1. EuropeAid
ENPI
CROSS BORDER COOPERATION
SEMINAR ON MONITORING
METHODOLOGY
8. Field visits
BRUXELLES, 9-10 SEPTEMBER 2010

2. What is a field visit? EuropeAid
A field visit as the name says is a direct contact with
project activities, with meeting with implementing partners
and beneficiaries
It is very useful in order to:
•Learn first hand about what the project is, or is not,
achieving on the ground
•Determine if planned benefits are being ‘delivered’ to
target groups
•Promote the partnership between stakeholders with
respect to their joint investments; and
•Determine what actions may need to be taken to support
effective implementation
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3. EuropeAid
Guiding principles
• Importance of careful/adequate planning
• Could be a joint exercise between CBC JMA and EC
HQ
• Involve Implementing Partners
• Ensure enough time to discuss / analyze findings and
prepare the monitoring report
• Take a problem solving / value adding approach
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4. Preparation/planning EuropeAid
• Starts with inclusion of project in the Monitoring Plan
• Confirm dates of planned visit, (e.g. one month before)
• Collate and review key project documents, particularly work
plans and any previous progress/monitoring reports
• Identify key issues to monitor/discuss in the field, with
whom, where and how
• Prepare detailed itinerary/agenda, share and confirm
• Organize and confirm logistics (including interpreters if
required)
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5. Conducting field visits – the essentials
EuropeAid
• Try to keep to the agenda – but be flexible
• Talking with / listening to those implementing the project,
and those who should be benefiting from the project, is of
pre-eminent importance
• Triangulate information
• Recognize and try to minimize ‘bias’
• Use the Background Conclusion Sheets (BCS) as a
checklist of issues to assess
• Keep ongoing written notes
• Debrief with team members regularly, and start thinking
early about possible ‘recommendations’
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6. Making useful field visits EuropeAid
• Programme managers usually have limited time and
opportunity to visit project sites
• Yet field visits are in practice one of the best ways to learn
about what a project is achieving (or not)
• They also provide an opportunity to provide monitoring
support to implementing partners
• Making the most of short visits is therefore critical
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7. Question checklists for field monitoring visits EuropeAid
Advantages:
• Helps ensure key issues are covered
• Provides some consistency in analysis and reporting over
time
• Helps to institutionalize field monitoring approach – new
staff can use as reference
• Can provide some raw data for further analysis if
questions are adequately structured
• Can be linked to CBC reporting requirements and can be
designed to be consistent/compatible with ROM (including
rating system)
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8. Principles for preparing question checklists EuropeAid
• Staff/officers responsible for field visits should draft the
checklists
• Checklists should be peer-reviewed by colleagues and
approved by supervisors at higher levels to ensure utility,
brevity and appropriate specificity
• Checklists should be field-tested and adapted as
appropriate
• Checklists should be used as a guide and not
constrain/restrict the officer from inquiring about other
matters
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9. Activity F – monitoring plan / field visits / question EuropeAid
checklists
In small groups:
• Taking into account your programme action, try to prepare
a monitoring plan for the your programme
• Identify the resources needed
• Define the expected outputs
• Strengths and weaknesses of proposed approach?
• Practical issues to consider in its promotion and
application
• ENPI CBC management decision making and resource
implications?
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10. Participants’ follow-up action plans –
EuropeAid
review of personal logbooks
Individually – complete last day logbook entry
Reflect on what follow-up actions you intend to take
And if we have time, make brief presentation to plenary
– 1 or 2 key points each
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11. Complete seminar evaluation form EuropeAid
• See format in seminar folder
• Read through carefully first
• Please give honest and considered opinions
• Will be used by Units A6 & E5 to improve any future
events
• Put completed form in the box/envelope provided
Thank you!
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