In this podcast, Godfrey Senkaba explores key global issues that profoundly impact the field of monitoring and evaluation (M&E). These issues include technological advancements, climate change, conflict and fragility, and the changing political and geopolitical contexts.

Each of these issues presents unique challenges and complexities for M&E practitioners, ranging from assessing the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance in conflict-affected areas to adapting to the changing political dynamics and isolationism, to embracing artificial intelligence to revolutionize M&E practices.

Tune in now to boost your skills and make a meaningful impact in monitoring and evaluation!

Below is the discussion outline:

[00:33] Introduction

[02:13] Global issues that (will) affect the M&E role

[04:49] Issue #1. Technological advancements

[09:59] Issue #2. COVID-19 Pandemic

[13:30] Issue #3. Climate Change

[17:58] Issue #4. Conflict and Fragility

[23:00] Issue #5. Changing political and geopolitical context

[27:27] Conclusion

[28:26] Thank you, everyone. Thank you everyone for listening!

I would like to hear your feedback on this episode, and your suggestions for future episodes. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/

Unlock the secrets to resolving conflicts over Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) data with expert persuasion tactics in the latest episode of the monitoring and evaluation boost podcast with Godfrey Senkaba! Learn the essential persuasion tactics to navigate conflicts over M&E data with stakeholders.

From active listening to evidence-based reasoning and collaborative problem-solving, discover strategies to achieve consensus and drive better outcomes in your M&E activities. Tune in now to boost your skills and make a meaningful impact in monitoring and evaluation! #MandEPersuasion #DataDisputes #ImpactfulMandE

Below is the discussion outline:

[00:01] Introduction

[01:15] Why resolve M&E data disputes with stakeholders

[02:28] Personal story on solving M&E data conflicts with stakeholders

[07:56] Tactic #1: Understand the M&E stakeholder perspective

[11:12] Tactic #2 Actively listen to M&E stakeholders

[15:17] Tactic #3 Use evidence to defend your positions on M&E data

[17:49] Tactic #4 Appeal to emotions of M&E stakeholders on M&E data

[21:02] Tactic #5 Collaborate in solving the M&E data issues with stakeholders

[23:36] Tactic #6 Identify common ground stakeholders on M&E data issues

[27:40] Tactic #7 Establish credibility and trust with M&E stakeholders

[32:16] Conclusion

[34:01] Thank you, everyone. Thank you everyone for listening!

I would like to hear your feedback on this episode, and your suggestions for future episodes. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/

Gaining stakeholder support is key to implementing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities effectively. In this episode, Godfrey Senkaba, discusses the vital role of stakeholder analysis, utilizing a matrix tool to identify, understand, and engage stakeholders for optimal success in M&E activities.

Follow along as Godfrey discusses how stakeholders and stakeholder analysis serve as a cornerstone for driving M&E initiatives forward effectively.

Below is the discussion outline:

[00:01] Episode argument

[00:34] Podcast purpose

[02:09] Life story on gaining stakeholder support

[04:32] Who is a stakeholder, and what is their stake or interest in M&E?

[14:07:43] Examples of M&E stakeholders in a typical development project

[11:19] Stakeholder analysis

[15:42] Practical Tips for M&E stakeholder engagement

[24:35] Conclusion

[26:20] Thank you, everyone. Thank you everyone for listening!

I would like to hear your feedback on this episode, and your suggestions for future episodes. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/

Mastering M&E training workshops requires thorough planning and consideration of various factors, including the facilitator, participants, logistics, and context. Godfrey Senkaba discusses the top 10 tips for you or your organizations to ensure the success of their workshops and empower participants to become more effective in monitoring and evaluating their projects.

Follow along as Godfrey defines M&E training workshops, workshop formats, purposes, benefits, and how to better plan for them including practical examples.

Below is the discussion outline:

[00:34] What makes M&E training workshops, and hello, everyone!

