Fifty years of monitoring and evaluation - from before Drawers of Water to beyond the MDGs

摘要

Whether we benchmark, assess or monitor against a set of indices, indicators or selection criteria andrnwhether we use a framework, matrix or personal judgement, everyday life is enveloped by the compellingrnneed for measurement and accountability. This paper provides a synopsis of the evolution of thernmonitoring landscape existing within the WASH sector. The aim of the paper is to reflect and provokerndiscussion and debate on the complex, dispersed and multi-system environment that has been createdrnover the years. It does not however, quantify the level and changing use of each of the approaches,rnapplications or selection criteria available around the world today. Neither does it quantify or qualify thernimpact. However, concluding questions of whether the “pendulum has swung too far” and “is there arnneed for simplification and some level of standardisation” remain paramount.