Methods for monitoring

It is important that Sida’s cooperation partners use results-based management to maximise achievements by continuously learning from success as well as failure and making adaptations based on the lessons learned. This approach is based on constantly asking questions such as:

• What do we want to achieve?
• What have we achieved?
• What can we do differently to increase the chances of achieving our objectives?

All Sida funded projects and programmes must have objectives that enable monitoring and reporting on results. Sida does not require any specific format or terminology but welcome that our partners choose the monitoring method that they find most adequate.

Regardless of the method and format used, our partners must answer the following questions:

• What is to be achieved? Objectives at different levels.
• How will the objectives be achieved? Causal relationships and assumptions on how the objectives are to be achieved, also known as intervention logic or theory of change.
• How will the intervention be monitored and/or evaluated? The monitoring method used by partners to assess whether the intervention leads to the achievement of the objectives, often involving indicators.

If you would like support in the application of results-based management you may consider asking your Sida contact person to explore the possibilities of making a call-off from Sida’s framework agreement on RBM.

You will find more information on Sida’s view on RBM as well as Sida’s requirements on projects and programmes in the presentation "Results-based management".  

Presentation on result-based management 

Risk is a natural part of all initiativ and being exposed to risks and taking risks is
part of all operations. Risk management is a structured approach to ensure that negative future uncertainties, i.e. risks, are managed within Sida financed contributions, as they seek to reduce poverty and oppression around the world.

This guide gives you an overview on how Sida defines and handles risk together with you as a cooperation partner.

Sida applies adaptive management and encourage our partners to adapt their operations according to the changing context in which they operate.

Evaluations help contribute to well-informed decision making, learning and accountability by providing an external assessment of what works well/less well and why, as well as recommendations for how to improve programming. In the guide below you will find information about Sida’s approach to evaluations and practical guidance for the evaluation process.

This template is to be used for terms of reference (ToR) for evaluations of Sida funded initiatives procured under Sida’s framework agreement for evaluation services. The template is not mandatory to use but rather a support when needed. Please contact your responsible programme officer when drafting the terms of reference.

This following checklist can be used when assessing the terms of reference for an evaluation of a Sida financed initiative.

On our page about evaluations you find annual reports which provide an overview over recent evaluations, evaluation briefs and other useful information.

You find Sida's evaluations in our publication database.

• Evaluation of Swedish development cooperation 
• Publication database