Data Collection for Development Projects
When designing a monitoring and evaluation plan part of the process must consider what method will be utilised when gather the data for your indicators.
The best way to decide on the data collection method that will be utilised for a project is to first consider your indicators and what kind of data needs to be collected. Another key factor that will impact the way data is collected is what data is available and accessible. This consideration will have assisted the project in identifying the indicators so it should go in conjunction with the data collection methods for the project.
When data collection methods are identified for a project, the time that the data is being collected and how frequently should also be specified. The frequency of collecting data depends on the resources of the project and the capacity of the project staff. If the data collection method simply involves having individuals fill out a survey, the additional time of project staff reviewing this information is limited. Whereas for an evaluation of going through complicated data sets to draw out indicators will require specific hired staff that are trained in M&E.
Another component of the process in identifying the data collection methods is to identify the size of the sample of data that will be collected. For example, collecting data reflecting the number of live births in a given region, there will be years worth of data. Therefore, selecting the sample size of the data as the past five years’ worth of data makes for a more feasible M&E plan. The sample size should be specifically stated in the design of the M&E plan.
Some of the most common data collection methods in M&E include review of existing datasets for indicators requiring quantitative data. This includes drawing out indicators from surveys such as census and other official government documents. The drawing out of indicators from large datasets involves reviewing an extensive amount of existent literature. It becomes extremely important to have the support of the government to be able to access some data that might not be available to the public.
Data collection methods for qualitative indicators can become more complicated especially when it comes to performing the data analysis. This makes it vital to clearly outline how and when qualitative data will be collected. Some common methods to collect more narrative data includes conducting site visits with interviews and or focus groups. It is likely that an evaluation will utilise a mixed method approach to data collection.