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Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) are fundamental processes that provide administrators, policymakers, and stakeholders with methods for learning from experience and improving implementation through the reallocation of resources. However, the success of these interventions depends heavily on effective project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices. This study therefore examined the effect of project monitoring and evaluation practices on the success of the rural school feeding program in Rutsiro District, Rwanda. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of an M&E baseline survey on the success of the rural school feeding program in Rutsiro District; analyze the effect of M&E planning on program success; assess the effect of M&E data management on program success; and evaluate the effect of M&E stakeholder involvement on program success. The study adopted both the Theory of Change and Utilization-Focused Evaluation. It used descriptive and correlational research designs and adopted a census approach involving 103 respondents, including 89 teachers, 10 staff members, two representatives of school feeding committees at the school level, and two SEIs. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews. A pilot test was conducted with 10 respondents to determine the instrument's ability to produce consistent results over time. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation and regression analyses. The findings revealed that all M&E components (baseline survey, planning, data management, and stakeholder involvement) had a strong and significant positive influence on program success. Respondents showed high levels of agreement, indicating that effective M&E practices improve decision-making, resource allocation, accountability, and overall program performance. The study concluded that well-implemented M&E systems are essential for enhancing the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of rural school feeding programs. Based on these findings, the study recommends strengthening baseline surveys, improving M&E planning frameworks, enhancing data management systems, promoting active stakeholder involvement, and ensuring adequate resource allocation to support long-term program success.

This study investigated the effect of project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices on the performance of the Capacity Development for ICT in Education (CADIE) project in Gicumbi District, Rwanda. The study specifically attempted to examine the effect of M&E planning, M&E tools, M&E digitization, and M&E budget on performance of the CADIE project in Gicumbi District, Rwanda. It was guided by the Technology Acceptance Theory, Results-Based Management (RBM) Theory, and Capacity Development Theory. A descriptive research design combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches was employed. The target population consisted of 268 stakeholders, Using Yamane’s formula, a sample of 160 respondents was drawn using stratified and simple random sampling techniques to ensure fair representation. Data was collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and documentary reviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 through descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Descriptive statistics revealed that respondents generally agreed that M&E practices positively influenced project performance. The regression model showed R = 0.809 and R² = 0.655, indicating that 65.5% of the variation in project performance was explained by M&E planning, M&E tools, M&E digitalization, and M&E budgeting. The study concluded that effective monitoring and evaluation practices were vital for the successful performance of ICT-based education projects. A structured M&E plan provided clear direction, digitalization improved real-time monitoring and reporting, and proper budgeting ensured accountability and efficient resource utilization.

Evaluation systems are slowly making inroads in South African municipalities, particularly in the metros, yet their effective utilisation remains uneven across service delivery programmes. This study investigates the barriers affecting the uptake of evaluation in implementing the Indigent Programme Exit Strategy within the City of Tshwane (CoT) Metropolitan Municipality. Despite the strategic intent of the exit strategy to reduce long-term dependency and promote self-sufficiency among beneficiaries, the study finds that evaluation evidence is rarely used to inform decisions related to the strategy's design, implementation, or review. Instead, reliance is placed on administrative reporting and compliance-driven monitoring data, which limits learning, adaptation, and accountability. Using a qualitative case study approach grounded in institutional and systems theory, the study draws on semi-structured interviews and document analysis to identify key barriers, including weak political incentives for evaluation use, limited integration of evaluation processes into decision-making cycles, and inadequate feedback loops between evaluators, implementers, and policymakers. The findings underscore that the challenge is not the absence of M&E systems but rather the underutilisation of evaluation evidence to inform programmatic change. The article concludes by offering context-sensitive recommendations for enhancing evaluation uptake within municipal exit strategies and related interventions, contributing broader lessons for strengthening evidence use in local governance.