[02:36] What are M&E training workshops?

[07:55] Focus and benefits of the M&E training workshops

[14:02] Tips 1 to 3; identify clear objectives, understand your audience, and mix the methods.

[14:02] Tips 1 to 3; identify clear objectives.

[16:06] Tips 2 to 4; understand your audience, comprehensive agenda, and mix the methods.

[18:10] Tips 5 to 7; gather relevant data, have ample time for reflection, and collaborate and communicate with stakeholders.

[21:01] Tips 8 to 10; validate the relevance of each session to objectives and participants' learning needs, integrate and use technology wisely, and evaluate and learn from the workshop.

[23:49] Summary of the top 10 tips

[24:30] Thank you, everyone. Thank you everyone for listening!

I would like to hear your feedback on this episode, and your suggestions for future episodes. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/

Godfrey Senkaba chats with Sajilu Kamwendo, the Director, Outcome, and Impact Evaluation at Mastercard Foundation. Sajilu has over 20 years of experience in program evaluation which includes work with international organizations, implementing or funding relief and development programs.

Sajilu elaborates on how his passion for curiosity and patterns propelled his journey in evaluation, ultimately leading him from a novice to the position of directing impact evaluation at the MasterCard Foundation. He discusses the significance of his current role and how it has shaped his evaluative priorities. For instance, he underscores MasterCard's evaluation approach, which is rooted in the belief that "Africa Works."

He also emphasizes the ongoing campaign at the Africa Evaluation Association, advocating for "Made in Africa evaluation." Sajilu encourages evaluators of all levels—whether young, mid-career, or experienced—to join this movement, emphasizing the importance of supporting Africans in narrating their own stories of change using indigenous language, style, and approaches.

Below is the discussion outline:

[00:34] Hello, everyone!

[02:00] Introducing Sajilu Kamwendo.

[03:03] A ‘youthful’ Sajilu and career dreams before his first professional job?

[8:18] How working different evaluation jobs shaped Sajilu’s evaluation perspective, and interests and shared her career goals.

[12:50] The uniqueness of MasterCard Foundation’s approach to Evaluation and how it is shaping Sajilu’s evaluative approach.

[15:18] How to raise the indigenous voice in evaluation.

[18:34] Top 2-3 skills every evaluation professional should have. Key soft skills include curiosity, point of view, and pragmatism.

[22:06] Biggest challenges Sajilu has faced as an evaluator and how she overcame them.

[25:08] Top monitoring and evaluation tools and/or methods Sajilu uses to improve her work.

[29:02] Sajilu’s career growth strategies and recommendations to evaluators.

[33:58] Evaluation in the post-COVID-19 evaluation era.

[37:05] Sajilu’s best moment as an evaluator

[39:07] Sajilu’s plans.

[40:39] How to contact Sajilu Kamwendo

[44:58] Thank you, Sajilu. Thank you everyone for listening!

I would like to hear your feedback on this episode, and your suggestions for future episodes. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

X (formerly, Twitter): https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/

Connect with Sajilu Kamwendo:

E-mail: sajilu_kamwendo@yahoo.com

X (formerly, Twitter): https://twitter.com/sajilu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sajilu-kamwendo-b5705276/

Godfrey Senkaba chats with Katherine Haugh, the CEO, and founder of The Convive Collective. Katherine has over 10 years of experience in program evaluation which includes work with both local and international development organizations including USAID and United Nations.

Katherine’s story is interesting, and motivating, particularly in how she turned complexity into clarity, setting forth a successful evaluation career. From doing intern and volunteer roles to monitoring and evaluation specialist and to starting how own organization. She also shares her passion for visual storytelling, particularly illustrations, and how to facilitate learning and dialogue around evaluation data. Below is the discussion outline:

[00:31] Hello, everyone! Introducing Katherine Haugh.

[04:18] A ‘youthful’ Katherine and career dreams before his first professional job?

