Monitoring and Evaluation ideas are not new – everyone applies Monitoring and Evaluation practices and principles to some extent in their personal, work and home lives, even in many of our domestic chores like cooking, people are unknowingly applying the principles of Monitoring and Evaluation.

However, we are currently witnessing an increase in the amount of systematic attention and study being applied to the field of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) everywhere.

This is a very interesting and exciting development, as the practice of Monitoring & Evaluation can contribute to sound governance in and within an organisation and the society (community and nation) in several ways: improved evidence-based policy making, including, but not limited to budgeting and decision making, policy development, management, and accountability.

Many governments around the world have realised much of this potential, including most first world countries, and a small but growing number of developing countries.
The objectives of this handbook are threefold:
Firstly, basic Monitoring and Evaluation terms and concepts will be explained and discussed. This is to help you apply these terms to your work, and generally to other spheres of endeavour.
Secondly, this handbook will provide you with the knowledge and skills that you can use in managing interventions within whatever sector you operate or/and may want to operate in and within.
Finally, this handbook will relate generic Monitoring and Evaluation concepts to some known/familiar sectors specifically.
As a consultant to the Government parastatals (local, state and federal), as well as to some International Organisations, including some United Nations Agencies, World Bank and USAID sponsored projects and programmes on various aspects and sectors – examples will be drawn from those experiences.