Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
reviewed at intervals of not more than five years (s5(4)(b); 8(3)(b)). Monitoring
systems must provide for the collection of appropriate data and information
to assess, among other matters, quantity, quality, use, and rehabilitation of
water resources; compliance with resource quality objectives; and the health
of aquatic ecosystems (NWA s.137(2)). The Act enables review of licences
periodically as well.
Designing an evaluation
Monitoring and evaluation requires a commitment of time and resources by
government agencies and the community. Being mindful of resource constraints,
monitoring and evaluation should be designed so that it can be resourced and
achieve as much value as possible. This means that it needs to be well targeted
on matters that are of most importance, and be undertaken efficiently.
IUCN (2004) defines evaluation as
a periodic assessment, as systematic and impartial as possible, of the
relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of a policy,
programme, project, Commission or organizational unit in the context
of stated objectives. An evaluation may also include an assessment of
unintended impacts.
It suggests five criteria to be used in IUCN funded evaluations:
Relevance -
The extent to which the policy, programme, project or
the organisational unit contributes to the strategic direction of IUCN
and/or its members and partners. Is it appropriate in the context of its
environment?
Effectiveness -
The extent to which intended outputs (products, services,
deliverables) are achieved. To what extent are these outputs used to bring
about the desired outcomes?
Efficiency -
The extent to which resources are used cost-effectively? Do
the quality and quantity of results achieved justify the resources used? Are
there more cost-effective methods of achieving the same result?
Impact -
The changes in conditions of people and ecosystems that result
from an intervention (i.e. policy, programme or project). What are the
positive, negative, direct, indirect, intended or unintended effects?
Sustainability -
The extent to which the enabling environment supports
continuity of the policy, programme, project or work of the organisational
unit. To what extent will the outcomes be maintained after development
support is withdrawn?
The logic framework for water resource planning shown in Table 3.3
in chapter 3 (adapted from the World Bank (Team Technologies) Logic
Framework Approach), suggests monitoring and evaluation at each level of
