Activity Monitoring
Example - annual Activity reports
An annual Activity report is a higher level monitoring product, aimed at decision-makers such as NZAID or senior managers in the partner government who are not involved in day to day management. Such people focus on higher level decisions such as
- ‘are there sufficient concerns being raised that a more fundamental review or evaluation of the Activity is needed?’;
- ‘does it justify further or less funds?’;
- ‘what level of risk is there?’;
- ‘are there going to be impacts on other programmes or Activities that need to be communicated to them?’
The implementing partner will generally not answer all these questions, and often could not know which ones are the most important in the wider context. However, the information in an annual report still needs to help make decisions such as these.
Content of annual Activity reports
It is important that an annual report summarise the inputs and outputs of the Activity to date (are things on schedule?). However, annual reports should also make an effort to discuss the high level objectives of the Activity. Managers need to take a step back and ask themselves ‘are the things we are doing contributing to the high level goals set out in our design or plan?’
It is important that annual reports provide actual performance information. It should be able to answer not only ‘are things being done?’ but ‘how well are they being done?’ and ‘is it working?’. If there are indicators set out in a monitoring framework or a logframe in an Activity design, the annual report must provide data against those indicators, at all levels (eg outcomes as well as outputs), or explain why data collection was not possible.
Where indicators are qualitative (such as an output delivered ‘to an acceptable standard’), some indication must be given of how and by whom the qualitative judgement was made.
Annual reports should also always report against risks that threaten the Activity. Well designed Activities will have a risk management matrix from the beginning. An annual report is a chance to take stock of those risks - are they coming to pass, and does anything new need to be done? It should also identify new risks that were not apparent before.
Overall, the key questions in considering the quality of an annual Activity report might be:
- Is the report ‘good enough’ already for NZAID to take the necessary action?
- Is the monitoring system on which the report is based adequate?
- Does the report adequately summarise the inputs and outputs to date?
- Does it provide actual performance information against outputs and outcomes, not just whether activities have been completed?
- Does it discuss progress against the higher level objectives?
- Does it adequately explain qualitative indicators and data?
- Does it discuss risks?
- Overall, does the report adequately inform higher level decision making?
The key management questions when receiving a monitoring report include:
- What action does NZAID - or anyone else - need to take in response to the information in the report?
- Is the planned development progress satisfactory? Is any action needed in response?
- Are risks (expected or new) emerging? Is any action needed in response?
- Are stakeholders satisfied?
Are Activity management systems working satisfactorily?