercises, templates and supporting materials will be handled through this venue. This is particularly important if the facilitator(s) use a platform with which you are not familiar. During this Block you will “virtually” meet your fellow participants and the workshop facilitator(s). You will also have a chance to explain your interest in the workshop and to self-assess your current understanding of M&E in the context of research capacity building using a mini case study.

During this period, you will discuss instructions and supporting materials with the facilitator(s), which will help you to select the research capacity building activity that will be the subject of your M&E Framework Project. You will also collect data that is relevant to the project. The facilitator(s) will offer support for this first phase of M&E Framework development.

Block Two: M&E for Research Capacity Building Face-to-Face Training – face-to-face

The face-to-face workshop is a hands-on period during which you will be introduced to more M&E concepts and apply tools and skills to develop your M&E Framework. It will include facilitator-led sessions dedicated to specific topics in M&E, such as assessing goals and objectives, building a results chain, indicators, and data collection, as well as working sessions in which you will incorporate these concepts into your project, pose questions, and offer feedback to your fellow participants. During these working sessions, the facilitator(s) will alternate structuring interactions in large groups, small groups, or pairs, with individual work, to take full advantage of opportunities for peer feedback and review, personal reflection, and consultation with subject experts.

During the face-to-face workshop, participants and the facilitator(s) will also discuss the rubric used to assess final M&E Framework projects to set expectations for the final block of the workshop. During, and at the conclusion of, the face-to-face workshop, the facilitator(s) will ask for your feedback as a part of the evaluation process of the workshop.

Block Three: Completion of M&E Framework Project and Final Assessment – distance

Following the conclusion of the face-to-face training, you will have some time to make final edits to your M&E Framework based on the peer review process and facilitator feedback from the face-to-face training. Exact dates, times, and submission requirements will be specified by the facilitator(s). Since we expect that you will leave the training with a nearly complete version, this should mean making small changes or additions only.

Frameworks submitted by the established deadline will be assessed according to the rubric and receive feedback including a numerical score and a short narrative assessment including specific suggestions for improving the M&E framework. Your facilitator(s) should inform you of the deadlines, any penalties for late-arriving Frameworks, and the requirements to receive a workshop completion certificate (if one is offered) by the start of Block Three.

Before continuing, please note:

As you review this guide, keep in mind that your workshop facilitator(s) will guide you through all the activities of Blocks One, Two and Three. There is no need (or necessarily any benefit) to working ahead before your facilitator indicates that you should do so. Although some materials are available to you here, others will be provided over the course of the workshop.