[6:40] How working different evaluation jobs shaped Katherine’s evaluation perspective, and interests and shared her career goals.

[8:42] How Katherine founded and became CEO of The Convive Collective. What is special about this Business and how is she using her evaluative skills?

[12:47] Top 2-3 skills every evaluation professional should have. For example, powerful synthesis (how to curate the right information and synthesize it for the right audience); facilitation; and creative communication.

[15:03] Biggest challenges Katherine has faced as an evaluator and how she overcame them.

[17:42] Top monitoring and evaluation tools and/or methods Katherine uses to improve her work.

[21:09] Katherine’s career growth strategies and recommendations to evaluators.

[26:27] Katherine’s big plans self and The Convive Collective, over the next several months.

[28:14] Why Katherine believes the young and emerging evaluators should choose the evaluation profession over any other.

[31:05] How to contact Katherine Haugh.

[31:22] Thank you, Katherine. Thank you, everyone, for listening!

I would like to hear your feedback on this episode, and your suggestions for future episodes. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback. Remember to subscribe to this Podcast.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/

Connect with Katherine Haugh:

E-mail: kat@convivecollective.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katherine_Haugh

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinehaugh/

Godfrey Senkaba discusses his personal strategy for supporting the professional development of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) employees. Based on his nearly 20 years of experience in the M&E field, Godfrey has developed the 3-10 Framework for M&E Staff Professional Development. This framework identifies three key focal areas and 10 factors to consider in supporting M&E staff professional development. They include:

External M&E environment which impacts the M&E work of your organization. Specifically, be aware of, and leverage:

• M&E professional associations,
• M&E field trends and emerging issues, and
• The M&E policies and requirements by donors, governments, and other bodies impact the setting where you work.

The organization. An M&E manager should have a good understanding of:

• The organization's strategy,
• Team mandate and structure,
• Own (manager’s) priorities, and the
• Teamwork plan.

The individual. The M&E staff is a critical player in their professional development. As a Manager, be sure you understand and leverage:

• Job nature and competencies needed, and
• Job performances, before you finalize discussions and approval of the M&E staff’s
• Professional development plan.

The above factors can be applied logically or as relevant to the organization, job, and individual staff context. The bottom line is to empower yourself as an M&E Manager to support your staff from the point of knowledge and interest. Always aim to best represent the staff, self, team, and organization in keeping your staff’s professional development.

Remember, professional development plans are often effectively implemented if are developed and owned by the staff. Your role is and should always be to support the staff with the correct information, tools, and resources and be their dependable cheerleader.

How are you helping your M&E staff’s professional development? What is your experience on this topic? I am happy to hear from you. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/

Godfrey Senkaba discusses 10 must-dos for every hiring manager to successfully onboard new employees, particularly those who will perform monitoring and evaluation jobs. The tips are intended to improve the onboarding practices of hiring managers. Already 9 in 10 employees disagree that their organization does a good job onboarding new employees (Gallup.com).

Tip #1. Develop and complete a pre-onboarding checklist

Tip #2. Scope the issues to address during onboarding

Tip #3. Develop and execute a Technical Onboarding Plan.

Tip #4. Don’t Skip Orientation. Just Ensure it is meaningful.

Tip #5. Have clear targets and outcomes for the onboarding.

Tip #6. Have a shared understanding of the Job, roles, and expectations.

Tip #7. Confirm the new employee’s portfolio

Tip #8. Formalize performance goals and expectations.

Tip #9. Discuss and agree on a professional development plan, and

Tip #10. Be available to answer questions and concerns from the employee.

Have you hired new staff recently? What is your experience? I am happy to hear from you and just as ready to work with you to improve the job experience of new employees. Use the comment box below or send me an email. Thank you for your feedback.

Connect with Godfrey Senkaba:

Website: https://www.mandeboost.com

Email: info@mandeboost.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/senkaba_g

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godfrey-senkaba-32452428/