Effective implementation of education projects is crucial for sustainable development, yet many initiatives in developing regions like Musanze District, Rwanda, face challenges due to inadequate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices. This study had the following specific objectives; To assess the influence of M&E planning, M&E budget, M&E capacity building and, M&E data utilization on implementation of education projects in Musanze District. The study was grounded on Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Theory. The study used descriptive survey and correlational research designs. Questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis were used to collect data from a sample of 156 respondents out of a target population of 658, including school head teachers and teachers. The pilot study with 16 respondents who represent 10% of the sample size was used to enhance the validity and reliability of the research. Validity was confirmed through expert evaluation, with index of 0.80 while Reliability established using the split-half technique achieving a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.80, demonstrating the instruments' consistency and appropriateness for data collection.  The four hypotheses were tested at the ? = 0.05 level of significance, and the results were as follows: M&E Planning (P = 0.000 < 0.05), M&E Budgeting (P = 0.000 < 0.05), M&E Capacity Building (P = 0.000 < 0.05) and M&E Data Utilization (P=0.000<0.05) does not significantly influence the implementation of education projects were rejected. In conclusion, the study found that all four practices of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) M&E Planning, M&E Budgeting, M&E Capacity Building, and M&E Data Utilization have a significant influence on the implementation of education projects. The study recommends that to improve education projects in Rwanda, stakeholders should prioritize comprehensive M&E planning processes with clear objectives and stakeholder participation. Transparent budgeting with robust accountability systems, as well as active community engagement throughout project stages, M&E capacity-building initiatives through regular training sessions and workshops, ensure efficient resource utilization with transparent allocation frameworks. The investigation of the long-term effects of Monitoring and Assessment capacity-building on project sustainability should also be followed by further researchers on the regional differences in implementation effectiveness and on the effects of digital tools and data analytics in promoting high-quality practices in M&E for better outcomes.

The focus of this paper is on public administration as a discipline and a distinct body of knowledge concerned with the ontological and epistemological realities of monitoring and evaluation. This study will provide a brief account of the evolution of the field of Public Administration in connection to the ontological realities of M&E policy processes in order to provide context for the current thesis on M&E policy processes. As a precursor to the current study's methodological approach and emphasis on the need for M&E policy practice in South Africa, the paper provides the historical epistemological and ontological foundations of the discipline of Public Administration. In this light, the paper will seek to unveil the historical trends in the epistemological and ontological philosophical aspects of the discipline of Public Administration thus offering a scholarly anchor for the paper. Against this setback, this conceptual paper seeks to explore the prospects and challenges of monitoring and evaluations contribution to Public Administration discourse.

Benefactor organizations have greatly funded livelihood projects and programs in Kilifi County. However, these projects grapple with sustainability. Some halt operations instantaneously the funding is withdrawn. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of monitoring and evaluation (participation; tools; and timing and frequency) on the sustainability of donor-funded livelihood projects in Kilifi County, Kenya. The descriptive correlational research design was used with a sample of 170 from a population of 295 from three livelihood projects. Seven interviews and three focus group discussions were carried out. Standard deviations, standard error of means, arithmetic means, Pearson’s Product moment correlation, and linear regression were used. The perception of sustainability did not differ significantly with projects, gender, age, and marital status. However, perception differed based on the highest level of education and duration in the project. H0, r=0.458, p=0.000389<0.05 was rejected and concluded that monitoring and evaluation significantly influenced the sustainability of donor-funded livelihood projects. Participation in M&E and (p=0.000), frequency, and timing (p=0.024) had a significant while tools used in M&E (p=0.459) did have a significant influence on sustainability. This implies that corporate and individual knowledge of the project objectives, targets, and means of measuring project results were still critical in ensuring sustainability is attained. Simple templates of the logical framework should be used for the farmers to understand how inputs are converted into activities, outputs, outcomes, and goals. It is implied that the farmers had little knowledge of Likert items denoting tools in M&E. Therefore, simple and direct Likert items need to be chosen.

The results of an evaluation should be used for the envisioned goal and the evaluation process and/or outcomes should be used in practice and decision making. This article presents research whose objective was to establish the extent to which stakeholder involvement in evaluations impacts the utilization of evaluation findings for program improvement. Guided by the pragmatic paradigm and supported by the Utilization-Focused Evaluation Model and Knowledge Use Theory, the researchers assumed a descriptive and correlational design using mixed methods. The sample size for this study was 232 project staff from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Kisumu Central Sub-County, Kenya. To analyze qualitative data, the open-ended responses from key informant interviews were recorded and coded appropriately for further analysis for themes through content analysis and comparative analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated to describe the basic characteristics of the quantitative data. To ensure the validity and reliability of the research instruments, pilot testing was conducted. Cronbach’s alpha at ? = 0.908 was attained as the reliability coefficient of the pre-test instruments. Tests of statistical assumptions were carried out before data analysis to avoid invalidation. A hypothesis was tested at the ? = .05 level of significance and was rejected. The findings demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between stakeholder involvement in evaluations and the utilization of evaluation results. This research, therefore, reinforces literature and helps to understand the ways in which stakeholder involvement in evaluations influences the utilization of evaluation results. It informs the evaluation field of study, fills gaps in the evaluation use literature, and contributes to the appreciation of factors that predict and enhance the utilization of evaluation results