SayPro Why Analyse M&E Information

Analysing M&E findings requires looking closely at the information (ideas, facts, impressions), clarifying and structuring it, understanding connections and identifying core elements, in order to arrive at conclusions that can lead to action. Analysing M&E findings has several functions:

• to refine understanding – by discussing initial information with project stakeholders, more refined insights can emerge;
• to limit biases – ensuring a thorough discussion about information means that this is crosschecked and people can point out when they feel an issue has been represented incorrectly;
• to build a clear picture of a situation/event/process and reach consensus – by discussing data, contradictions and gaps can be identified and can be understood or filled;
• in participatory M&E, joint analysis can strengthen ownership of the conclusions and motivate people to invest more in making changes happen.

Analysis of M&E information and critical reflection are closely related, so please refer to Section 8 for many ideas on how to encourage reflective meetings and analytical reporting.Consider who needs to be involved in analysis. The question of who is making sense of the data is central to participatory analysis. Often, work that may initially have been very participatory can shift towards analysis only by project staff. Sometimes this is necessary, as some aspects of analysis and synthesis can be excessively tedious or time-consuming for primary stakeholders. Shared analysis can make all the difference between a superficial descriptive report or simplistic feedback session and analysis based on shared understanding that motivates people to action, whether they are villagers, policy makers or technical staff.Consider how you will undertake analysis. Choosing a method for analysis depends on various factors, including whether it will be a participatory process, the tool you use to collate and analyse the data (e.g., a computer), and the type of information that is being collected. For instance, if it is qualitative information, analysis will involve looking for patterns in descriptions and explanations of patterns (see 6.4.3). For quantitative data, the analysis will follow statistical procedures and show trends in terms of percentages or ratios. In both cases, analysis will involve comparing planned results with actual ones to understand the reasons for differences, to compare differences over geographic ranges or between groups, or simply to monitor changes over time.Many of the methods in Annex D can be used for data analysis. For instance, if you should choose more participatory processes, see D.3 on discussion methods for more ideas. D.6 on analysing relationships and linkages and D.7 for rankiPlease visit our website at www.saypro.online Email: info@saypro.online Email: info@saypro.online Call: + 27 11 071 1903 WhatsApp: + 27 84 313 7407. Comment below for any questions and feedback. For SayPro Courses, SayPro Jobs, SayPro Community Development, SayPro Products, SayPro Services, SayPro Consulting, and SayPro Advisory visit our website to www.saypro.online