• Business
  • Finance
  • Banking
  • Education
  • General
  • Law
  • Science
  • IT
  • English

Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Monitoring and Evaluation

Last updated on October 25, 2017 by Surbhi S

monitoring vs evaluationMonitoring and Evaluation are the two management tools that help in keeping a control on the business activities as well as raising the level of performance. Monitoring refers to an organized process of overseeing and checking the activities undertaken in a project, to ascertain whether it is capable of achieving the planned results or not. Conversely, evaluation is a scientific process that gauges the success of the project or program in meeting the objectives.

The primary difference between monitoring and evaluation is that while monitoring is a continuous activity, performed at the functional level of management, evaluation is a periodic activity, performed at the business level. To get some more differences on these two, check out the article presented below.

Content: Monitoring Vs Evaluation

  1. Comparison Chart
  2. Definition
  3. Key Differences
  4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for ComparisonMonitoringEvaluation
MeaningMonitoring refers to a routine process, that examines the activities and progress of the project and also identifies bottlenecks during the process.Evaluation is a sporadic activity that is used to draw conclusion regarding the relevance and effectiveness of the project or program.
Related toObservationJudgement
Occurs atOperational levelBusiness level
ProcessShort termLong term
Focuses onImproving efficiencyImproving effectiveness
Conducted byInternal PartyInternal or External Party

Definition of Monitoring

Monitoring is the systematic process of observing and recording on a regular basis, the activities carried out in a project, to ensure that the activities are in line with the objectives of the enterprise.

Monitoring takes into account optimum utilization of resources, to assist the managers in rational decision making. It keeps a track on the progress and checks the quality of the project or program against set criteria and checks adherence to established standards.

The information collected in monitoring process helps analyse each aspect of the project, to gauge the efficiency and adjust inputs wherever essential.

Definition of Evaluation

Evaluation is defined as an objective and rigorous analysis of a continuing or completed project, to determine its significance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability by comparing the result with the set of standards. It is the process of passing value judgement concerning the performance level or attainment of defined objectives.

In short, evaluation is a process that critically assesses, tests and measures the design, implementation and results of the project or program, in the light of objectives. It can be conducted both qualitatively and quantitatively, to determine the difference between actual and desired outcome.

Key Differences Between Monitoring and Evaluation

The difference between monitoring and evaluation can be drawn clearly on the following premises:

  1. By monitoring is meant a routine process, that scrutinizes the activities and progress of the project and also finds out the deviations that occur while undertaking the project. As against, evaluation is a periodical activity that makes inferences about the relevance and effectiveness of the project or program.
  2. While monitoring is observational in nature, evaluation is judgmental.
  3. Monitoring is an operational level activity, performed by the supervisors. On the other hand, evaluation is a business level activity performed by the managers.
  4. Monitoring is a short-term process, that is concerned with the collection of information regarding the success of the project. Conversely, evaluation is a long-term process, which not only records the information but also assesses the outcomes and impact of the project.
  5. Monitoring focuses on improving the overall efficiency of the project, by removing bottlenecks, while the project is under process. Unlike, evaluation stresses on improving the effectiveness of the project, by making the comparison with the established standards.
  6. Monitoring is usually carried out by the people who are directly involved in its implementation process. In contrast, evaluation can be conducted by internal staff of the organization, i.e. managers or it can also be carried out by independent external party, who can give their impartial views on the project or program.

Conclusion

In the development projects, monitoring and evaluation play diverse roles, in the sense that monitoring is an ongoing process, whereas evaluation is performed periodically. Further, the focus of the assessment also differentiates the two, i.e. monitoring is all about what is happening, evaluation is concerned with how well it happened.

Related Differences

  • Difference Between Already and All ready
  • Difference Between OTC and Exchange
  • Difference Between Must and Have to
  • Difference Between Arbitration and Conciliation
  • Difference Between Rules and Policies

You Might Also Like:

assessment vs evaluationDifference Between Assessment and Evaluation Job analysis vs Job evaluationDifference Between Job Analysis and Job Evaluation project vs programDifference Between Project and Program PERT Vs CPMDifference Between PERT and CPM Difference Between Strategic Planning and Operational Planning Difference Between Economic and Non-Economic Activities

Comments

  1. Dr Max Walsh says

    May 7, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    Very timely article.
    I have prepared similar short explanatory papers on the differences between Monitoring and Evaluation for numerous development assistance projects. This paper encapsulates all the key points and is very useful in my work

    Reply
  2. Stelio Eban Andre says

    January 4, 2019 at 3:57 pm

    Excellent, thank you!!!

    Reply
  3. Fidele says

    July 24, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    The difference between Monitoring and Evaluation is very clear now.
    Thanks

    Reply
  4. Megersa says

    November 11, 2020 at 5:47 pm

    I have received good knowledge. In future I want to know deeply about M&E deeply

    Reply
  5. Jabe Emmanuel says

    December 3, 2020 at 10:25 pm

    I am able to do my course work by reading the differences between monitoring and evaluation. Thank you for sharing your useful knowledge with us.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top 5 Differences

  • Difference Between PERT and CPM
  • Difference Between Micro and Macro Economics
  • Difference Between Developed Countries and Developing Countries
  • Difference Between Management and Administration
  • Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Related Differences

  • Difference Between Already and All ready
  • Difference Between OTC and Exchange
  • Difference Between Must and Have to
  • Difference Between Arbitration and Conciliation
  • Difference Between Rules and Policies



New Additions

  • Difference Between Primary Group and Secondary Group
  • Difference Between Real Flow and Money Flow
  • Difference Between Stock and Flow
  • Difference Between Single Use Plan and Standing Plan
  • Difference Between Autonomous Investment and Induced Investment
  • Difference Between Packaging and Labelling
  • Difference Between Rules and Policies
  • Difference Between Discipline and Punishment
  • Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills
  • Difference Between Internal Check and Internal Audit

Copyright © 2021 · Key Differences · Contact Us · About Us · Privacy