Work in Progress

by Walter Kolkma

Monitoring is often seen as the modest, but more objective twin of evaluation. Monitoring would be concerned with observation and data, evaluation with analysis and value judgements. For that reason, most of the professional literature regards monitoring as less problematic, and less study has been made of it. This book argues that the lack of attention for monitoring systems in the public sector of developing countries is unfortunate. They are a common feature of projects and programmes throughout the Third World. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of the planning and implementation processes in Pakistan points to the finding that these systems are problem-ridden. Public sector monitoring systems often give a one-sided and distorted image of progress made. This is all the more serious since public investments such as made in Pakistan are wasteful of resources and yield low quality output. The book analyses the extent of these wastes and malfunctions, and offers innovative solutions for making the most of monitoring and planning. This ground breaking study is essential reading for all those concerned with the monitoring of projects and programmes in developing countries.