MME-IPM: M&E and International Project Management

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This advanced graduate course provides a comprehensive and integrated examination of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) within the context of international project management. Students will explore the full project management cycle—from design and planning through implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning—with a particular focus on the unique challenges of development and humanitarian projects. The course integrates theoretical foundations with practical tools, including the Logical Framework Approach, Theory of Change, results-based management, indicator development, data collection and analysis, and evaluation design. The first part of the course (Periods 1–3) uses Caitlin Scott’s The Project in International Development: Theory and Practice to ground students in the historical, political, and practical dimensions of development projects, including project design, stakeholder engagement, and the project cycle. The second part (Periods 4–5) uses Kusek and Rist’s Ten Steps to a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System to provide a rigorous, step-by-step framework for designing, building, and sustaining results-based M&E systems in government, NGO, and donor-funded contexts. The course prepares students for leadership roles in international development, humanitarian assistance, public sector management, and M&E consulting.

COURSE TEACHING OBJECTIVES

1. Analyze the historical evolution and political dimensions of the project in international development.

2. Evaluate the stages of the project management cycle, including design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

3. Apply core project management tools, including the Logical Framework Approach, Theory of Change, Gantt charts, and stakeholder analysis.

4. Assess the principles of results-based management and the “12 components of functional M&E systems.”

5. Design a results-based M&E system using the ten-step model, including readiness assessment, indicator development, data collection, and evaluation design.

6. Critique the challenges of measuring results, attribution, and impact in complex development contexts.

7. Synthesize project management and M&E frameworks to develop an integrated M&E plan for a development project.

COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the role of the project in international development and its evolution through development history.

2. Describe the stages of the project management cycle and the tools used at each stage.

3. Develop a Logical Framework and Theory of Change for a development intervention.

4. Apply results-based management principles to the design of an M&E system.

5. Identify and select appropriate indicators for measuring project outputs, outcomes, and impacts.

6. Design a data collection, verification, and analysis plan for an M&E system.

7. Evaluate the effectiveness of M&E systems in supporting accountability, learning, and adaptive management.

8. Produce a comprehensive M&E plan for a development project or program.

ORGANIZATION OF COURSE STUDIES

The course is organized into five study periods (typically 2–3 weeks each, though self-paced). Each period includes intensive reading of the assigned textbook, viewing of the supplementary video, and a short response paper or reflective assignment (500–1,000 words) reflecting on the material and its application. Students must contact the instructor for feedback after each period.