Policy and Guidance for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting for Development Food Security Activities V2.0

Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Food for Peace (FFP) funds development food security activities (DFSA) with the objective to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations. USAID applies the best available evidence to document activity effectiveness and improve program design and implementation. FFP has an obligation to the federal government and the American people to ensure that resources are used efficiently to achieve the best possible food security outcomes and that, in the process, food assistance actors learn from experience how to improve activity design and implementation. FFP's development activity applicants and partners are required to adhere to key monitoring, evaluation, and reporting responsibilities. This includes the development of a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan, which serves as a road map for activity M&E implementation. The primary purpose of the M&E Plan is to document an activity's M&E processes, methods, and elements in sufficient detail to enable all partner staff, especially new staff, to continue implementation of the M&E system after turnover of key M&E staff. Monitoring is a critical component of the M&E process, involving the routine collection and analysis of quantitative or qualitative information throughout the life of the award (LOA) to verify that protocols are respected, implementation and outputs are on schedule, and evolving changes are consistent with the underlying theory of change (TOC). Evaluations, on the other hand, collect and analyze information about the characteristics, processes, and/or outcomes of interventions and are used for documenting performance and/or to inform decisions about current and/or future interventions. FFP activities undergo midterm evaluations (MTEs) to gather evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of activity implementation and on the acceptability of activity implementation to participants, FFP, and the partner. Results from MTEs are used to identify adjustments to implementation that would improve outcomes during the activity's remaining implementation period. Final performance evaluations collect data on project outcomes to measure performance against baseline values, analyze successes and challenges of the activity, and inform future FFP and partner programming and learning. The M&E Plan is a critical component of FFP's development activities, and its development is a collaborative effort between FFP, the implementing partner, and other stakeholders. The plan outlines the M&E framework, including the theory of change, logical framework, indicator performance tracking table, performance indicator reference sheets, and qualitative inquiry planning sheets. The plan also outlines the monitoring and evaluation staffing and capacity development strategy, as well as the management information system (MIS) principles. FFP's development activities are designed to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations. The M&E Plan is a critical tool in achieving this objective, as it provides a framework for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of activity implementation. By adhering to the M&E Plan, FFP and its partners can ensure that resources are used efficiently to achieve the best possible food security outcomes and that food assistance actors learn from experience how to improve activity design and implementation. The M&E Plan is a living document that is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in the activity's design, implementation, and outcomes. The plan is also used to inform decisions about current and/or future interventions, and to identify areas for improvement. By using the M&E Plan as a guide, FFP and its partners can ensure that their development activities are effective, efficient, and sustainable, and that they contribute to the improvement and sustenance of food and nutrition security for vulnerable populations. FFP's development activities are designed to be flexible and adaptable, and the M&E Plan is an essential component of this flexibility. The plan allows for adjustments to be made to the activity's design and implementation in response to changing circumstances, and it provides a framework for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of these adjustments. By using the M&E Plan as a guide, FFP and its partners can ensure that their development activities are responsive to the needs of vulnerable populations and that they contribute to the improvement and sustenance of food and nutrition security.